Comments on: How to get ballpoint pen mark off leather jacket?

Question: How to get ballpoint pen mark off leather jacket?

zembla3 — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 12:39:13 -0800

What is the best way to get a light ballpoint ink mark out of a leather jacket without discoloring or otherwise damaging the leather? It's a black pen mark on a brown jacket.

By: fvox13

fvox13 — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 13:34:50 -0800

I'm not sure of the exact treatment, but I've had good luck finding stuff like this in Hints from Heloise. Perhaps your local library / neighbor has a copy you could borrow?

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 14:07:10 -0800

Methanol (not isopropyl) dissolves ballpoint ink like magic. Try it first in a small, hidden area, or on a scrap piece of leather with a Q-tip.

By: palmcorder_yajna

palmcorder_yajna — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:03:39 -0800

Do keep in mind that, if you're not able to get the ink out yourself, your DIY efforts could make stain removal harder for a professional later on.

If I were you, I'd take it straight to a leather expert.

By: joshuaconner

joshuaconner — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:10:48 -0800

Seconding the leather expert recommendation. The risk/benefit ratio is just too high.

By: RogerB

RogerB — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 16:26:12 -0800

Amodex is the ink stain remover that hardcore pen geeks seem to favor. The site claims it works on leather. It's cheap enough stuff, so it might be worth trying before spending big on a professional cleaner.

By: belladonna

belladonna — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 16:34:51 -0800

Hairspray is the traditional way of removing ball point ink from fabric. (It's the only reason I even own a bottle of the stuff.) If you were going to try that, though, you'd want to test it on an inconspicuous place on the jacket first.

By: rxrfrx

rxrfrx — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 16:40:25 -0800

Methanol and acetone will both dissolve pen ink. Would either one work on leather?

By: pennee

pennee — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 18:16:25 -0800

By: wuzandfuzz

wuzandfuzz — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 19:27:51 -0800

heh. methanol and acetone would also serve to kill the leather. If you are going to go that route, i'd at least dilute it down significantly with water.

However, my mom's ancient asian wisdom has taught me the following. When she went to get a stain in her new leather chair fixed in the 70's, the guy looked at it, and said, yup, think we have that color. Turns out, whenever it's a small leather stain, (at least on furniture) most guys have a giant box of markers that they try to match, sometimes using multiple colors overlaid to get the right mix. Of course, I'd try it on a non-showing piece first.