Removes ballpoint pen marks and similar discolouration from pigmented top-grain leather.
Amount: 9.5 ml
Application areas: Car Leather, Furniture Leather, Leather Clothing
For: Artificial leather, Pigmented leather, Semi-aniline leather
Application
Ballpoint pen marks are not easy to remove from furniture and car leather. If the mark is fresh, there is a better chance of cleaning it off but, if it has been there for more than three days, the area will have to be coloured.
Before starting to remove pen marks, first identify the type of leather. Incorrect cleaning methods can increase the damage. We distinguish between the following types of leather when cleaning stains and marks:
Pigmented leather: Pigmented smooth leather is leather with a protective layer of paint on the surface. A drop of water rubbed in does not sink into the leather but rolls off. Pigmented leathers generally have a satin finish and a grained surface.
Aniline leather is porous, smooth leather. A drop of water rubbed in will penetrate and darken the surface.
Suede is the reverse side of a smooth leather or both sides of split leather.
Nubuck is the sanded grain side of a smooth leather to create a soft, velvety effect.
PU-Leather / Bycast leather / Bicast leather is a split leather (suede) with a grained film of polyurethane applied to the surface. Such leather is usually shiny with a plastic-like appearance.
Strokes From Ballpoint Pens
Strokes From Ballpoint Pens On Pigmented Leather
Ballpoint pen lines on furniture and car leather occur quite often. Unfortunately, these are not always easily removable.
Please note the following:
- The fresher a ballpoint pen mark is, the easier it is to remove. When the ballpoint pen mark is older than three days, it is rarely possible to just clean and remove the mark. In most cases, this will have to be coloured.
- Whole paintings of children are much more difficult to remove than short lines.
- Cleaning trials with the wrong products often increase the damage.
Procedure:
- Always test first on a hidden area. Ideally, draw a line on this hidden area and clean vigorously, to give you an idea how effective it would be on the visible area. If it’s easy to clean, there should be no cause for concern.
- Some pens lose a lot of ink. To avoid spreading the ink, absorb the excess using masking tape.
- Next apply the Ballpoint Pen Remover. Press and hold the tip until it gets wet.
- Remove the ink stains with light circular movements, across a small radius and with little pressure. The liquid softens the area and dissolves the ink.
- Always remove dissolved ink with a cloth to avoid the stain spreading and clean the tip if necessary. The tip of the pen is designed to work on both sides so you can turn it upside down and re-insert, as required.
- Repeat the process and, if necessary, slightly increase the pressure.
- Older stains cannot be removed without damaging the leather’s colour so you will need to re-colour the affected area. Old ink stains tend to penetrate back out even after the leather is re-coloured. It is therefore essential to clean as thoroughly as possible prior to re-colouring.
Strokes From Ballpoint Pens On Aniline Leather
Aniline leathers are very sensitive due to the open pores. Ballpoint pen marks usually cannot be removed without the help of an expert. The risk of increasing the damage is very high. Always test first on a hidden area and use masking tape to cover unaffected areas. Finely sand the mark, if absolutely necessary. Rub gently and work with extreme care and precision. The use of Ball Point Pen Remover would only cause further stains. Leather Fresh is only suitable for one tone leather. Removing pen marks from aniline effectively is very rare. If in doubt, consult a specialist.
Strokes From Ballpoint Pens On Suede Or Nubuck
Suede and nubuck have a velvet surface. Ballpoint pen marks cannot usually be removed without the help of an expert. The risk of increasing the damage is also very high. Always test first on a hidden area and use masking tape to cover unaffected areas. Sanding with the Sanding Pad can be tested too, as the surface is a sanded surface. Rub gently and work with extreme care and precision. Always work from seam to seam. If there is a danger of damaging the leather, stop, even if a light shadow remains. The use of Ball Point Pen Remover would only cause further stains. A colour repair is not possible.
Strokes From Ballpoint Pens On Pu Leather
Most PU leathers (bycast/bicast leather) are dark and strokes from ballpoint pens are not so visible. Cleaning off the strokes risks damaging the foil on the suede. Always test on a hidden area first and don’t press or rub too hard. If there is a danger of damaging the leather, stop, even if the mark is visible. A colour repair is only possible if the leather is monochrome.
Strokes From Fibre Pens Or Other Pens And Ink Stains
Strokes And Spots On Pigmented Leather
Follow the instructions as for removing ballpoint pen strokes from pigmented leather (above). Use the Ballpoint Pen Remover for pen lines. Where the pen strokes have smeared, use GLD Solvent. Cover any remaining traces with Leather Fresh then apply Leather Shield protector.
Strokes And Spots On Aniline Leather
Aniline leather is very sensitive due to the open pores. Strokes and spots usually cannot be removed without the help of an expert. The risk of increasing the damage is very high.
Strokes And Spots On Suede Or Nubuck
Cleaning does not provide the desired result as the ink sinks into the fibres. You can attempt to remove the discolouration very carefully with the Sanding Pad. Intensive colourations can’t be removed. Ask an expert for advice.
Strokes And Spots On Pu Leather
The procedure is the same as for pigmented leather. Work carefully and test on a hidden area first.
Ink Stains
Lighter ink stains on pigmented leather can be removed in the same way as ballpoint pen marks on pigmented leather. GLD Solventis the first choice. Follow the instructions for discolouration.
When ink stains sink into smooth leather, only experts can help. Sometimes the ink can be absorbed as much as possible and be blocked before a re-colouration.
Most ink stains on suede and nubuck can't be treated even by experts.
