When a stain appears on a perfecto, shoes or a leather handbag, we often imagine that it’s a disaster! It must be said that like suede, leather is a durable material, but still quite fragile and sensitive to water and humidity. Also, the slightest stain on leather raises fears that it could be permanently damaged. In addition, most commercial stain removers for clothes are far too aggressive and are absolutely not suitable for this cleaning. So how do you clean stains from leather? Here are our grandmother’s tips whose effectiveness no longer needs to be proven.
Things to know before you start stain removal…
Never wash leather with plenty of water or too much liquid stain remover to avoid damaging it. Use a small quantity of product which you will apply by dabbing and not by rubbing too vigorously. Above all, always test your cleaner on an inconspicuous area to ensure there will be no demarcation and act as quickly as possible to prevent the stain from setting in. Finally, when cleaning is finished, always use a nourishing wax for leather care.
1) How to clean a white stain on leather
It is often excess fat or limescale that causes these marks on this material. To remove them, simply do blowing hot air from a hairdryer on the stain for one minute. However, be careful not to bring the device too close: keep about 10 cm away. Then, while the leather is still warm, wipe it with a cloth soaked in a few drops of white vinegar.
If the white mark is caused by salt on your winter boots, clean it with vinegar water!
2) How to remove a stain from leather
Against food stains (and all leather stains in general)
If you have spilled liquid on leather (tea, coffee or wine), absorb the excess liquid with an absorbent paper. Then, on any type of stain, particularly food stains (drinks, chocolate, jam, tomato sauce, etc.), you can use cleansing milka few drops of white vinegar or the clay stone on a clean cloth or cotton pad. You can even take some clay rock and add a few drops of vinegar if the stain is difficult. Then rinse with a cloth dampened with a little water and dry with a hairdryer away from the leather. If nothing helps, use a few drops ofhousehold alcohold’70° or 90° alcohol orammonia.
And finally, what about grease stains on leather?
Against greasy stains, land of Sommières is very effective as is the talceven flour. Leave them on the stain to absorb the grease before brushing with a special leather brush. If this is not enough, apply your powder again to the stain, then cover with a cloth. Then use an iron set at medium temperature. This will boost the absorption power of the powders. Finish with a soft brush and repeat if necessary.
3) Remove mud stains from leather
Allow the mud to dry completely before brushing the shoe with a soft-bristled brush. This will be enough to remove the encrusted dirt. Once the dirt has been carefully removed, remember to polish your shoes or jacket with shoe polish to restore its shine.
4) Removing grass stains from leather
Often, mud stains often go hand in hand with grass stains. To remove green dirt, use a cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol or milk and rinse with clean water.
5) And how to remove mold from leather?
Did you leave your handbag in a damp place for too long and it ended up moldy in places? We must act quickly while the mold is only on the surface so that it does not no time to get embedded in the leather. You can use a cloth soaked in glycerin, turpentine or use a little make-up remover milk then fine-tune with a few drops of ammonia. If you resist stubborn stains, get down to business with hydroalcoholic gel or pure white vinegar.