How to Clean Stains from Tanned and Rawhide Leather

Leather is by nature durable and yet it easily becomes damaged and stains. When leather gets stained it is more complicated to clean than an average textile because it is more porous and absorbent than an average textile product. The first step in removing stains from leather is to know what kind of leather you are dealing with. Natural tanned leather has different basic cleaning and stain removal steps than natural rawhide leather.

Natural tanned leather is commonly used for things like shoes, belts, handbags, vehicle seats, and black leather jackets. Natural tanned leather will appear soft or possibly shiny - and will feel similar to vinyl (or synthetic leather) when touched.

Leather polish and leather wax will effectively remove most surface stains on natural tanned leather. These leather care items are most commonly found in the form of shoe polish and shoe wax.

Leather conditioners work to remove deeper stains by seeping into the pores of the leather and lifting the dirt and stains from the pores. In addition to cleaning the leather, conditioners restore softness to leather while preventing drying and cracking.

Hairspray can stain leather, but if you have a really bad ink or marker stain - and nothing else is available to you - hairspray is going to be your best inexpensive chance at removing the ink. Water- based hairspray is the type least likely to damage your leather. Spray it on - staying as close to the stain as possible. Try to avoid overspray. Wipe off the ink and hairspray. You might have to repeat this several times. You might even have to take it to a professional cleaner afterwards, but a hairspray stain should be easier and cheaper for them to fix than an ink stain. (Having said that - unless the item is very old and soon to be replaced - I would personally recommend passing on the hairspray and purchasing a small bottle of ink and stain remover from a credible leather cleaning supplier like Leathermagic.com.)

Natural rawhide leather is also called suede and nubuck. It will usually look rough or feel velvety to the touch. It picks up stains and gets damaged by water easier than tanned leather does.

If natural rawhide leather gets wet keep it away from heat until it dries. It is extremely prone to shrinking and staining if moisture and heat are combined.

If the fibers of your rawhide leather are flattened or matted together suede and nubuck conditioning sprays are available to restore their appearance while nubuck brushes remove dry particles.

Cleaning and removing stains from leather will help your leather last longer and will help keep it looking nice.

Sources

http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/stain-removal/how-to-get-rid-of-leather-stains
http://leathermagicpro.com/Pages/careforleather.htm