# How to remove stains from white patent leathers?



## sanity

Got a white patent leather bag that has black ball pen ink, lipstick marks and some other red stains. Anyone has any ideas on how to get rid of them without ruining the leather?


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## JAP4life

To be honest,I think once they are in there, it's permanent. Though hopefully I'm wrong.


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## ggk84

I'm by no means an expert but I know from experience that if there are surface marks or external dirt on anything patent, you can wipe those off with a damp cloth. However, if the marks have permeated the patent, I don't think you can remove them.


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## PinkCupcake

^^ Yep.  In my experience eucalyptus oil on a cotton wool pad will remove some marks and will lighten others, but if the stains have penetrated the finish then basically they are there to stay.  It's worth a try though.


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## sanity

Thanks. I will give that a try. Need to buy the eucalyptus oil though. 

Hope it works as stains on white bag are very obvious.


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## sanity

Anyone has further ideas on how to remove stains from a white patent leather bag? All advices appreciated.


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## sanity

Any more advices pls?


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## sweetneet

for things like surface scuffs, glue/adhesive residue etc you can try *non-acetone* nail polish remover. that usually works very well in my experience... i've used it on my lv vernis bags and it works wonders. i would test it on a small spot first, just to make sure it doesn't dull any of the finish (but i never had that problem). 

however, if that doesn't work, and if it's like an ink stain or some sort of color transfer (from clothes, etc), i am 99.9% sure there is nothing you can do to get it out. sorry!  because when that happens with inks/dyes is that they get *underneath* the shiny surface, so nothing you put on it will be able to take the dye out.  i know it sucks, thats why patent leathers are so high-maintenance (i luv it anyways though )


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## baiserdelamour

sanity said:


> Any more advices pls?



Hey sanity were you able to try any of the advise suggested? I too have the same problem and worst of all it's a Michael Kors bag I borrowed from my mom!


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## ambercat

try rubber erasor, the one used for pencil drawing. It works


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## Purrrfect

Good luck - this is why I don't buy light patent colors in bags or shoes. 
Ugh, I feel for you.


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## Purselover777

I tried the eraser, nail polish remover, patent leather cleaners and conditioner. This is my favorite purse. I barely use it to keep it new. My red patent leather purse caused the stains on the white patent leather purse.

Haven't tried the oil yet as I need to buy that. Any other ideas???!!??!!


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## dcooney4

I am having a similar problem with a blue patent leather tote. It looks like there is a bit of ink on the outside of the bag near the center on both sides. The odd thing is it is shines on top of the color. It has been in the closet for a long time,so I really don't know what it is or how it got there. There are no marks anywhere in the bag.


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## Purse lover33

My 3 month old red patent leather studded purse got a 1.5 X 3 inch ink transfer on the smooth side panel. Soap and water did not remove it at all.  So I wrote the Valentino customer service department for advice on how to get the stain off and they said to contact the store where I bought it.  NOT IMPRESSED!  For $3750. you don't get customer service??  Anyway, I read the suggestions and decided to try the Lysol disinfectant spray on a Q-tip.  I saturated the Q-tip and lightly applied it to the stain.  It came completely off except for a slight smear--so I reapplied on a clean Q-tip and it not only totally came off--but it didn't dull the finish or leave any residue.  Very impressed!


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## 41_ purse_ gal

Purse lover33 said:


> My 3 month old red patent leather studded purse got a 1.5 X 3 inch ink transfer on the smooth side panel. Soap and water did not remove it at all.  So I wrote the Valentino customer service department for advice on how to get the stain off and they said to contact the store where I bought it.  NOT IMPRESSED!  For $3750. you don't get customer service??  Anyway, I read the suggestions and decided to try the Lysol disinfectant spray on a Q-tip.  I saturated the Q-tip and lightly applied it to the stain.  It came completely off except for a slight smear--so I reapplied on a clean Q-tip and it not only totally came off--but it didn't dull the finish or leave any residue.  Very impressed!



wow good to know!


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## amyamoure

sorry to say it, but some of those stains go into the patent and just cant be cleaned off. If it is a stain just on top of the patent, I think you can use a little bit of windex on a cloth to wipe it off


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## Fob addict

ambercat said:


> try rubber erasor, the one used for pencil drawing. It works



It's black pen ink. Do you think the pencil eraser will do the job though?


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## CoriEllings

Keeping white patent leather clean and in good condition is hard, but with proper knowledge it will be much easier and less time consuming. Like anything white, it gets dirty faster and easier, so follow these steps if your white patent leather gets dirty, marked, or scuffed.

Try hairspray. The most difficult marks on white patent leather are those caused by items like ink pens. The best way to remove ink or other like substances, from white patent leather is to use hairspray. A spritz of hairspray on the mark will pull it out of the white leather and you can then gently rub, after letting it sit a few minutes. Dampen a cloth with warm water and rub in circular motions to remove the stain. Repeat as necessary, but be sure not to rub too hard, or you can damage the leather. This method works even on set in stains.

To remove stains that will not come out with hairspray, use white vinegar. DO NOT use colored vinegar, as the leather can absorb the color (not likely, but some leathers are more porous, so just to be on the safe side, white vinegar is best). Similar to hairspray, which contains alcohol, the vinegar will pull the stain out. Vinegar is much harsher than the slight alcohol of hairspray. You may want to begin by diluting the vinegar in 1:10 ratio with water (i.e. 1 cup vinegar in 10 cups water) and slowly increase the amount of vinegar until you get the desired effect. You can also use rubbing alcohol in place of vinegar, if you are worried about the smell, but it may have slightly different results. Always dilute and slowly increase the concentration, and be watchful for any damage.

When done with the above steps, rinse under cool, clean water and let air dry. Keep wet leather away from heat sources and direct sunlight, as this will slowly weaken leather over time and can cause cracking.
It is best to condition the leather after using harsh cleansers, like alcohol. A conditioner, like saddle leather conditioner or one specially formulated for leather, will keep your leather looking new longer and protect it from water, sun, dry conditions, and cracking or damage.


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## dianedcw

I bought a BEAUTIFUL white leather Coach bag at a garage sale for $10.  The entire back side had pinkish stains all over it, like red juice or Kool Aid had been spilled on it.  I tried several different cleaning methods, the one that worked best for me was using NON acetone nail polish remover. I started on the bottom of the purse in the most inconspicuous  place possible and when I was satisfied it wasn't going to cause further damage, I cleaned the rest of the purse.  I soaked a cotton ball with the remover, then gently dabbed and rubbed lightly.  Then I immediately wiped the area with a wet soft cloth. If the stain was stubborn, I wiped with the cotton ball  again but also used a soft toothbrush to gently scrub with the grain, then cleaned with the wet cloth.   After each application, I cleaned the area with leather lotion.  When the entire bag was cleaned, I let it dry.  Then I used leather lotion on the entire bag and let that dry.  When done with that, I applied a very thin layer of mink oil and buffed with a soft cloth.  It was a little labor intensive, but the bag looks brand new!  There are still some very faint pink marks, but you have to look very hard to find them.  Overall, I'm tickled to death because I rescued this beautiful bag!


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## monleal

dianedcw said:


> I bought a BEAUTIFUL white leather Coach bag at a garage sale for $10.  The entire back side had pinkish stains all over it, like red juice or Kool Aid had been spilled on it.  I tried several different cleaning methods, the one that worked best for me was using NON acetone nail polish remover. I started on the bottom of the purse in the most inconspicuous  place possible and when I was satisfied it wasn't going to cause further damage, I cleaned the rest of the purse.  I soaked a cotton ball with the remover, then gently dabbed and rubbed lightly.  Then I immediately wiped the area with a wet soft cloth. If the stain was stubborn, I wiped with the cotton ball  again but also used a soft toothbrush to gently scrub with the grain, then cleaned with the wet cloth.   After each application, I cleaned the area with leather lotion.  When the entire bag was cleaned, I let it dry.  Then I used leather lotion on the entire bag and let that dry.  When done with that, I applied a very thin layer of mink oil and buffed with a soft cloth.  It was a little labor intensive, but the bag looks brand new!  There are still some very faint pink marks, but you have to look very hard to find them.  Overall, I'm tickled to death because I rescued this beautiful bag!


Thank you for this.  I hadn't seen anything recently on this and I have a white bag that has some stains.  I will test non-acetone nail polish remover and see if it helps.


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## rtydlacka

sanity said:


> Got a white patent leather bag that has black ball pen ink, lipstick marks and some other red stains. Anyone has any ideas on how to get rid of them without ruining the leather?


Ink stains are the worst to try and remove. They are almost always permanent. My advice would be warm soapy water and a soft rag. Gently go over the stains. Any removal possible will take place with this. If that doesn't work then they're on there for good. Be careful of what you use to clean patent. If it's too abrasive it could remove the shine and leave a dull spot. You might want to test rubbing alcohol on a small inconspicuous spot and see if it does anything to the leather, if not I would try that on the stains.


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## AshleyMaree85

I have used alcohol & 100% pure acetone (not together but separately) to get out super stubborn stains on patent leather! As long as you use it sparingly and don't rub too hard it's not gonna hurt the plasticy overlay.


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