Bürochaos: So entfernen Sie Kuli-Striche aus Leder

Whether your ballpoint pen leaked, you brushed against it in an unguarded moment, or your child was more creative with the pen than desired: it's best to remove ballpoint pen stains quickly, because they are almost impossible to get rid of. The longer they dry, the harder it will be to remove them. The problem: leather goods cannot simply be put in the washing machine or taken to the dry cleaner.

Special stain removers for ballpoint pens and ink are often the best choice here; in individual cases, there are also good home remedies for stains. However, extreme caution is advised with both variants: just as with the choice of leather care products, it is important to check beforehand whether the stain remover is suitable for the affected leather.

Leather type identification

When removing ballpoint pen marks, other pen marks, ink stains, and other stains, it is first important to correctly identify the type of leather. An incorrect cleaning method can quickly worsen the damage. We distinguish between the following types of leather when cleaning ballpoint pen stains and marks.

PIGMENTED SMOOTH LEATHER

Pigmented smooth leather is leather with a layer of color on the surface. This means that it is usually matt and has a grainy surface - you can also recognize pigmented smooth leather by the fact that a drop of water rubbed into the leather does not soak into it but instead rolls off. You should note the following: the fresher a ballpoint pen mark is when you work on it, the easier it is to remove. Stains that are three days old or older can only be removed with luck without color matching. Whole children's paintings are also much more difficult to remove than short pen marks. Attempts to clean with the wrong products can make the damage worse, especially with regard to the color.

ANILINE LEATHER

Aniline leather is open-pored smooth leather - you can tell by the fact that a drop of water is rubbed in and darkens the moistened area. Aniline leather is very sensitive due to its open pores. Ballpoint pen marks are therefore usually impossible to remove without professional help. The risk of increasing the damage is very high. As with pigmented smooth leather, you should first do a test in a hidden area to see whether the special cleaning agent causes any damage.

SUEDE

Suede has a velour-like surface: for example, nubuck leather is characterised by a very fine pile, while suede has a thicker pile. This is because suede is sanded during production. It is also worth doing a test on a hidden area before cleaning the stain. If the pile is coarse, any remaining stains can be reworked with a sanding pad or a nubuck eraser. If the pile is light, it is better to use a nubuck sponge. It is best not to sand one spot for too long to avoid discolouration around the grain. In this case, it can be worth giving up in time and possibly leaving a faded pen line.

PU LEATHER

In this case, "PU" stands for the polyurethane coating that is applied to split leather . This is supposed to look like smooth leather and the coating makes it completely water and dirt repellent - making it relatively easy to clean. PU leather is easy to recognize by its shine and plastic-like feel.

ONLY FOR INSENSITIVE LEATHER:

HOME REMEDIES FOR BALLPOINT PEN STAINS

For smooth and insensitive leather surfaces such as PU leather, you can safely resort to home remedies as an alternative to special cleaners. A proven remedy is, for example, rubbing alcohol: mix three parts rubbing alcohol with one part water and dab directly onto the stain with a clean cloth. But beware: do not rub under any circumstances: this will make the stain even more visible and damage the leather structure. Another remedy for ballpoint pen stains: medical alcohol, which is available in every pharmacy or drugstore. Alcohol is a solvent and can therefore dissolve the resins and pigments in ballpoint pen ink. This makes removing the stain much easier. Classic household magic erasers are also worth a try.