How to remove stains from leatherette: removing traces of chocolate, blood, wine

What is artificial leather

How to deal with stains on artificial leather

How to clean leatherette furniture

Processing light-colored artificial leather products

How to remove household stains from leatherette

Products made from leatherette are often found in interior design, clothing and other areas of life. Depending on the frequency of use, these items become dirty and require cleaning. Unfortunately, leatherette is not easy to clean. Most products cannot be washed or treated with aggressive compounds. Therefore, you should approach the care of this material with special attention.

What is leatherette?

In other words, this is artificial leather, vinyl artificial leather, a high-quality polymer material that imitates natural leather. It is durable and easy to handle, but despite this, the surface of leatherette can be damaged by anything: high temperature, direct sunlight, and especially household pollution.

But there are also a lot of other materials used in furniture production. A separate post on our website is dedicated to the topic of which fabric is best for a sofa.

Is your sofa light in color? Unfortunately, the problem that arises is that it is susceptible to staining from clothes, jeans, and bed linen. How to deal with this? In this article we will give you some effective tips to answer this and other questions about cleaning leatherette.

What is harmful to artificial leather?

The natural material from which shoes, clothing, and furniture upholstery are made is durable and elastic, but is expensive, and animals are killed for its production. The basis for eco-leather is cotton fabric, onto which polyurethane is applied.

The artificial material does not cause allergies, is not afraid of ultraviolet rays, is durable and wear-resistant, and does not become hard in the cold.

High humidity

Eco-leather does not allow water to pass inside. The machine is not suitable for washing products made of two-layer material; the dirt on them is not washed off with water. Strong humidity has a negative effect on fabric.

Heat

Eco-leather allows heat to pass through well, products made from it do not fade in the sun, but they overheat strongly; washing in hot soapy water is not recommended.

Cleaning with a steam generator

Synthetic fabric with a polyvinyl chloride coating is not inferior in technical characteristics to leather, looks similar to natural material, but if not properly cared for, it loses its attractiveness. You cannot clean products made from it with a steam generator.

Abrasives

If you wipe eco-leather with a hard brush or pumice stone, scratches, microcracks, and small cuts appear on the surface. The fabric is damaged when cleaning with abrasive materials and does not tolerate chlorine.

Daily care rules

Furniture upholstery and clothing made from light eco-leather remain attractive and do not wear out for a long time if the products are regularly and properly cared for:

Remove dust with a damp cloth.
Wipe off dirt with napkins made of calico, microfiber, or flannel.
Treat with a water-repellent compound every 6 months.
Polish to restore shine with creams intended for natural leather.

When cleaning stains, do not press on the surface of the car seat cover or upholstery. A sofa or chair made of two-layer material should be installed away from radiators, making sure that direct rays of the sun do not fall on things.

What types of leatherette are there?

Before you start cleaning, be sure to clarify what type of leatherette you use - apatek, vinyl artificial leather, eco-leather. Each of them is suitable for certain detergents, and for each there are some restrictions regarding what should not be used when cleaning. So, for example:

Apatek products can be cleaned with soapy water or products that do not contain chlorine or solvents.
Vinyl leather - tolerates products that contain ammonia, but does not tolerate solvents.
Eco leather – cleaned with a 40% water-alcohol solution and nail polish remover. But after cleaning, be sure to wipe the surface dry.

If you are interested in knowing what quality your material is or if you are planning to purchase new upholstered furniture in the future, read a more detailed review about different types of leather and leatherette for a sofa.

Types of material and possible cleaning methods

Leatherette or artificial leather is often used in interiors, for the manufacture of accessories, clothing and shoes. This material is less durable and resistant than genuine leather, so it must be handled very carefully.

Leatherette is a material consisting of a fabric base and a polymer coating. This coating is quite easily damaged when exposed to sharp and hard objects; it does not withstand exposure to high temperatures and aggressive chemicals. Therefore, not all cleaning methods can be used to remove pen marks from a leather sofa.

Any type of artificial turf must not be cleaned mechanically using hard brushes, steel wool or other tools that can damage the polymer layer. It will be impossible to restore the material after damage, so you should use only soft sponges and rags.

For the manufacture of furniture upholstery, the following types of leatherette are most often used:

Arpatek. Material containing polyurethane, cotton, viscose. Externally, we can hardly distinguish it from genuine leather. This coating can be cleaned only with mild detergents; the use of chlorine-containing substances, solvents, and alcohols is excluded.
Vinyl leather. Material based on fabric coated with porous polyvinyl chloride. It tolerates the effects of alcohols well, but can be destroyed when exposed to solvents.
Eco leather. This is one of the most durable artificial leather substitutes; it can be cleaned with alcohol solutions and acetone-based solvents.

Rules for removing pen marks from any type of artificial leather:

any stain remover option must first be tested on an inconspicuous area of the upholstery;
It is recommended to start wiping off pen marks using the mildest means, but if success is not achieved, you can move on to using more aggressive means;
It is recommended to apply the stain remover directly to areas of contamination, being careful not to touch clean surfaces;
after removing stains, remove any remaining product with a damp sponge or rag;
At the end, the surface is wiped dry; drying with a hairdryer is prohibited.

When choosing a cleaning method, you need to take into account the type of contamination. It is most difficult to remove traces of a ballpoint pen; ink and imprints from gel pens are easier to wash off.

How to properly clean a leatherette sofa?

Before you start cleaning your sofa, stock up on the right cleaning supplies so you have them on hand.
Cover the area where you will clean the sofa with film or remove carpeting from the floor.
Make sure that the light falls evenly on the entire surface to be treated.
For emergency drying of the product, do not use batteries or direct sunlight.
Do not use chemicals, acetone, chlorine-containing products, 100% alcohol.
To avoid damaging the fabric, do not use sharp objects or brushes with rough bristles.

About home comfort

Like other items in the house, there comes a time when furniture and clothing made from leather substitutes, no matter what type they are, begin to ask for washing. One day, waking up or taking time away from important matters, the owners notice that there are stains of unknown origin on their sofa. Not every person will be able to remove them right away. Contaminants of any nature and on any fabric are characterized by harmful insensitivity to certain means and techniques.

But don’t grab your head and lament: “I can’t! Does not work!". This happens due to a banal ignorance of the technique of erasing stains from artificial leather, its nuances and features. And it’s easy to fix this problem - below are methods that can be used to quickly and relatively easily wash off dirt from eco-leather and other types of leatherette.

Removing stains from leatherette products is quite simple.

How to clean leatherette?

To choose the right cleaning product, consider not only the type of faux leather, but also its color.

A complete list of possible cleaning products for leatherette includes:

soft and melamine sponge, fabric napkins;
wet wipes for leather and leatherette care;
hydrogen peroxide;
nail polish remover;
ammonia;
Polish for hair;
lemon juice;
glass washing liquid;
vodka;
dry cleaning product “Vinet”;
colorless cream;
special stain removers for leatherette.

We use ammonia

Using ammonia, you can easily remove a variety of contaminants, including washing away traces of a gel or ballpoint pen. It is necessary to dilute 5 ml of ammonia solution in half a glass of water and wipe the stained areas with this liquid. The product has a pungent odor, so it is recommended to work with it with open windows.

So, you can wipe off pen marks on an artificial leather surface with ready-made stain removers or improvised means. It is not recommended to use aggressive agents (for example, gasoline, acetone), as they can damage the surface of the material. It is impossible to restore damage to the surface of leatherette, so you should always test in an inconspicuous place how this or that product affects the material.

You may need laundry soap, dishwashing detergent, citric acid solution, car cosmetics for cleaning the skin and a melamine sponge. It is not always possible to clean leather well with automotive products. But laundry soap successfully copes with everyday dirt.

You can also clean the material with chlorhesidine, which bleaches well. The main thing is to use a melamine sponge, which does not leave scratches.

How to clean a white leatherette sofa?

Even light-colored furniture can be brought into proper shape quickly using several methods. Take this into account and choose the option with which you do not have to spend a lot of money and time.

Method 1

If stains appear on the surface of the sofa from contact with clothing or bedding:

Make a soap solution from a detergent designed for delicate washing of silk and synthetic items.
Apply with a soft cloth to the darkened area.
Rub lightly.
Rinse off any remaining product with a damp cloth.
Wipe dry.

Method 2

If there is a blood stain on the surface:

Option 1:
Wet the stain with the solution.
Use a toothbrush to go over the stain.
Soak a rag in water and wipe off any remaining solution.
Repeat the procedure depending on the degree of contamination.
Option 2:
Apply to the stain for a few seconds.
Rub vigorously.
If the stain is not removed, add a few drops of ammonia to the swab and repeat the procedure.
Wipe with a damp cloth.
Wipe dry.

Method 3

Shaving foam will serve as a gentle skin cleanser:

Squeeze a small amount of foam onto the stain.
Gently rub into skin.
Leave it for a while.
Soak a cloth in water.
Rinse off the product.

Method 4

To clean an item or furniture from dirt and yellowness, use wet wipes for the care of leather and leatherette:

Gently rub the stain.
Apply clear shoe polish to the cleaned area. It will cover the leatherette with a film and protect it from the negative influence of external factors.

Saving white furniture

In light colors, even the smallest stains appear quite noticeable. Therefore, when purchasing shoes, furniture or accessories made from such materials, you should be prepared for frequent cleaning.

How to remove stains from white leatherette:

Soap solution . This method will get rid of traces of chocolate, jam, and fruit juices. Wash the soft sponge well and apply whipped foam to the dirt. Leave to act for 15-20 minutes. After this, remove the soap with gentle movements.
Vodka . A great way to get rid of chewing gum marks. You can also use alcohol, but first dilute it in half with water. Apply the product to a cotton swab and treat the surface. Movements should be smooth so as not to increase the affected area.
Vinegar . Its strength cannot be underestimated, in addition, it will be safe for leatherette. To remove stains, you need to moisten a small cotton swab in it and apply it to the stain. Leave it like this for 5 minutes, then wipe it off. If the result is not achieved, you can repeat the procedure.
Lemon juice . It will help discolor the stain and eliminate ingrained odors. You can squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a separate bowl and place a cotton ball in it. Thoroughly wipe the area of contamination. A more simplified option: cut a lemon in half and rub half of it on the dirty area. After this, rinse the area with warm water and wipe dry.

How to clean leatherette from household dirt?

Remove traces of coffee and tea using diluted 10% ammonia:

Dilute ammonia in water.
Soak a sponge in the solution.
Wipe the stain.

Wipe off marks from a ballpoint pen using hairspray or window cleaner:

Spray the varnish onto a rag or directly onto the dirt.
Wipe.
If the stain is not removed immediately, repeat the process.

To remove traces of oil paint, use purified turpentine as follows:

Soak a rag in the substance.
Wipe the stain until it disappears completely.
Make a soap solution and soak a sponge in it.
Wash the cleaned area with soapy foam.
Rinse with water.
Dry.

On a note! Stains on furniture can be of very different origins, so for each of them, use suitable substances that will give the desired result much faster:
Chocolate stains can be easily and quickly wiped off with glycerin soap.
Clean traces of bitumen and resin on leatherette with a sponge soaked in 90% ethyl alcohol or turpentine oil.
Clean stains from drinks and red wine with a sponge dipped in diluted vinegar or soap suds.
If there is an “artist” in the house, and marks from the marker have reached the furniture, use a melamine sponge - just rub the dirt with it until it comes off.
You can remove grease stains and grass stains with natural lemon juice. It not only fights dirt, but also adds shine to the leatherette.

If your furniture is already morally and physically outdated, it may not be worth wasting time trying to remove dirt from it. To make the new item look modern, comfortable, and easy to care for, use our tips from a separate article on the topic of which sofa to choose for the living room.

How to remove stains from dermantine

When choosing a product, you should start with those that are least aggressive towards the material. Only if the gentle method does not help, you can proceed to a stronger one.

Remedies for stains on leatherette:

Perfume. Any except oil ones. Regular perfume contains enough alcohol to remove dirt from eco-leather. You can spray directly from the bottle onto the stain, or you can moisten a cotton swab. Old ink takes longer to remove. Therefore, simply apply an alcohol swab to the mark on the handles and wait 5 minutes. After this, treat the surface again.
Hydrogen peroxide. It will do a great job with traces of blood, especially fresh blood. Use a cotton pad to wipe from the edge of the stain to its center.
Lemon juice. It will help remove even traces of green grass.
Vinegar. Will get rid of traces of wine spilled on furniture.
Ammonia. It gets rid of a wide variety of contaminants, but has a strong specific odor. It is better to work in a well-ventilated area.

What else and how to properly clean leatherette?

For all types of leatherette to remove stains of various origins, use universal household chemicals - liquid LOC (bleach from Amway). This environmentally friendly product does not destroy the color and material; it does not even need to be washed off.

For stubborn stains, use a dry cleaner. Read the instructions for use carefully.

Dilute the concentrate with water 1:10; if the contamination is severe, use less water and more product.
Apply the solution with a rag or spray bottle.
Leave for a few minutes.
Wipe with a washcloth or chamois.

Daily care

Seats, sofa armrests, and bags made of white material become greasy over time and acquire a yellow tint. Denim clothing leaves bluish or gray stains on the seat. How to wash eco-leather from everyday dirt?

For this you will need:

laundry soap;
dishwashing liquid;
wet wipes for caring for leather items;
citric acid solution or lemon juice to whiten the surface;
automotive leather cleaning products;
melamine sponge eraser.

When choosing a car product for eco-leather, you will have to experiment - not all of them cope with dirty deposits in the same way; sometimes using laundry soap is easier and more effective.

Citric acid or hydrogen peroxide provide good whitening. The second, moreover, kills bacteria, which is useful for animal owners.

Useful tips

Fresh stains are always easier to remove than old ones.
Avoid excess friction on the surface of the faux leather.
Do not use abrasive cleaners.
Clean leatherette furniture regularly.
To effortlessly add shine to your product, use silicone-impregnated sponges - they create a protective film.
Always test your chosen products on an inconspicuous area of the skin before treating the entire surface.
If you have the opportunity to use the services of specialists, do not risk it again.

How to wash properly

White eco-leather gets dirty quickly, products made from it can be washed, but you should not make rough movements or rub with force. Stains on things made of artificial material should be removed immediately after they appear, using a soft sponge or foam rubber.

Soap solution

Eco-leather is cleaned in different ways, dirt is removed using household products, but formulations containing chemicals are not used, as they can react and damage the material. To wash white artificial leather, you need to soak a sponge in liquid and then apply the product.

To remove grease stains from upholstered furniture, strollers or skirts:

The bucket is filled with water.
Add crushed laundry soap and beat it into foam.
Foam rubber is moistened in the prepared composition and applied to the contaminated area.

Eco leather is wiped with the soft side of the sponge. After removing traces of grease, the material is dried with a cloth.

Ammonia and dishwashing detergent

It is not always possible to remove old stains on white furniture and light-colored clothing using liquid and laundry soap. The contaminated surface is moistened with a solution of a glass of water and a spoon of ammonia, rinsed and washed with Fairy dish gel, and lubricated with glycerin.

Shaving foam

Artificial leather does not tolerate moisture well. To clean a sofa, armchair, or car seat upholstered in this material:

The product is thoroughly vacuumed.
A can of shaving foam is shaken and sprayed over the surface.
The composition is rubbed with a sponge into the contaminated fabric.
After a quarter of an hour, remove any remaining product with a brush.

After such cleaning, light-colored furniture gets less dirty and looks well-groomed and refreshed. It is better to wipe eco-leather not with expensive foam, but with cheap foam.

Wet wipes

You should try to wet a sofa covered with a two-layer material less, as it absorbs moisture and stains form on the surface of the upholstery.

If eco-leather products become dirty, it is recommended to wipe them with a wet cloth soaked in a special moisture-resistant compound.

Video material

As you have already seen, all methods of cleaning leatherette are not complicated, and the variety of products allows you to be sure that exactly one of them will be at hand at the right time. All this is not difficult to do at home. Use our tips to clean your bag or favorite jacket. As soon as you have to test their effectiveness in practice, be sure to follow the recommendations of our specialists - otherwise, you may get the opposite effect!

Traces from pens and felt-tip pens

If there are children at home, the question of removing traces of their art sooner or later arises in every mother. Fortunately, modern felt-tip pens can be easily washed off with water, but the same cannot be said about ballpoint pens and markers.

Ballpoint pen ink is the most difficult stain to remove. They must be removed as quickly as possible so that the dye does not become embedded in the coating. If the ink is not dry, there is a chance to wash it with soap and a melamine sponge. After drying, you can whiten the surface stained with a pen in several ways.

Method 1. Nail polish remover. Cleans off fresh ink, markers, and gel pens.
Method 2. Hairspray. Apply, wait a couple of minutes, wipe off with a cotton pad, repeat if necessary.
Method 3. Leather polish and solvent for polyurethane glue. First, treat the surface with polish or conditioner to protect it, wait 5 minutes, and then wipe the stain with a solvent. When used correctly, this treatment removes even old hand marks without harming the leatherette.

Methods using slaked soda, alcohols, and citric acid will remove the ink of gel pens and water-alcohol-based markers. Since ballpoint pen paste has a wax-fat composition, these methods will be ineffective for it.

Drink Stains

At home, it is quite possible to wash traces of drinks from a white sofa. The main thing is to act quickly so that the liquids do not have time to be absorbed.

Use a dry cloth or napkins to collect any remaining spills from the surface. If you don't have paper towels or a rag on hand, you can sprinkle salt, then collect it along with the absorbed drink.
Wipe the stained area with hydrogen peroxide, an aqueous solution of vinegar or citric acid, if the pigment remains. The proportions of 9% vinegar to water are the same as when using acid: one to one.
After treatment, wash the leatherette with soapy water or wipe with damp cloths, dry the surface with towels.

Rules for removing stains

Paradoxically, furniture and things made of white leatherette have advantages over colored ones, because when scrubbing their surface, there is no risk of washing off the dye and getting a lightened stain.

7 simple truths about stain removal:

It is easier to remove fresh stains.
All stain removers must first be tested on an inconspicuous area of the product.
Do not scrape off dirt or use abrasives.
It is necessary to erase traces of brush, paints, and brilliant green, moving from the edges to the center.
When removing a stain, you need to change the cotton pads more often so as not to smear the dirt.
Cotton balls should be proportionate to the size of the stain. It is better to remove some stains with cotton swabs - this will reduce the area of treatment, and therefore the risk of rubbing off pigmentation and damaging the surface.
Eco-leather conditioner will help protect a white sofa, armchair, and chair upholstery - it must be applied after each wash. The silicone film on the surface will prevent the absorption of dirt.

When purchasing items made from leatherette, it is advisable to ask the seller about the type and composition of the material, and also to keep the flap that the manufacturer attaches to the label of the product or furniture. On this piece you can test the effect of stain removers, if necessary.

And with the general rise in prices, you have to save on a lot. It is necessary to purchase food, medicines, and children's products, and we are forced to put up with the prices that are offered to us on the market. But in terms of clothing, accessories or home furniture, we can choose from a huge range of cheaper products. Today we will talk about skin.

You can read how to restore the “decent” appearance of natural leather. Genuine leather is a good natural material for various products, such as clothing, shoes, bags, and furniture, but products made from it are quite expensive and cannot be afforded by many. But there is an excellent alternative, a cheaper material - artificial leather. In terms of quality characteristics, it is practically not inferior to natural leather, only it requires careful care, and it is significantly better in price. Now the question arises - how to care for this material, how to clean leatherette? It is these questions that we will answer in our article today.

Products for different types of stains

Leatherette and eco-leather are popular because of their practicality. This coating is washable and does not require complex maintenance. Most stains can be easily removed with soap, but some stains will require a little more effort.

Food stains - greasy marks, chocolate - are washed off with dish gel marked “Anti-grease” or laundry soap.
Stains from berries and grass should be bleached after washing with citric acid or hydrogen peroxide.
The blood is immediately washed off with cold water, and a cotton pad with ammonia is placed on old stains. Then scrub, adding ammonia as needed.
Nail polish, acrylic paint, brilliant paint are washed off with nail polish remover.
Chewing gum and plasticine are first carefully wiped off with a gauze swab, and the residue is removed with alcohol.
Gouache and watercolor can be washed with liquid soap and a melamine sponge.
Oil paint can be wiped off with turpentine.