How to Get Permanent Marker off Leather

Leather is a durable, flexible and versatile material. Stains made with permanent marker on leather can be difficult to remove because the ink is water resistant. The pigments in a permanent marker do not dye the leather but bond to the surface of it. Markers contain solvents like alcohol, which makes it possible to write on different surfaces like paper or glass. To get rid of the permanent marker stain, you need to dissolve the chemical bonds between the pigment and the stained leather. Just because the marker says it's permanent doesn't mean that the stain can't be removed.

Things You'll Need

Isopropyl alcohol
2 cloths

Leather protection cream

Instructions

- 1
  Test a small section of the leather that has the permanent marker stain. Dampen a cloth with the isopropyl alcohol and gently dab it on the stain. It is always a good idea to test a small area first to make sure the method is effective and doesn't make the stain worse, even though most leathers respond well to alcohol treatment.
- 2
  Moisten your cloth with alcohol and gently blot the stain several times. Move to clean areas of your cloth and repeat until the stain is gone. You should never rub the stain because this could cause the stain to go deeper into the leather; it could also cause the stain to spread to other areas of the leather. Rinse the stain gently with water and blot it up with a dry, clean cloth.
- 3
  Apply a leather protection cream. This cream contains natural oils and waxes that protect leather. It also adds a transparent layer to the surface of leather that repels water-based stains and helps prevent solvent stains from absorbing deeply into the leather. Apply the cream to your leather every three months.

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