Important rules and effective ways to remove grease stains from leather and suede
Despite all the positive properties (beauty, wear resistance, durability), leather products have one small drawback - they cannot be washed.
And if dust and dirt are easy to remove with a damp cloth, then you will have to tinker with grease stains.
How to remove a greasy stain from a leather, suede or leatherette product? Time-tested folk methods and special professional products will help you remove greasy marks quickly and without negative consequences for the shape and color of the product.
Content
What to do first?
So that after removing the greasy stain, the leather product does not completely lose its appearance and shape, It is very important to follow the rules of preliminary preparation:
Before you begin to remove a greasy stain, the leather product must be cleaned of dust and dirt. To do this, wipe it first with a damp and then with a dry soft cloth.- If a leather product is wet, then before cleaning it must be dried at room temperature, away from drafts and direct sunlight.
Before applying any product to the skin (no matter synthetic or natural), it must be tested on an inconspicuous area of the product.
How to remove using folk remedies?
Easy-to-use, accessible to everyone and, most importantly, safe means at hand will help clean leather products from greasy stains.
Chalk
Crushed chalk will help get rid of fresh, not yet dried grease stains on leather and suede.
Alternatively, you can use flour or baby powder instead of chalk.
Onion
Onions can be used to clean colored leather products from grease stains.. To do this, cut a small onion and, applying the cut to the leather surface, rub a greasy mark.
During the cleaning process, the cut of the bulb is renewed. After traces of fat have been removed, the skin is thoroughly wiped with a clean, damp sponge.
Ammonia
Ammonia will help clean the delicate surface of suede from grease. For cleaning stir 2 tsp in 20 ml of warm water. ammonia and 1 tsp. liquid soap.
Treat the stain with the resulting product. After cleaning, the slightly worn area of the suede product is kept over steam for 2-3 minutes. Such actions will help restore the velvety surface of the suede.
Petrol
Gasoline will help remove stubborn, old stains of oil on the skin.. To do this, use a cotton pad generously soaked in gasoline to wipe away dirt on leather products. The manipulations are repeated until the greasy stain completely disappears.
Fresh bread
Roll the crumb of fresh white bread into a ball, which is used to wipe a greasy mark on the skin or suede. This method is good when a stain on clothing appears at the most inopportune moment, for example during a meal.
How to remove with special compounds?
When cleaning with improvised means does not lead to the desired result, Professional compounds will come to the rescue for removing complex, stubborn stains from:
- skin,
- leatherette,
- nubuck,
- suede.
TOP 3 most effective professional compositions:
LEATHER DEGREASER
A product for removing oily stains from skin is a gel-like composition, the application of which helps to quickly remove traces of sebum from the head and hands, stains from edible and industrial oil from leather products. Ideal for cleaning all leather products (furniture, shoes, clothing, accessories).
Preserves the color and structure of the material. The average cost of Leather Degreaser cleaning paste is 2,300 rubles. (380 ml jar).
Keralux Degreaser Spray
Spray for removing oily stains from skin. Ideal for smooth and fleecy surfaces leather products.
It is enough to spray the product onto the greasy mark, wait until the treated skin dries, and then clean off the resulting powder with a soft brush or vacuum cleaner. The average cost is 1300 rubles. (volume 200 ml).
Foam Salamander Combi Cleaner PROFESSIONAL
Universal cleaner for leather and nubuck products, artificial and combined materials. The highly effective formula with lime oil will remove grease stains, dirt and salt stains in minutes. Preserves the color of the product. The average cost is 470 rubles. (volume 125 ml).
When working with professional cleaning products, you must carefully study the manufacturer’s instructions and follow these recommendations.
How to clean natural and artificial leather and suede shoes?
Turpentine can remove traces of fat from vegetable, dairy and meat products from artificial leather shoes.The stain is treated with a rag soaked in turpentine until the stain completely disappears. After cleaning, the shoes must be wiped with a damp sponge and covered with a layer of protective cream.
Suede shoes are cleaned very carefully (active friction leads to the formation of bald patches and abrasions). The greasy stain is cleaned from the edges to the center. Ignoring this rule leads to the fact that the contamination is spread over the surface even more.
Fresh traces of fat are erased with a stationery eraser or sprinkled with potato starch. For stubborn stains, use table vinegar diluted with water (1 tsp of vinegar is enough for 1 liter of water).
The easiest way to remove a greasy stain from genuine leather shoes is with liquid dishwashing detergent. It is enough to apply detergent to a soft sponge and thoroughly rub the greasy marks on the shoes.
For old stains use a mixture of soap and gasoline (mix in equal proportions). The stain is treated with a cleaning composition and immediately wiped with a damp cloth. Treatment with protective sprays and shoe creams will help restore the shine of the leather after cleaning.
Getting rid of dirt on your bag
Regardless of whether the bag is made of leather, leatherette or suede, before cleaning the product must be wiped with a damp and then a dry cloth. Further, the choice of method for removing grease stains already determines the type of material from which the bag is made.
So, when choosing products for removing oily stains from artificial leather, worth remembering:
- acids,
- solvents,
- alcohol,
- Acetone and chlorine-containing substances cannot be used.
Ignoring this rule will lead to final damage to your favorite item.
You can clean a leatherette bag using a sponge generously soaked in soapy water.. Lemon cleans white faux leather bags perfectly. Just soak a cotton sponge in freshly squeezed lemon juice and wipe the greasy stain thoroughly.
It is good to clean bags made of genuine leather with a potato (the stain is simply wiped with half a potato tuber). Traces of starch that remain on the bag after stain removal are removed with wet wipes.
To remove old stains on a genuine leather bag, use a paste of laundry soap (rubbed on a coarse grater and mixed with a small amount of water to form a thick paste). Apply the cleanser liberally to the greasy mark, leave for five minutes, then rinse with warm water.
To do this, blot traces of fat with a paper napkin, then sprinkle:
- talc,
- soda,
- starch or crushed chalk.
After three to four hours, the suede bag is carefully cleaned with a special brush.
Under no circumstances should bags made of leatherette or suede be completely washed in a washing machine or by hand. Prolonged contact with water will deform the product and you will simply have to throw it away. Also, do not dry an already cleaned bag near heating devices or open fire.
Adviсe
Not only to remove fat, but also Several recommendations will help preserve the appearance, color and shape of leather products:
First of all, to clean leather, leatherette or suede, use the most gentle (folk, improvised) products.- Before applying any cleaning composition, the grease stain on the skin should be blotted with a paper napkin.
- It is not recommended to use chalk for products made of black leather (after cleaning, white indelible stains may remain on the surface).
- Velvety suede is never sprinkled with salt (the grains are very rough for a delicate surface and can easily scratch it).
Important and useful information about methods and means of removing grease stains from various surfaces is presented in this section.
Video on the topic of the article
This video will show you how to remove a greasy stain from your skin:
Conclusion
Removing greasy stains from leather or suede is not difficult. The main thing is to be careful during the cleaning process, and test each selected product on an inconspicuous area of the leather product.
