Remove Oil Stain From Leather

By Matt Oden | Comments | Oil and Wax Stains → Oil | Leather and Suede Stains

Removing oil stains from leather can be very tricky and may require professional help. If you feel comfortable taking the stains out yourself you will need to be very careful, as leather is a somewhat expensive material. There are a few great tips to follow when removing oil stains from leather. If the stain is large or the leather is older, you may also need to condition the material after you remove the stain.

Steps to Remove Oil from Leather

What you will need before you start:

Degreaser, cornstarch, or talcum powder
A mild soapy detergent
Leather conditioner (optional)

When trying to remove oil stains from leather the best advice is remove your leather before eating whenever possible. If you are unlucky enough to get an oil stain on your leather have no fear, there are some really great tips when looking to remove oil stains from leather. You may even have some of the cleaning and conditioning ingredients laying around in your kitchen.

The key to successfully removing oil stains from leather is to ensure you are very gentle with the material. Again leather is expensive so you will want to make sure you do not use a harsh detergent when treating the stain.

Newer leather is less fragile than older leather, but you still need to take care when removing oil stains from the material. Please use the following steps to remove oil stains from leather:

First you will need to obtain either degrease, cornstarch, or talcum powder. Any of these materials will allow you to gently remove the oil stain from leather.
Once you have decided what product to use gently blot the stain with the material. Gently is the key word!
After you have applied the first cleaning product you will want to wash the area with a mild, soapy detergent. This will allow you to wash away both the stain and the material used to remove the oil stain from the leather. Be careful the different chemicals can change the pigment of the leather.
Gently wipe away any of the detergent left on the leather.
Finally, you may condition the material with a leather conditioner or you can make your own leather conditioner with s few household items. The conditioning step might be necessary if you have changed any of the pigment on the leather.
If you have chosen to condition your leather you can make a solution in a 1:2 ratio of white vinegar and oil (i.e. linseed or mink oil).
Then you will want to take a dry chamois cloth and apply the solution using round strokes for about 15 minutes. Ensure you have applied the solution to the entire surface.
Take a second dry chamois cloth and remove any excess solution.
Finally, let the leather dry to a shine.

When trying to remove oil stains from leather remember that it is a tricky project to take on. If you are uncomfortable trying to remove the oil yourself consult a professional. Otherwise you can follow these simple steps to try and remove oils stains from leather.

Removing Oil Stains from Leather upholstery

What you will need:

A phone book
A professional
leather protector

Over time many people will begin to notice oil stains on their leather upholstery. You may even have the no eating on the leather couch rule, but still find that your expensive leather sofa has begun to show oil stains. This can be caused by body oils as well as food oils. Many people don't even realize they have begun to leave their body oil of their leather upholstery until the stains are large.

The best advice to helping you remove oil stains form leather upholstery is get professional help. Most leather furniture is very expensive and easily ruined by inexperienced at home cleaning methods. Most often people begin to clean the leather using some great tips, but end up discoloring the upholstery and ultimately ruining their furniture.

When looking into professional leather cleaners ensure that you find a person experienced in removing oil stains from the leather. Many upholstery cleaners claim they can clean any surface, but it take a special skill to clean leather upholstery without making a bigger mess.

Once the leather has been professionally cleaned and restored to its beautiful state, you can always try and prevent further damage. There are a lot of great leather protectors on the market that can prevent body oil to again ruin the finish on your leather upholstery. Most of the leather protectors on the market sell for about 25 US dollars.

If you do feel comfortable enough to try and remove oil from your leather upholstery you can simply follow the steps and directions located above. Just remember leather upholstery is much harder to clean and easier to ruin. Many of the products can cause you to ruin the pigment of the leather, thus causing it to discolor.