Answer

Hi,thank you for your question - I will try to help:

Fabric dye vs. leather is a bad combination. What happened is called "dye transfer", and unfortunately, with leathers once a dye contacts the leather itself it immediately reacts with the hide and there is often no way to remove it completely without leaving other spots.

I'd recommend calling in someone qualified in leather restoration (you might ask your local dry cleaner for a recommendation fo somebody who does this locally).


But if you do want to try to tackle it on your own, and if there's a small, inconspicuous area that you could experiment on, you might try one or more of these things and see if it helps at all.
WARNING: the stain may bleed, or you may find that these methods remove the cream color of the leather too! So take care to test in an area where it won't show much and let it dry completely to see what the end result is before you try it in an area where it will show more.

1. There are some strong detergents that may work, such as "Maxicleaner". Dab on a sponge, and blot onto the stain, then sponge off with very slightly damp sponge.
2. There's a spot cleaner that is sold in discount stores like Dollar Tree that's called something like "Awesome Stain Remover" (comes in a white spray bottle) that is sometimes very effective on things like ink and dye stains.
3. A small amount of alcohol on a cotton ball. But use sparingly, as alcohol dries leather.
4. Blotting with equal parts lemon juice and cream of tartar. But lemon juice can act as a lightener, so rinse off gently with a damp sponge afterward.
5. Blotting with milk.
6. Blotting with cuticle softener (not nail polish remover!).


There are also some do-it-yourself re-dyeing products out there that may help, such as Leatherique. Some of these are two-step systems that remove dye from an area and then re-dye in a color that is supposed to match the original. Since your dye stains are a much darker color than your sofa color you may need this type of two-step approach. Again, I would highly recommend having a professional deal with this if the stains are in an area that will be seen easily and if the couch is worth a lot to you. Good luck with the dye stains, and please feel free to ask as many related followup questions as necessary. And please click "Accept" as this is how I get paid for answering questions! Thank you.

Edited by MJ on 12/1/2008 at 2:20 AM

Expert:	MJ
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Answered:	11/30/2008

Architect

Licensed Architect, LEED® AP, NCARB Certified, M.Arch degree, 10+ years experience