Removing Permanent Marker From Leather

Permanent marker is created for permanence. So when it gets on your couch, purse or other leather surfaces it can spell disaster. If dealt with promptly, however, in most cases you can completely remove or significantly lighten the marks on a leather surface

Alcohol

Alcohol can pull almost any dye out of leather. However, this means it can not only pull the permanent marker out of your leather, but also the dye color. Spray the marker lines with a body spray, hairspray or lotion with a high alcohol content and rub it circularly on the lines with a soft cotton cloth. If you see the color on the leather start to fade, stop rubbing immediately wash the area with cold water.

Leather soap

Get a high quality leather soap that is designed for use on shoes or saddle leather. Follow the package directions. Do not just clean the area that the permanent marker is on, instead clean the whole item. This ensures that the leather is a consistent color and uniformly supple when you are done.

Dying

If neither of these techniques removes the stain, consider having the leather redyed to cover the permanent marker. It can either be dyed a matching or darker shade to cover up and blend in the permanent marker lines.

Leather garments and furniture are both expensive and durable. It is important not to let a small stain be the end of the products life. Work to remove to stain, or when all else fails, have the leather died to minimize the stain's visual effect.