Can you remove ink stains on leather yourself?

Depending on the type of leather and ink, it is possible to remove ink stains from leather without professional cleaning services. Suede leather must be dry cleaned by a professional specializing in the material, but consumers can clean ink from vinyl faux leather and smooth leather.

Removing permanent ink with any cleaning agent damages the leather; however, removing ball point pen ink and felt tip marker ink with isopropyl alcohol produces the best results. The only way to fix a permanent ink stain is to dye the leather to match the color of the ink. To clean the leather, dampen a white cotton swab or cloth with the alcohol and dab from the out edges of the stain towards the center.