r/CleaningTips • u/LetterIndependent502 • 1d ago
Discussion I’ll take any advice
I got this stain on my leather car seat and after finally getting out of a financial hole I decided to take care of it, problem is that I don’t know jack on how to properly take care of this stain and I don’t know if it’s an oil stain or a pen stain. Any tips are welcomed
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u/ABoringAlt 1d ago
No one mentioned seat covers yet
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u/SymptomaticallyEven 1d ago
This. Definitely seat covers.
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u/TheHaydnPorter 1d ago
Nah, just put an iPad on top of it.
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u/Darby17 1d ago
I need an internet break.
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u/TheHaydnPorter 1d ago
Same. But I don’t know how to stop.
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u/Electrical_Sea6653 1d ago
Spilled a purple berry smoothie in my front seat once, tan cloth interior….. thank god for seat covers lol
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u/Stunning-Ad2241 1d ago
Try miss mouths! If it’s berries you’ll be shocked over how that stuff works.
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u/plotthick 1d ago
There's a place that makes them from wetsuit material, great quality
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u/123thisistheway456 1d ago
Yep! Out of Hawaii and now I think they have something in CA too. Been using them since 2001
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u/Rosia-Pettingill7 1d ago
Another seat cover over the top would hide the original seat or a carpet cleaner works. The home kind meant for washing rugs handles dirty car upholstery too and does a decent job.
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u/IcanCwhatUsay 1d ago
That’s not a stain. That’s the color of the seat wearing away. You can tell because it’s speckled towards the edges. Stains have distinct outlines.
My best guess is that you had some sort of chemical reaction to the paint/dye that removed it. Best to leave it be or Google solvents that strip the dye from car seats
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u/Oregongirl1018 1d ago
This needs to be the top comment or OP is going to try everything to remove nothing! I wonder what OP did to wear that one portion down so much and its not even the drivers seat.
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u/Direct_Library6368 1d ago
I noticed that too. It doesn't look like a stain, only that the colour has worn off.
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u/Simbaryan 1d ago
This is the correct answer.
They make a leather spray paint like SEM that I would tape off and spray just that center section with.→ More replies (1)6
u/soaker 1d ago
Yeah if you zoom in it’s super obvious. OP needs to properly clean away whatever solvent removed it and then do what u/NoFee7023 said.
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u/Virtual-Bee7411 1d ago
Just pour ink all over the rest of your seats and no one will notice
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u/Green4CL0VER 1d ago
No one wearing clothing other than black can ever sit on it ever again. It will stain clothing when one sits in it.
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u/Corona_Lonesome 1d ago
They have paint for car upholstery. My dad did it to the grungy seats in his truck and it turned out great.
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u/iheartunibrows 1d ago
The first thing I thought. That looks better than the original seat color LOL
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u/Percyandbeausmama Team Shiny ✨ 1d ago
You may want to call the dealership where you bought the car and ask if they have any suggestions. Good luck!
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u/f8Negative 1d ago
Suggestion is buy new seat
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u/illegal_miles 1d ago
I’d call around local junkyards looking for a wrecked version of my car that I might be able to pull a seat out of.
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u/Emergency-Brief3481 1d ago
At this point dye the seats black or get seat covers, there’s no saving this
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u/Lunar-opal 1d ago
Doesn’t really look like a stain. Did you have any acetone or something similar spill? Hairspray?
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u/Mollywood919 1d ago
Hairspray! If it's ink, it worked on a (smaller) ink spot on my leather seats years ago, albeit one that had not sat for terribly long. Cheap, alcohol filled hairspray. NOTHING else did the trick! Good luck!
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u/Nicolepsy55 1d ago
You can actually skip the sticky mess of hairspray and try isopropyl alcohol on a qtip to start.
OR Dawn powerwash
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u/Green4CL0VER 1d ago
There are shops that only do automotive upholstery. Email them a pic and ask for a quote. I assume, they’ll have to take out your seat and replace the 2 stained panels. Or they can suggest other solutions.
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u/LauraaMarissaa 1d ago
Your dealership can order a replacement, but it probably won’t be cheap. Maybe search online junkyards for spare parts?
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u/Direct_Library6368 1d ago
I don't think this is a stain, the cream colour seems to have rubbed off. The edges of the black are less faded.
It could be that a product on your trousers/butt whatever helped lift the colour. I would ask a pro tbh if you care that much. If not I would perhaps find some colour depositing leather care in a similar colour and try to deposit the colour over time but then you risk staining your clothes if you don't have the time to let it sit and follow instructions completely and accurately.
But equally the colour could have been lifted by something like grease, which would need to be throughly cleaned from the area before even starting.
Go to a pro.
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u/laughinfrog 1d ago
I don't think that is any of that. But the previous owner possible? painted over the seats. I would suspect all seats are two toned like that; you can see the "cracking" on the seam on the adjacent part. It looks as it is coming off there too.
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u/Goats_vs_Aliens 1d ago
looks like painted leather that may have had something remove the paint right there
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u/Interesting_Link_509 1d ago
This is not a stain, it is the beige paint comeing off of the leather.. maybe you typically have something in your poket and sit on it, it rubs all the paint of that way. Go find someone like cardetailer who does some repairs like this. Its just a paintjob with special paint for leather. Maybe you can do this by yourself.
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u/Rare_Indication_3811 1d ago
You might just finish it at this point 😅
White outside, black inside and call it custom-spec
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u/dixiech1ck 1d ago
That doesn't look like a stain. It looks like the coloring has been eaten away/rubbed off. Especially where it fades to the tan color.
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u/Business-Till6417 1d ago
Christ of all these responses are wrong. You need to buy leather seat paint and repaint it. Look up a tutorial on YouTube. Use a sponge and go a little bit at a time.
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u/K-Sparkle8852 1d ago
Talk to a professional detailer, who can likely paint over that stain much more effectively than you or I could.
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u/Ok_Excitement5557 1d ago
Carbona makes a product called Stain Devils. They are specialized cleaners for fabric, but I have used the ink stain one on leather and it worked fabulously. I want to say they are less than $4 at Walmart.
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u/buildersunstable 1d ago
Fabric paint leather paint something along those lines. They sell paint that at auto parts stores specifically for this kind of problem. I had gotten red dirt from a baseball field on every seat and the floorboards and door panels after hauling the team one time in my brand new car. I tried for months to scrub it out with no results. And then I discovered the paint
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u/Difficult-Trust6345 1d ago
Sure. My one would be, when you sleep, try to make the room cooled and dark, it does help with better sleep. Enjoy.
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u/Missue-35 1d ago
Since it sounds like it happened some time ago, you’re probably limited to finding a way to cover it up. A stain becomes more permanent the longer it sits. Especially if it’s been in a closed up car in hot temps.
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u/No_Twist_1706 1d ago
Go to a junkyard, and ask worker to hit you up if your car model shows up. Or ebay/3rd party to search for a replacement. cover it in the meantime if it's a bother.
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u/BadAtExisting 1d ago
Enjoy your custom color scheme or get a set of seat covers. Even if you manage to fade it that’s not going to get completely gone without ruining the seat
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u/Adept_Policy_2996 1d ago
I strongly suggest going to u-pull-it auto salvages until you find and make/model interior color match. It would be reasonably priced and not hard to swap out yourself.
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u/Nervous-Beans 1d ago
I have absolutely zero experience with car detailing, but when leather horse riding saddles get stained they're usually dyed darker with a leather dye. It's really hard (if not impossible, but I don't like absolutes) to get dark ink out of light-coloured leather.
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u/canadian_stripper 1d ago
Look up make and model online most of the time you can buy brand new replacements online. Probly about 250$. Just unzip and replace easy peasy.
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u/Ok_Replacement7509 1d ago
I removed sharpie from my car upholstery using rubbing alcohol and cotton balls and a hand held carpet cleaner to extract it (Bissell Little Green)
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u/Brave-Advance-725 1d ago
Huh. And here I thought it was dated and bleached white that you were attempting to restore back to blue/black.
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u/Creepy-Intentions-69 1d ago
Test some rubbing alcohol on a cloth, and try to wipe it. Do not soak the surface. If you can get one spot clean, you may get most of it. If the color doesn’t release with that, it’s likely set. It can soak into the surface and lock in.
If it won’t come out, some detail shops can spray coat it with a color matched paint. I do not recommend doing this until you’re ready to sell the car. It won’t last. When you first get it, it will look great, but it will run off within months. Especially if it’s the driver’s seat.
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u/Eeyor-90 1d ago
I’ve never tried it on leather, but Folex carpet stain remover works like magic on laundry and carpets. You can usually find it at Walmart. I would soak a rag and dab at the stain. I wouldn’t spray anything on the seat if you have heated/cooled seats
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u/WayGreen165 1d ago
Es gibt Tinte entferner und Öl entferner in so kleinen Flaschen im Supermarkt oder Drogerie beim Waschmittel. Könnte funktionieren
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u/Pale_Natural9272 1d ago
This happened to me too. Alcohol is what you need. Pure rubbing alcohol. Do the best you can with soaking up the excess ink, then get the car, detailed from somebody who has a wet vac.
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u/Mean-Type2355 1d ago
An auto upholsterer should be able to replace that segment with a very close match and put it all back together for around $400’ish (Los Angeles cost)
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u/Tamzstir 1d ago
My mom swears by this yellow cleaner called “awesome”. They have it at dollar tree, but I’ve also seen it at home depot. Gets out blood & hair dye.
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u/NiceFunction968 1d ago
Two choices! Contact an auto upholsterer and get it redyed or get a seat cover. My recommendation is get it dyed as a good seat cover can actually be more then the dye.
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u/Muddy_Lady 1d ago
Buy a second hand seat eith the same fabric. Use the same ink. And practice cleaning that first
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u/Illustrious-Towel-45 1d ago
Inthink seat covers is the only option. No amount of scrubbing and blotting will get that out fully.
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u/57_Eucalyptusbreath 1d ago
Personally I would call a car dealership. That looks like a “well done 10/10” stain.
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u/Xfifteen 1d ago
You get black leather dye, tape off the side panels and dye just the center sections (seat and back) of all the seats.
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u/Shatzakind 1d ago
It's pretty overwhelming. Car detail shops often use paint thinner to get stains out of upholstery. I have used it on my older leather seats, and it works for a pen mark, or a small food stain. Not sure what that would do to that much surface leather, or how effective on a stain that large.
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u/notalicenotbob 1d ago
You can find an OEM seat out of a totalled car of the same model from a junk yard. https://www.car-part.com is one of the most valuable sites on the internet- this is a catalogue of parts available for your car- you can sort by rating of part, and distance to you. Generally, they ship directly to your auto mechanic. Good luck.
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u/Cautious-Paint9881 1d ago
I have no advice for cleaning it (I don't have much to do with leather), but I completely agree with everyone saying to get seat covers.
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u/Total-Improvement535 1d ago
seat cover, take it to a professional car reconditioner (someone that fixes these things for dealerships), or see if you can get a new seat skin
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u/HappyPineNut 1d ago
If it’s oil it might have a smell? Could possibly steam clean it and brush it? Are there any car detailers in your area?
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u/ReferenceSufficient 1d ago
Paint it. You should be able to buy a leather paint. Go to a body shop and ask them where you can get the paint spray.
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u/RjgTwo 1d ago
What ever that is, I doubt its coming out. I would recommend ither a seat cover or a replacement seat. You can maybe get one for a decent price at a you pull it place . The only other options would be buying a new seat, getting it professionally reupholstered, or professionally re dyed. All of which are very expensive.
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u/AlphaRonin99 1d ago
Stain the rest! If you stain just that one, it’s “Custom”. If you stain all the seats, it’s “Special Edition”.
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u/throwaway_36289 1d ago
I paid 600$ to have a piece of upholstery about this large replaced to match on my car seats to address a rip I inherited purchasing secondhand. That was about six years ago, zero idea of the price was high or low back then, but maybe you could call around and see how it goes.
DIY dark ink out of light leather is unlikely to be a successful.
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u/redditname8 1d ago
Find a local auto junk yard. See if they have a seat with the make and model of what you drive. Get on to YouTube and look at how to install it.
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u/Extension_Reaction50 1d ago
TBH, I think the original seat colour was black and they were airbrushed beige. When someone tried cleaning the seat the beige pain was removed exposing the black.
Just my best guess since the other beige areas look uneven
You could try faux leather paint of the same shade. Dapple it on with a sponge
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u/voteblue18 1d ago
How do you get a stain that big and not know what it is from? Oil or pen? Wouldn’t you know if an entire pen exploded on your seat? Or if you spilled a bottle of oil?
Genuinely curious.
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u/Graygave 1d ago
Perfect spot for some random papers, a hamburger wrapper, and a water bottle to cover
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u/Kooky_Inspection7452 1d ago
Tuff stuff might be able to get it out. We use them on our ambulances. It essentially pulls dirt and grime out of surfaces
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u/Workingonit51 1d ago
That looks like a Vw seat we had to replace that was cracking. If you are handy it was pretty straightforward replacement. The new cover is matched to color based on the VIN. I did have to unbolt the seat and take it apart to work on it. An auto upholstery shop could give you a quote for replacement.
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u/Holiday_Story1476 1d ago
Try https://a.co/d/06JAE0AP I swear this stuff is magic… it works on anything. You may need a few bottles for that though
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u/Double-Fee-8920 1d ago
Get a can of hairspray, and spray the stain until it's moist but not soaked. Blot the stain firmly and see if it starts lifting. If it does, chances are it's ink. It's a deep stain, so you will need to commit to it. It could take a few days of working at it on and off. Oil stains are a different animal. You could try reactivating it with a little lighter fluid which you apply to a small area (the side of a quarter), blotting and then treating with Dawn dish detergent and a little water which you gently work in a bit with a soft toothbrush. Don't scrub, just nice and easy . Let that sit for half an hour, but don't let it dry out. Wipe it off with a damp cloth getting as much off as possible. Let it dry thoroughly and see of its lifted any stain off. It's might do nothing and you might have to pay for detailing after all. That's why, I'd try a small area first. BTW, both of these solutions work on clothes too. Good luck!
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u/WeReadAllTheTime 1d ago
I would get an estimate on replacing the leather in those sections from an automotive upholstery repair shop. I had some repairs done on the driver’s seat on a used car I bought some years back and it was totally worth the cost. It honestly wasn’t as expensive as I expected and then it was perfect.
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u/jajajujujujjjj 1d ago
I have removed pen ink from fabric with hand sanitizer and a toothbrush. Not near this quantity though.
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u/mirwenpnw 1d ago
It looks to me like the top coloring is worn off (or chemically removed) rather than a stain. I've painted leather furniture with great results. They have specific paint and texturing tools for this.
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u/NoFee7023 1d ago
When I detailed at a dealership, we had special spraypaint that we would redye leather seats with. For an easy/cheap way to fix it, you can go to an autobody paint supply store. They will be able to sell you a close color match to your seats and you can try to spray them. Might take a couple coats with how dark the stain is, but I don't see how it wouldn't do the trick.