We get many many enquiries every week about dye transfer on pale coloured leathers.

Dye Transfer is the dyestuff transferred to leather from clothing or newsprint. It is more usually seen on light coloured, protected, leathers but it can occur on any leather, though not as noticeably.

As the title explains the dyes that are leached from jeans, clothing, newspapers etc. 'recolour' the leather. The longer or more aggressive the dyes are the harder it will be to remove as it will have moved further and deeper into the leather finish.

Dye transfer is not dirt and is not damaging to the leather finish, as dirt is, but it can look very unsightly.

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and give the appearance of being very dirty.

Each case of dye transfer is different as each finish type on the leather will vary slightly as will the dyes from whatever has caused the problem.

If treated quickly enough any good quality leather cleaner should remove the offending dye as it will still be on the surface of the leather. If a leather protector has been used this will also help as the dye will be held on the surface for longer and be cleaned easier.

Once the dyes have moved into the finish they will become more and more difficult to remove. No 'one' product can guarantee to remove the dye in these circumstances without damaging the finish.

Cleaning aggressively should be avoided as this may lead to damage of the finish as will the use of such things as Magic Sponges. Scrubbing at the leather will not help and may damage the finish which would then need replacing.

If cleaning has not resolved the problem and dye remains it is recommended that you use a jean & dye transfer remover kit which will contain specifically formulated products that can be safely tried without damaging the finish on the leather. If this cleaning process does not resolve the problem it is not necessarily becuase the products do not work but simply because the dye is very aggressive and has penetrated too deep into the finish for 'cleaning' processes to work. It will then be necessary to recolour/refinish the leather to completely resolve the problem.

Owners of pale and off-white leathers are recommended to adopt a gentle regular cleaning and protecting regime which will help inhibit this problem.

It is crucial to use a good quality leather protector on pale coloured car interiors to help keep the leather clean and avoid dye transfer issues. Regular cleaning is also important to help stop damage from dirt and abrasion. Avoid the use of 'conditioners' that contain oils and waxes as these will only attract more dirt which is counter productive.

Best regime:
Protect from new
Clean with a regualar maintenance cleaner
Deep clean once or twice a year

Hope this helps
Judyb
Leather Consultant