Removing colour transfer from light-coloured leather

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Jeans, belts, jackets or bags quickly leave unsightly discolouration on light-coloured leather. Whether it can be removed depends on how long it has already been absorbed. This article shows step by step what to do.

Important in advance: not for aniline or suede leather

These instructions apply exclusively to surface-dyed, plain-coloured, satin-matt smooth leather. For aniline or suede leather, please contact us first. These leathers are very sensitive, and an incorrect intervention quickly makes the damage worse.

What causes colour transfer?

Denim, stretch fabrics, other types of textiles and even leather itself can release dyes. Light-coloured car and furniture leather are particularly affected. Acting quickly gives you a good chance. If you wait too long, the dyes penetrate deeply into the leather surface and simple cleaners will no longer help.

Procedure: three stages

Stage 1: normal cleaner

First try our Colourlock Leather Cleaner mild or strong. Use the Colourlock Leather Cleaning Brush to help if the discolouration sits in the grain. If there is no visible progress after two or three cleaning cycles and a soaking time of around one minute, stage 2 is necessary.

Stage 2: GLD solution

If stage 1 has no effect, continue with Colourlock GLD-Solvent. This is a specialist cleaner for stubborn discolouration that can no longer be removed with water-based cleaners.

Care is required: GLD can dissolve the leather colour. Always test it first in a concealed area and work very gently. Smooth areas roughened by the GLD treatment afterwards with the Colourlock Polishing Pad 4000er before continuing.

Stage 3: recolouring with Leather Fresh

If colour is visibly removed despite careful application or the discolouration cannot be removed completely, the affected areas must be recoloured with our Leather Fresh tints in a matching colour. Dab on the tint several times and dry it with a hair dryer in between until the desired coverage is achieved.

Prevention

To avoid future colour transfer, protect the leather after cleaning with our Colourlock Leather Shield. This sealant forms an invisible protective film and significantly reduces the absorption of foreign dyes. It does not need to be applied to the entire leather. Treating the contact areas is sufficient.

IMPORTANT:

Conventional care products containing oils and fats make the colour layer softer and tackier, which promotes new colour transfer. For sensitive light-coloured leather, Leather Shield is therefore the first choice in contact areas.

Note for artificial leather

For artificial leather, first try the Artificial Leather Cleaner. If this has no effect, GLD-Solvent will not help either. Unlike genuine leather, the colour on artificial leather cannot be dissolved and recoloured. There is no further cleaning option for permanently absorbed discolouration. It is best to contact our workshop (see next section).

When nothing else helps

For discolouration that cannot be satisfactorily remedied through either cleaning or recolouring, professional partial restoration or recolouring is the last option. We will be happy to take a look at it.

Product recommendations

Note:
(Clicking on products adds them to the shopping basket, after which they can be ordered)

Note on colour selection: after selecting the products you want, click “Add to basket”. You will then be taken to the colour selection.

Removing and protecting against colour transfer

  • Leather Cleaner mild 250 ml
  • Leather Cleaner strong 250 ml
  • Leather cleaning brush brown
  • Artificial Leather Cleaner 200 ml
  • GLD-Solvent 250 ml
  • Polishing Pad 4000er
  • Leather Shield 100 ml
  • Leather Fresh 100 ml

If you do not know the name of your interior colour, it is best to contact an authorised dealer of your car brand. Using the chassis number, it is possible to give you the name of your leather (not the code). A mixing fee of CHF 25.– applies to all special colours (all colours except F001–F046 are special colours).

Please select a colour:

Please note that special-colour mixes, whether based on a manufacturer colour or a submitted sample, take 7–9 working days from the order date to process before they are dispatched.

Heavy colour transfer on furniture leather
Denim colour transfer on car leather in the entry area and belt colour transfer onto the leather of the backrest
Sometimes Leather Cleaner mild or strong is sufficient. For very heavy discolouration, GLD can sometimes remove too much colour. Affected areas must be colour-matched with COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh.

Using GLD for discolouration on leather.