Treating grease stains in headrest and armrest areas

Dark, shiny areas where the head and arms rest on the leather are a common problem with open-pore leather. These instructions explain why simple cleaning does not help and what is possible.

Why do these dark grease stains develop?

This problem often occurs on open-pore leather such as aniline and semi-aniline leather. Over years, open-pore leather absorbs skin sweat and body oils deep into its surface. Over time, these residues become visible as dark, sometimes slightly shiny areas on headrests, armrests and other contact areas. Ordinary cleaner cannot remove these stains because the fats sit too deep in the leather.

Procedure

Recommendation if you wish to carry out the treatment yourself within the limits of what is possible. If you are uncertain, do not hesitate to contact us.

Not every case can be saved and not every leather will be like new again. The possibilities vary depending on the extent of the absorption and the age of the leather. For manageable stains, however, it is worth trying.

Step 1: Pre-treatment with Leather Cleaning Spirit

Lightly pass a cloth dampened with Leather Cleaning Spirit over the stained areas – really only dampen the cloth slightly, do not soak it, and move it lightly over the leather. This first step loosens the surface grease components.

Step 2: Grease Absorber Paste

Additionally treat the affected areas with Grease Absorber Paste. The paste penetrates deeply into the leather and draws out absorbed fats through the absorption powder it contains.

After drying, vacuum up the powder and carefully wipe or brush away residues. Repeat the process until there is no further improvement or the stains have been removed.

Step 3: Colour matching with Leather Fresh

After cleaning, greasy areas are often lighter or darker than the remaining leather. The fats have then attacked the surface. You can colour-match these areas again with our Leather Fresh smooth-leather tints. Leather Fresh also reduces the risk of new greasy areas. However, this procedure is promising only for more or less plain-coloured and not too open-pore leather (feel free to contact us for an assessment). Please contact us.

When do-it-yourself repair is not enough

For deeply absorbed grease stains where degreasing does not bring sufficient improvement, professional restoration is more sensible. Please contact us.