It is common for untreated leather types such as aniline, buffalo leather, semi-aniline, etc. to absorb oils from hair and skin, which causes the leather to develop dark stains. The stains usually occur where the head is in contact with the leather, hair is often oily and if you lean your head in the same place, a dark stain will appear over time. This is also common on armrests, where grease and dirt from hands and arms leave similar stains. Collars on leather jackets are another common place where these stains appear.
To remove a stain like the one in the picture above, use a leather degreaser . First, however, you must thoroughly clean the leather with Ultra Clean Leather Cleaner. Pour Ultra Clean into a sponge and squeeze the sponge until a foam forms. Foam cleaners do not penetrate the leather as quickly, and you have time to clean the surface of the leather and wipe off some of the foam before it penetrates. For an even more thorough cleaning, you can use a brush , which will get into the leather's grains and folds. Let the leather dry thoroughly before moving on to the next step.
When the leather is dry, brush on the leather degreaser, Leather degreaser . After brushing the degreaser onto the grease stain, let it dry for about 30 minutes. As it dries, the degreaser will absorb the grease into the leather, forming a powder that is yellow/brown where the grease is absorbed and white around it.
When the powder is completely dry, it should be vacuumed from the leather. Clean again with Ultra Clean leather cleaner. If necessary, repeat the treatment with Leather Degreaser until it no longer absorbs any grease. If the powder turns completely white, it is not possible to remove any more grease from the leather.
When the degreaser treatment is complete, the leather may have faded slightly on the surface where the degreaser was used. In this case, you can use a pigmented leather balm , Leather Re-Colouring Balm, to re-grease and enhance the old color. With this balm, the leather will regain its original luster.
Finally, you can apply a protective cream to prevent new stains from appearing in the future.
