Do you know how to get a water stain out of leather? My boyfriend is mad because his leather jacket got wet. Now there’s a big mark on the sleeve. We don’t have money to take it to the cleaners. Can you help?
Adrianne from Erwin, South Dakota
A water stain on leather is ugly, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the world. It’s possible to clean the leather to make it look new again. Just experiment on a small spot out of sight before you work on a large area.
The best way to learn how to get water stains out of leather is to try different methods to see which one works best for your situation. One thing you can try is a commercial leather cleaner or conditioner. Some stores sell that, and it’s probably cheaper than a trip to the dry cleaners.
You might also have success removing a stain from leather with a mixture of lemon juice and cream of tartar. Use equal parts of both ingredients, like a tablespoon of each one. Blend them into a paste and use a soft cloth to rub that into the leather. This method works well on how to clean leather car seats, too.
The paste can sit on the leather for a few hours if the spot doesn’t immediately disappear. Wipe the paste off the leather, then use a leather conditioner.
If you don’t want to buy a leather conditioner, you can make your own at home. It requires beeswax, almond oil, and cocoa butter. You can see the exact recipe and how to apply it here: https://www.tipsbulletin.com/how-to-clean-leather-with-simple-homemade-leather-cleaning-recipes/
For more about cleaning water stains, make sure you also read our post on how to remove water stains from wood furniture.
I hope you’re able to get the water stain out of leather without too much trouble.