If you have a leather handbag, jacket, boots, or anything else made of leather and you spilled rubbing alcohol on it, don’t panic! It may seem like there is no hope for your favorite article of clothing. However, with some patience and the right cleaning products that can be found in your kitchen cabinet – you’ll be able to get rid of those pesky stains.
How To Remove Rubbing Alcohol Stains From Leather Using Toothpaste;
- Step 1: Wipe any excess rubbing alcohol if the stain is fresh.
- Step 2: Squeeze a little bit of toothpaste onto the stained area.
- Step 3: Allow the toothpaste to dry for a bit over the surface of the leather.
- Step 4: Use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe away the excess toothpaste or residue.
- Step 5: Apply a leather conditioner.
- Step 6: Leave the leather to air-dry!
There are other methods I experimented with that proved to be very effective at removing rubbing alcohol stains from leather. Stick around to find out which methods is more suitable for you.
Method 1: Using Toothpaste
I use toothpaste to do a lot of cool things around my home. From scrubbing my son’s shoes to getting rid of stubborn water stains from my bathroom tiles, it truly is the best product.
The same goes for removing rubbing alcohol stains from leather! Here’s how you go about it.
What You’ll Need:
- White Toothpaste (not gel)
- Microfiber Cloth
- Leather Conditioner
- A Bowl Of Warm Water
Steps To Follow:
Step 1
- Simply squeeze a little bit of toothpaste onto the stained area (make sure to use white, and not gel) and rub it in.
Step 2
- Then allow the leather to dry for a bit.
Step 3
- Rinse and repeat by using a damp cloth to wipe the surface of the leather.
- Make sure not to scrub the surface of the leather as this could damage it.
- You would only have to repeat only if you still can see some traces of the rubbing alcohol on the surface of the leather. Otherwise, proceed to the next step.
Step 4
- Wipe away any excess toothpaste with a damp cloth and allow it to air-dry.
Step 5
- After the leather has dried apply a leather conditioner.
Step 6
- Leave the leather to air dry and your leather bag, shoe, or jacket should be fresh again.
Method 2: Blotting With Rubbing Alcohol
Another easy way of removing rubbing alcohol stains from your leather is using rubbing alcohol to blot out or as I’d like to say level out the stains. This helps to get rid of the rubbing alcohol at a faster rate too.
This method is great if the rubbing alcohol stains are large stains on something like a sofa or chair. Simply put, this method is best for larger stains!
Things You’ll Need:
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Leather Condtioner
- Microfiber Cloth
Steps To Follow:
Step 1
- To begin, wipe away any excess liquid with a dry clean cloth.
- Make sure there is no rubbing alcohol residue left.
Step 2
- Dab or blot the area with a clean rag soaked in rubbing alcohol, making sure to work out any of the wetness that may remain.
- You want to cover the entire surface or section of the leather where the stain was.
Step 3
- Allow the rubbing alcohol to stain or sit on the leather surface the same length of time as the original stain.
Step 4
- Once done, simply wipe away any residue with a clean cloth and the rest of your leather should look like the initial stained area.
Step 5
- At this point you want to put 2-3 drops of mild dish soap into warm water.
- Now dampen a microfiber cloth with the soap solution and wipe the entire surface or section of the leather.
- The soap solution will help to stop the rubbing alcohol reaction on the leather.
- I find a lot of people skipping this step leaving the rubbing alcohol to continue to react leading to the leather surface drying out.
- But once you clean the leather surface with the soap solution you would be avoiding this horrible disaster.
Step 6
- Next, leave the leather to air-dry. Once dried, apply a leather conditioner and your leather should be completely restored or significantly improved.
Method 3: Baking Soda
Baking soda is another great way to remove rubbing alcohol stains from leather. However, I don’t recommend this method if you’re dealing with a large surface area.
That’s because, unlike the rubbing alcohol method, it would take a considerable amount of time and effort to clean larger surfaces with baking soda.
What You’ll Need:
- Baking Soda
- Warm Water
- Microfiber Cloth
Steps To Follow:
Step 1
- Just like with the toothpaste method, you want to start by getting rid of excess liquid on your leather surface.
- Be as thorough as possible.
Step 2
- Next, sprinkle baking soda onto the wet area and around it as well for good measure.
Step 3
- Allow to sit on your leather surface for an hour.
Step 4
- Then, use a damp cloth to wipe away the baking soda and rubbing alcohol along with it.
- You’ll notice the rubbing alcohol stains will be gone!
- You can repeat steps 1 to 4 if you can still see little bits of stains still lurking.
Step 5
- Finally, wipe the area down with leather conditioner and you’re good to go.
It’s important to note that if you don’t want the baking soda residue left behind, then wipe away any excess baking soda with a damp cloth. Otherwise, you could simply let the baking soda residue to dry up and flake off.
Again, this method is great for smaller stains as you can apply the baking soda directly on specific spots of your leather where the stain is.
However, if you will like to use this method on large stain areas try using this method in small sections at a time.
Method 4: Using Borax powder
Borax powder is another home remedy for removing rubbing alcohol stains from leather. Borax contains anti-bacterial properties that are great at removing stains.
There is also the fact it’s a multi-purpose product that can be used in killing mold, mildew, and removing odors. Borax is safe because it is not acidic. It has a pH level between 8-7 making it a mild alkaline.
What You’ll Need:
- Borax Powder
- Warm Water (enough to make a paste)
- Damp Cloth (Make sure it’s not too damp as you don’t want water seeping into your leather seat or shoe.
- Mild Dish Soap (optional)
- Leather Conditioner
Steps To Follow:
Step 1
- Get rid of any excess liquid on your leather surface and make sure the area is damp not wet.
Step 2
- Mix a solution of one part Borax powder to two parts warm water. Make sure the water is not too hot or else it will cause wrinkles or leaving behind a sticky residue.
Step 3
- Apply the paste solution on your leather surface and allow it to sit on the stians for an hour.
Step 4
- Use a damp cloth and wipe away the borax powder residue.
- You may have to repeat steps one through four if you still see stains.
Step 5 (Optional)
- Mix a solution of mild dish soap and warm water and then use it to wipe the surface of the leather.
- Leave it to air dry.
Step 6
- Once you are satisfied with the result, condition your leather and allow it to dry before use.
Method 5: Using Club Soda
You can use club soda to remove rubbing alcohol stains from leather.
Club soda not only contains carbonation that is great for lifting out the stain, but it also has sodium bicarbonate that is anti-bacterial in nature.
That means if you get club soda on the leather surface there’s no need to worry as the sodium bicarbonate will not damage the leather.
Club soda also acts as a natural deodorizer. That’s because it is water with carbon dioxide bubbles in it and the solution itself has no smell.
The carbon dioxide bubbles help to easily clean the surface of your leather and it is also a great natural cleaner.
It’s important to note that club soda is less effective than baking soda when it comes to removing rubbing alcohol stains. It is also not as effective when it comes to large surface areas, which makes baking soda more suitable in that situation.
So if you want to test out something that is not as harsh as the other methods in this article, this is what you should be trying out.
What You’ll Need
- Club Soda
- Microfiber Cloth
- Leather Conditioner
- Water (Optional)
Steps To Follow:
Step 1
- Get rid of any excess liquid on your leather surface and make sure the area is damp not wet.
Step 2
- Mix a solution of one part club soda and three parts warm water. Make sure the water is not too hot.
Step 3
- Apply the club soda solution on your leather surface with a microfiber cloth and allow it to sit on the stains for about an hour.
Step 4
- Use a damp cloth and wipe away the club soda solution residue.
- You may have to repeat steps one through three if you still see stains.
Step 5 (Optional)
- Mix a solution of mild dish soap and warm water. Use it to wipe the leather surface.
- Leave it to air dry.
Step 6
- Once you are satisfied with the result, condition your leather and allow it to dry before use.
Final Thoughts
It was really fun doing these experiments and I’m happy that all the methods highlighted in this post will not only help remove rubbing alcohol stain on your leather items but will also make them look shiny and new.
I hope you found this article helpful in knowing how to remove rubbing alcohol stains from leather because I know it took me a while to find all these methods.
If you have any comments, questions or suggestions just let me know in the comment section below!