Leather soaks up oil like jow a sponge absorbs water, and that can make oil stains difficult to remove. An oil-absorbing agent, such as talcum powder or cornstarch, will pull the oil back out of the leather so you can safely clean it off.
Here are some tips:
Do
- Understand the type of leather you’re dealing with before applying any powder. For example, if it is bycast leather, applying powder will not work
- Blot the oil stain with a paper towel. After a few dabs, discard the towel and continue blotting with a new one. Keep doing this until the paper towel stops absorbing oil
- Cover the oil stain completely with a thick layer of cornstarch, dry sand or talcum powder
- Let the powder set overnight before brushing it off with a toothbrush
Don't
- Never use alcohol-based degreasers that are sold in the market on semi-aniline or natural leather. This will cause color loss and oil stains
- Never rub off remaining powder with a cloth as the powder might get stuck in between the threads or fine grains of your item. This actually makes it more difficult to clean later on