How to remove an oil stain from nubuck?
Removing an oil stain from nubuck is very delicate work that must be done with the right tools.
Sometimes people use methods that only make things worse, spreading the mark further across the accessory.
Many customers have come to my workshop with a shoe, a bag or a belt in nubuck completely ruined by aggressive products that harm the leather.
If you want to remove oil from nubuck safely and without doing damage, this article gives you a simple, risk-free method.
Before telling you how to remove the stain, let me tell you something...
Nubuck is not the same material as suede... they are completely different!
They are often confused because they share one feature: if you run a finger over them, the fibers that are touched create a darker area.
Do you want to know what makes these two leathers different?
1. The cost
2. The quality
3. The processing method
Nubuck is a leather that needs a longer processing time than suede. To make it, the top side of the leather, called the "grain side", is sanded, where you can clearly see the pores of the leather.
With suede, on the other hand, the lower layer, called the "flesh side", is worked. This makes nubuck higher in quality and cost than suede.
Now let us look at the things you must absolutely not do to remove an oil stain from nubuck:
- Never clean nubuck with water or aggressive products! The only result will be the stain spreading, making things worse.
- Do not use the washing machine to remove the mark! Whether it is a nubuck bag or a shoe, the machine could damage the leather.
- Do not try to scrape the leather!
How to remove an oil stain from nubuck?
- Take a sheet of paper towel and some talcum powder. The sooner you act on the stain, the more effective the cleaning!
- Spread the talcum powder over the whole stain.
- Place a sheet of paper towel over the talc, which will help absorb the excess oil, and wait several hours. The longer you let it work, the better the result.
- After a couple of hours, remove the excess talc and, with an ultra-fine abrasive paper, gently clean the area where the stain was.
- If the result is not satisfactory, apply the talc again and let it rest. You can repeat this several times until the stain is gone.
- As a final step, clean the whole accessory with a nubuck brush.
Remember! For the best result, it is essential to act as soon as possible!
I made a short video to show you each step.
Did you manage to remove the oil stain?
Let me know in the comments!
For any question or information, you can contact me on social media!
P.S. If this article helped you, it would be great if you shared it!
