Leather wipes are commonly used to clean leather everyday. But you may notice they leave streaks or annoying marks over your leather, there are some different reasons why this happens, and ways you can go about not having this issue or problem in the future.
Here Are Why Leather Wipes Leave Streaks:
Leather wipes usually leave streaks due to:
Incorrect wipes used
Wrong method of applying the wipes on the leather (back and forth)
Chemicals used within the ingredients
Using dirty wipes
Too much oil used in the manufacturer of the wipes
Leather is old or new
We have researched all of these above factors as to why a leather wipe will leave streaks and have given a detailed explanation below for you to read. We have also put together some easy solutions you can do to stop streak marks over your leather. Thanks for reading.
Why Leather Wipes Leave Streaks
Leather wipes are one of the best ways to keep your leather furniture and other products looking their best. However, they often leave streaky marks behind that can ruin the clean look of your leather. These marks can appear for a number of reasons.
Wiping Back And Forth
When attempting to get rid of dirty marks or stains on leather, a lot of people are quick to wipe back and forth over the material. However, this can cause streaky marks because of the force being applied. Leather wipes do dampen the material, but wiping back and forth aggressively can cause noticeable streaks.
When using wipes on leather, you should try to wipe in a circular motion in order to ensure that you cover all of the surface. Wiping back and forth repeatedly can put pressure on one area of the material for a prolonged period of time, causing streaks and neglecting to clean down other areas. Try not to use a lot of force as you wipe too because the moisture in the wipes will do all of the cleaning work for you.
If you wipe continuously at one area, you will be containing all of the moisturizing agents in the wipes to one area. Too much moisture causes wet, streaky marks on leather that impact the material’s appearance. If you distribute the moisturizing agents equally by wiping in circular motions instead, you’ll be treating the leather more gently and preventing any marks from forming too.
Incorrect Wipes Used
Though leather is a tough material, you still need to use the correct wipes to clean it, otherwise you could cause some damage. Different kinds of leather wipes have different ingredients in them and also serve different purposes. You should read all of the instructions on the packaging before you choose the wipes that you’re going to use.
Using the incorrect wipes can result in you using chemicals that are too harsh on a delicate type of leather, for example. If your leather is sensitive, you should search specifically for sensitive wipes, otherwise excessive moisture and chemicals will cause streaks across the material. If your leather is tough and more durable, like the leather used for shoes, you’ll be able to use regular leather wipes without worrying about causing streaks.
You should also try to follow a routine when cleaning your leather. Wipe it down gently with the correct kind of leather wipes, then apply a leather conditioner after the material has dried. Only apply leather conditioner when the leather is unconditioned, otherwise you could cause a tacky build-up to form, which will also contribute to streaks.
Chemicals In The Ingredients
Leather wipes are typically designed to be kind to the material that they clean, but it is never a ‘one-size-fits-all’ situation. Sometimes, certain cleaning products have chemicals that are too harsh for different materials and could cause marks to appear. That is why it’s important to read the ingredients list of any leather wipes that you buy.
Alcohol and acetone are two chemicals that can cause damage to leather. And the more damage that you cause as chemicals wear away at the surface of the material, the more streaks you’ll notice. Streaks that form as the result of damage show that your leather is drying from the inside out, discoloring in patches that have been cleaned too aggressively by a harmful ingredient.
Try to choose wipes that are specifically advertised as ‘leather wipes’. Regular antibacterial wipes will clean dirt away, but they also usually contain alcohol, which will instantly start to dehydrate leather. The drier that your leather becomes, the easier it is to notice streaky marks on the dried out, cracking surface of the material.
Using Dirty Wipes To Clean Leather
It may seem like an obvious point, but you should always make sure that you’re not using dirty wipes to clean leather. This is because the wiping motion could end up pushing more dirt and grime beneath the surface of the leather, which will cause it to dry out internally and also create dirty streaks along the surface of the material. Dirty streaks on leather are a lot harder to hide than basic moisture streaks.
You can easily rectify this by throwing away a leather wipe after you’ve used it. This will allow it to pick up all the dirt on the material while it is clean without reapplying it in the future. There is no need to reuse leather wipes more than once, especially if you can see visible grime on them.
As well as causing dirty streaks, dirty wipes can also cause dark streaks that may discolor the leather. You should wipe away any dirt streaks with a clean, soft cloth as soon as you can, otherwise the dirt will start to seep into the porous leather. Only use wipes that you know are fresh and clean, otherwise you might end up adding more dirt to your leather than was on it in the first place.
Too Much Oil In Wipes
Some leather wipes have too much oil in them, which can cause greasy streaks to appear when you use them. Oils are typically added to leather wipes to moisturize and condition the material. However, some brands have too much oil, which you should be able to feel when you touch the wipes.
If you do notice any greasy streaks, you should stop using the wipes immediately and try to remove any excessive oil from the leather before it soaks in. Continuing to use oily wipes will only make the streaks worse and could also cause damage to the natural oils inside the leather.
Leather Is Old Or New
Leather is at its most vulnerable when it is either brand new or very old. New leather is stiff and easily creased, so streak marks from wipes are liable to stand out on the very clean material. You could also end up causing accidental damage to new leather is you scrub at it too hard.
Old leather is likely to be a bit cracked and softened, so streaks can form more easily on it. You might also end up causing further damage by using wipes, so it might be better for the material to use a damp microfiber cloth to clean old leather. But if you do choose to stick with wipes, consider using wipes branded specifically as sensitive or delicate.
What Is The Solution To Streaky Leather Wipes?
Wipe Leather With A Damp Cloth
The easiest and gentlest way to get rid of streaks left by leather wipes is to wipe down leather with a damp cloth. Choose a lint free cloth to avoid leaving any residue, then gently massage the leather in circular motions to work the streaks out. Luckily, most streaks are only surface level and aren’t indicative of bad internal damage, so this should be enough to remove the streaks and restore the look of your leather.
Patch Test New Wipes
If you’re starting to use a new brand of leather wipes, perform a patch test before you continue cleaning to double check that the wipes aren’t leaving any streaks. If you don’t test the wipes first and then they turn out to be streaky, you risk marking the entire surface of the leather product. And if you do discover the wipes to be streaky, get rid of them and try a different brand.
Check The Packaging
You can find out all that you need to know by checking the packaging of the wipes that you’re planning on using. Ensure that they don’t contain any traces of alcohol or acetone and that they’re marketed as being ‘gentle’ or ‘kind’. If you’ve already used streaky leather wipes then checking the packaging afterwards can still be beneficial because you’ll know which ingredients to avoid in the future.
Buy a Leather Cleaner
Of course, leather wipes are a type of leather cleaner, but you can buy other cleaning products designed for leather that could help to get rid of the streaks. You should gently apply the cleaner with a soft cloth and then massage it in. You could also apply a leather conditioner afterwards to rehydrate the leather and give it a supple shine.
Buff the Streaks Away
To buff leather, you should also try to use a soft cloth because you’ll be able to provide the perfect balance of softness and pressure. Slowly but firmly buff away at the visible streaks to remove them, tackling them one at a time. For tougher leather items, such as shoes, you could use a bristled brush to buff away the streaks, although you’ll need to be careful not to scratch the leather at the same time.
Switch Cleaners For the Time Being
One experience with streaky leather wipes doesn’t mean that you need to abandon wipes forever, but it might be wise to switch to a different cleaning product for the time being.
Once you’ve found a brand of leather wipes that won’t cause any streaks, you can then switch back. But the quality of your leather should come before your preferred choice of cleaner, so stop using streaky wipes as soon as you notice what they are doing to the look of your leather.
