
Once the paint is removed, wipe the area with a cloth damp with water to remove the alcohol residue, then wipe the leather with a leather conditioner. Try not to soak the leather with the rubbing alcohol as it can cause the leather to dry out. Pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol onto a cloth or cotton swab, wring the cloth out so that it’s not dripping, and gently rub the paint with the cloth.

Try not to let the oil soak into the leather. If the water method didn’t work to remove the paint, try this next. Put cooking oil or baby oil on a cotton swab or cloth, dab the swab on a paper towel to remove the excess oil, then rub the swab on the paint spot until it is gone. The other main type of paint besides water-based paints are oil-based paints.

When the paint is removed, pat the area dry with a towel.¹ Some types of paint are water-based, and even if they’re not, this may be enough to soften the paint so that it can be gently scraped off the surface of the leather with a credit card.

Leather can be a difficult surface to know how to clean, especially when there is something tricky on it like paint.
