The Great Ball Point Ink Debate
There are many vendors claiming different things about their faux leather products and their resistance to ball point ink stains. As there are many factors that go into the viability of these claims, we will attempt here to point out some of the pros and cons (and fallacies) behind treatments and their efficacy.
First of all, as a rule, most manufacturers recommend only mild soap and water when cleaning untreated PU, PVC and vinyl fabrics. Harsher chemical agents can make the material shiny and brittle, thereby reducing the longevity. The least expensive way to treat any fabric against soil and stains is with a topical treatment – which means the surface is coated with some magic formula which repels the absorbsion of staining material and does not allow it to penetrate into the fabric. The downside of this treatment is that it is topical, and can therefore be “worn” away over time, thereby weakening the defense against intruding stains.
The more enduring treatment is when the active agents are “infused” into the polymer structure itself, making the agent inherent (i.e., the repellent penetrates throughout the substrate fusing it with all layers of the material). An inherent agent cannot be rubbed off over time as it has become a part of the material.
The main benefit of both treatments in the Battle of the Ballpoint is that both allow for the use of harsher cleaning solutions. Not many inks can be washed away with soap and water, but many can be with alcohol or bleach solution. Another factor is in the speed of ink removal. “Billy loves Julie” can be removed from a desktop much easier if it is caught whilst fresh…if it has been hours or days since the declaration was penned, it has a higher chance for achieving the enduring quality as intended (or at least until the re-upholsterer destroys the evidence of our young lovers)!
The truth of the matter is that ink removal is a little of a cat and mouse game. Ballpoint or Permanent Marker ink is designed to be just that – permanent. While cleaners and surfaces have become more resistant over the years, the ink formulations are changing all the time. Even different colors of ink from the same manufacturer can have vastly different chemical compositions.
At this point in time there is no cure-all for ballpoint ink. Our Symphony / Encore collection uses Cleangene technology - one of the best systems out there, as it permits the use of harsh cleaners and is inherent to the fabrics. The only other competing system that we’re aware of is one where a Formaldehyde based top coat is applied to the material. We have intentionally strayed from this option for 2 reasons: firstly, the obvious – because it employs formaldehyde, a toxic chemical, as the active ingredient on the surface of the material. Secondly, the materials that are treated with this topcoat tend to become shiny and plasticky.
The best advice that we can offer is to clean stains quickly, and use undiluted isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) as the cleaner (only on Cleangene products of course). Depending on how quickly the stain is cleaned, ink should be removed 80-100% this way.