Neck stain question

[Faux59]

I got a second hand HH jacket and had the bright idea of wiping the collar to remove the previous owner's mojo. All I used was a lightly damp microfiber cloth with water. I did this 3 days ago and the area I made contact with seems to have permanently darkened. It's unsightly and I'm reluctant to try any product if just water had this result. What would you suggest I do before I make it worse? Do nothing and living with it is a perfectly fine answer. Many thanks!

 

[jchance]

Wipe the entire thing with water for the color to even out, otherwise just live with it.

 

[pillepalle123]

Could be an interaction with the sweat (salt) and grease of the previous owner. Propably aniline dyed?

Conditioning the whole jacket should even it out a bit.
If it is aniline dyed you can used some diluted vinegar and clean the gooch areas with it, you can get it reasonably wet without damage. (condition afterwards)
Or a mild leather cleaner, but this only works for surface stuff, which this propably is not.

 

[bigmanbigtruck]

If it is aniline dyed you can used some diluted vinegar and clean the gooch areas with it

We still talking about cleaning jackets?

 

[JMax]

We still talking about cleaning jackets?

View attachment 701947

I was gonna say vinegar may be a bit uncomfortable.

 

[bigmanbigtruck]

I was gonna say vinegar may be a bit uncomfortable.

Sounds more like a pickling recipe from some forbidden cookbook

 

[Will Zach]

You guys ruined the "Show your graining" thread for me.

 

[RDS]

I got a second hand HH jacket and had the bright idea of wiping the collar to remove the previous owner's mojo. All I used was a lightly damp microfiber cloth with water. I did this 3 days ago and the area I made contact with seems to have permanently darkened. It's unsightly and I'm reluctant to try any product if just water had this result. What would you suggest I do before I make it worse? Do nothing and living with it is a perfectly fine answer. Many thanks!

I’m surprised just plain old water has caused this staining, otherwise the jacket would be badly marked any time it was worn in the rain.
Assuming the collar has completely dried, and isn’t still slightly damp, as has been said above the water must have reacted with something that was already there beforehand. Whether this was sweat, grime or possibly some other leather conditioner/ treatment is anybody’s guess.
If the jacket was mine before attempting any remedial work (which might make things even worse) I’d leave it for a few more days yet, and even try hanging it in the sun, as the stain may still fade, or at least become less obvious.
However, if all else fails I’d first wipe the whole of the collar with water to try to even out the stain. This may mean the collar ends up a slightly darker shade to the rest of the jacket but it will probably be much less noticeable.

 

[pillepalle123]

Sorry Guys, english is not my first language. Do NOT Put vinegar on your gooch area

 

[bigmanbigtruck]

Sorry Guys, english is not my first language. Do NOT Put vinegar on your gooch area

It’s all good - just a happy accident

 

[Yango]

I agree with RDS.

If there’s no change, I’d do the whole collar (or the whole jacket) with Pecard Motorcycle Leather Lotion. It cleans, conditions and preserves the leather—and it smells great!

 

[NamoAmituofo]

If you try to wipe the whole collar and you accidentally tough the shoulder area which can easily be done - you might get the stain on shoulders too…

I would just ignore it - just wear it.

This is a bit of stain on a natural CXL jacket during one of the first few days of wearing it - no idea how I got it but after wearing for many more times and repeated wiped down with a wet towel and brushing with a horsehair brush - it’s bearly noticeable now

 

[NamoAmituofo]

If it really bothers you - there is a nuclear option which is to wash the jacket in cold water with little or no detergent - use a soft towel or sponge to wipe clean the whole jacket under water in a bathtub. Drain by leaving it in bathtub then place flat on a towel. When still damp but not dripping, apply a thin layer of tallow based grease and rub in with fingers. It will take a few days to air dry and you can then brush it quite hard to polish it. It may look considerable darker but it will give you a uniform color plus highly resistant to future stains.

Like I said only as a nuclear option. I’ve done this with a couple of vintage and really dirty smelly jackets in HH and they turned out good.