Cleaning up leather dye...

[scottickes]

I dyed some sheaths today and didn't have any latex gloves. I got a little dye on my hands, and was trying different cleaners. Soft scrub did a nice job of removing the stains from my fingers. I also got some dye on the kitchen counter, and it cleaned it right up off the counter, too. I just thought I'd pass along this tip for anyone who has run into this issue.

 

[B Finnigan]

I also use a 50/50 mix of mineral oil and mineral spirits to clean my hands. It works very well as a universal solvent without completely destroying your skin. I am very prone to dermatitis on my hands so I have to be careful what I slop on them for cleaning.

 

[Leatherface]

wears off after a couple washings

nasty stuff on your fingers isnt it?

 

[scottickes]

If I could get an even coat of it over my entire body, I could have a nice tan in the winter.

 

[Burchtree]

Thanks for the tip. I hate working with brown dye and looking like I . . uh don't wash my hands.

 

[John R. Fraps]

Ya-Ta-Hey,
The darn dye will wear off in a few weeks,even if you don't bathe more than a couple of times a week

 

[crex]

Go-Jo
Cordovan makes for a pretty nasty looking tan!

 

[Chris Meyer]

I'm NOT recommending this but; a friend's grandfather once told us that when he was young they used to clean their hands after work by dunking them in a bucket of lye, rubbing them together briskly, then plunging them into a bucket of clean water. He said it worked great, but even he didn't recommend that we do it. I don't recall what he was doing for work that got his hands so dirty in the first place.