I was careless when we were doing a routine footbath of our sheep in copper sulphate solution, and it splashed onto my leather belt. There are now little dark spots all over it, and I was wondering how to get the belt to go back to it's normal colour? It's been a while since it got stained, so does that make any difference?
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4$\begingroup$ Unfortunately, money is often the best solvemt for things like this. $\endgroup$– Oscar LanziCommented Nov 13, 2023 at 22:54
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3$\begingroup$ Since it's a good preservative, I'd dip the whole belt in sheep dip, then wash and let dry at room temperature. Oil as needed, or ever 5,00 km. $\endgroup$– DrMoishe PippikCommented Nov 14, 2023 at 0:15
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1 Answer
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Copper sulfate is water soluble, so water is your best bet. However, if it's bonded to or reacted with anything in the leather, you're probably out of luck.
Detergents and alternative solvents are not likely to help. Bleaches and other stain removers cannot destroy copper, and anything alkaline could make the situation worse by converting it to a less soluble copper hydroxide or carbonate.
A comment by DrMoishe Pippik suggests, possibly ironically, staining the whole thing with copper sulfate, and honestly that might work. You can find articles on dyeing and preserving leather with copper sulfate. But I would be a little worried what would happen if a child or pet chewed on it. Copper is not that toxic (unless you have Wilson's disease) but a new belt isn't that expensive either.
