Leather cleaner/conitioner

Sebe331 · 08-13-03, 10:27

First off...I'm a newbie so forgive me for any rules/customs I might mistakenly not follow.....I have an '02 Nissan Altima 2.5S....I got dealer installed leather seats/trim an I do like it alot more than the factory leather..however that is not my question....I have been using Armorall Leather Cleaner for the past year to clean the seats and trim....and yes it does produce a very nice shine and makes the leather feel very soft to the touch...However I can't seem to keep passeners ON the seats....seriously people fly ALL over the backseat after I have done a cleaning....can anyone suggest a solution or a better product to use? Any help would be really appreciated....thanks in advance!

Lynn · 08-13-03, 10:53

Sebe331, check your PMs.

4DSC · 08-14-03, 05:42

Hmm, as far as I know, most if not all leather conditioners tend to make the leather a bit more slippery.

Lynn · 08-14-03, 07:14

4DSC, I recognize you have lots more detailing/product experience than I. But this has not been my experience. So far, I've used Leatherique and Zaino cleaner/conditioner on the old Jag. (NO, not in combo -- separately). They've never made the leather "slick." But maybe this has to do with the difference between coated and coated leater.

Scottwax · 08-14-03, 09:00

Water and Woolite mixed 6 parts water and 1 part Woolite (the laundry soap version) is a very effective leather cleaner that leaves the leather very soft to the touch.

A real good leather conditioner that adds very little sheen (to maintain the natural look) and soaks in quickly without being slippery is Tanner's Preserves. I've seen it at Autozone and at Alberstons. Nice subtle leather smell also. Meguiars new Aloe based leather conditioner is also very good. Very little shine and it also soaks in quickly with no slickness. Kind of a spicy scent.

Anthony Orosco · 08-14-03, 09:41

SeBe,

You first need to see if your leather is el natural or has a clear on it.

This can be done by asking the dealer or giving it the water bead test. Take an eyedropper filled with water (or some other way to get a nice drop of water on the leather) and squeeze out a drop or two of water onto the leather and if it forms a bead than the leather is more likely than not clear coated. If it soaks in and leaves a temporary discolored drop than you have non-coated leather. I usually can tell if a leather is coated when, after it is cleaned, it still remains "slippery" after it is buffed dry with a cloth. Mind you this is not a 100% sure fire test of leather coatings but it comes pretty close.

If your leather is coated than you can use a real mild leather cleaner, like TOL's Deep Down or Platinum's Gel Leather Cleaner and then top it off with "303". Klasse also has a great dressing for vinyl and leather that also contains a mild cleaner in it. Does a great job on coated leather seats, does not attract dust, leaves no greasy feeling and leaves a nice sheen rather than a artificial shine.

If the leather is not coated than you can use the same mild cleaners but instead of a dressing you now need to FEED the leather. Remember leather was at one time a living thing and in the tanning process it is stripped of its moisture and elasticity so in order to keep leather soft and supple you need to continuously (at least every 4 to 8 weeks) feed it with moisturizers. Zaino's leather conditioner as is Pinnacles Leather Conditioner but I have just recently switched over to Platinums Leather Conditioner which works great. It never streaks or smears on dark colored leather and the smell is awesome. One of the better artificial leather smells I have come across and while noticable it is not overwhelming.

Many leather conditioners contain a polymer that gives the leather a slick and slippery feel but this is by design and helps reduce DRAG and friction on the leather as you enter and exit the car. Notice on many leather seats that the side bolsters get worn out first? This is because this is the area that gets the most wear and tear as you get in and out and keeping the leather soft helps reduce the wear.

Hope this helps,
Anthony

Sebe331 · 08-15-03, 10:15

Thanks alot to everyone for all the quick replies....I'm fairly certain that my leatheris uncoated....but I am going to go out and do the water test in a few minutes just to be certain.....At the moment my main priority is finding gas since the "Great DAMN Blackout" has left with me les than a quarter tank heh.....My father has actually been pushing me to try the Tanner's Preserves since he says he used it on baseball gloves when he was a kid.....Platinums Leather Conditioner also sounds like one of the best bets.....In terms of wear and appearance the Armorall has done me well for the past year and a half.....The car sees alot of "in & out" action in terms of people sliding in and out of the car.. and as yet there is no fading/wear/wrinkling etc...but of course I see this as only being a matter of time unless I can find a good product that will also not cause people to fly around the back seat like bumper cars haha....I'm off to do the water test now and scrounge up some gasoline so I can head out to find these products...Thanks again for all your help.
-Sean

weegee · 08-15-03, 10:26

Lexol treats me right. If you use the cleaner, it will dry out the leather and prep it for the conditioner. Apply the conditioner generously until the leather starts spitting it out, then let it for a half hour or so and buff it off. It might be a little slick for the first few hours, but if you park it in the sun or leave the windows open, it'll dry up nice.

Just remember, you can condition without cleaning, but you can't clean without conditioning. So whatever you use make sure you know what you're using.

fidelfs · 08-15-03, 11:42

I was watching The Queen of Clean on DIY TV. and she shows how to clean leather. (Car or sofas).

She was using 2 towels, dove soap and water.

She put the soap in the water and rubs it into one towel.
She applied this to the seat and later removes it with the dry towel.

I tried this with my sofa and it is unbelievable.

I will apply it to my car very soon.

She mentions all the oils on the dove soap will feed the leather and the soap will clean it.

When you remove it with the dry towel the leather is really smooth.

What do you think about this.

GoodnClean · 08-15-03, 12:55

Probably similar to how the Woolite works. Scott's woolite solution is fantastic because it doesnt make the leather feel dry afterwards like a lot of cleaners do, if you didnt know better you could even skip the conditioning step.

You're talking about just a bar of Dove soap?

fidelfs · 08-15-03, 01:21

Yes, I am talking about Dove soap.

It really works. I have 2 recliners at home (leather) and they have not been this smooth since new.

GoodnClean · 08-15-03, 01:39

Have you tried the Woolite to compare?

I'll definately try it, just a small bucket of dove soapy water and a washcloth, then just buff it off right? I'll try it tonight.