New truck, leather seats?

[GoudyL]

I'd give the Black Magic 2-in-1 leather conditioner a shot. I've been impressed with it. Apply lightly.

[judyb]

Leather does not require 'conditioning' with anything other than water.

Keep your leather clean (this is the most important part) by protecting it with a leather protector and then regular cleaning to maintain it.
Adding 'conditioners' which generally contain oils and waxes will change the appearance of your leather over time as dirt will build up on the surface and cause a sheen.

Using the correct care methods and products will not alter the factory finish.

This type of leather is 'coated' leather. This is essentially a 'painted' leather with a clear coat finish over the top. The leather may or may not be dyed through with aniline dyes prior to the finish coating.

Essentially it is this top coating that needs looking after. Cleaning is vitally important as the top coat will wear away if allowed to become dirty. Dirt on the surface will aslo become ground into the finish by constant abrassion.

'Conditioners', balms, feeds etc (traditionally oil and wax based) cannot penetrate this finish so are not worth applying - they can also leave behind residues on the finish which will only attract more dirt if allowed to remain.

A protector will make the finish easier to clean and also inhibit dye transfer etc on pale coloured leathers.

Leather however finished has to remain breathable and it will allow the movement of moisture back and forth (transpiration) so the use of water based cleaners and protectors will keep the leather correctly hydrated which is essentail to keeping it in good condition.

The routine for correct care should be
Protect from new
Maintain with a regular clean or maintenance product
Deep clean with a foam cleaner once or twice a year

This will prolong the life of the finish on the leather

Hope this helps
__________________

[bert31]

JudyB,

What type of leather protectors do you like?

I know some people like to use 303 Protectant but I wasn't sure if that was a good idea.

One of the easiest and most effective things I have been told to do to leather is once a week or once every other week just take a wet microfiber or terry cloth and wipe down your seats. Then take a dry one and dry them off. I am trying to get into the habit of this.

[judyb]

No need to dry them the water is good for them ,this is what will keep them supple.
I would guard against using microfibre on leather as if there are any weak areas of finish the microfibre will find them and pull the finish off. Terry towel or wet sponge would be fine.

We are just testing the 303 for its protection value.

Water based fluorocarbon protectors work the best and last the longest. These are very thin products unlike the creams you generally get which means they are also very economical in use.

Hope this helps

[bert31]

Originally Posted by judyb

I would guard against using microfibre on leather as if there are any weak areas of finish the microfibre will find them and pull the finish off. Terry towel or wet sponge would be fine.

I figured a Terry Towel would be more likely to pull weak areas off the finish than microfiber since Terry "seems" to have a little more bite than MF.