New Mercedes Leather Care

[imported_artikxscout]

Hey guys,



We just picked up a Mercedes GL 550. It has the new "Etch Leather" as they call it. What products do you normally use on those leather, or any high end leather care. I have leatherique and PB Leather Stuff at this moment. I just need something to maintain and UV protect it at this moment as it`s still brand new.

[judyb]

The key to good leather care is to keep the surface of the leather protected and free from dirt and oils. Dirt and oils together with friction are what cause the breakdown of the finish on auto leathers. Cleaning on a little and often basis is much better then leaving it until it gets dirty. It should also be a simple process, no need for hours of dwell time or rubbin gin of products etc.



Make sure you use a good water based fluorochemical protector that contains UV protection. Many of the `protectors` on the market do not meet this sort of specification and will not protect your leather correctly. Conditioners do not do any of these things.



Maintian using either a water based foam leather cleaner or a maintenance product. Doing these things on a regular basis will keep your leather clean and in good condition.

Using water based products adds moisture to the leather which is the only `conditioner` it needs.

[Mark77]

Interesting judyb, can you mention some good products for maintaining leather like you describe? I use Meguiars stuff, not sure if it`s water based ? It makes leather feel and look good, but I`m not sure if it just covers up?

[jimmie jam]

Interesting judyb, can you mention some good products for maintaining leather like you describe? I use Meguiars stuff, not sure if it`s water based ? It makes leather feel and look good, but I`m not sure if it just covers up?



:help: :help:

[wascallyrabbit]

i believe leathermasters meets the prescribed criteria. i`ve use it on my leather since it was new and the leather still looks and feels great.

[baseballlover1]

i believe leathermasters meets the prescribed criteria. i`ve use it on my leather since it was new and the leather still looks and feels great.



Is it waterbased? I was under the impression it was not...? I think what i am going to start doing is using leatherique as a restorer and then going with z9 with a brush and then top with z10 and then put a protection of 303 on it.

[jedovaty]

Make sure you use a good water based fluorochemical protector that contains UV protection.



This needs definition - I have seen judy reply to many posts with similar language, and never expand on this. The lingo is foreign! How does one know if the product is water based, if it is flurorochemical, and whether it contains UV? If a product has ingredients, usually greek to me (I can recite the greek alphabet before a matchstick burns your fingers, but that`s the limit of it...).

[jayjacque]

Okay here`s my ramble...

If you read the labels or on-line product descriptions, almost ALL of the leather care companies nowadays are saying similiar boasts about their own products, that they are water and/or lanolin based creams or sprays containing only natural oils, having UV protection, ph balanced, safe to use, and effective in cleaning and/or conditioning, protecting and restoring needed oils and/or hydration. Virtually none of them anymore are greasy petroleum based, etc. Don`t believe me? Check out the descriptions of the products on this page: Leather Care - Clean, condition & protect leather upholstery with premium, pH-balanced products by Pinnacle, Wolfgang, Lexol, Leatherique, Connolly, (http://www.autogeek.net/leathercare.html)



At the same time many of the same companies say that most or all the other brands on the market are greasy, oily, harmful to your leather, etc. Now that just can`t be true, that everybody has the one and only safe product and effective to use, and almost everybody else doesn`t!



As I understand it, even many of the rejuvenating oils such as Leatherique and Leather Vital use natural oils rather than petroleum base. Consequentally these are also safe and effective to use in the right situations.



So I ask just what are all these harmful products we all need to be wary of? I`ve kind of come to the conclusion that some products are more effective than others in certain situations. Some are made with a little better care, chemistry, possibly ingredients (which is still no guarantee they will work miracles for every situation). Still others are just run of the mill, effecting some level of cleaning and/or conditioning. But very few are actually harmful to your leather. Rather they just don`t do more than a light cleaning and moisturizing.



Lexol for example is not a bad product. I think they changed their website now, but they used to have a picture of a couple chemists in white uniforms describing the history of when and how their secret formula was achieved. Kind of humorous, yes! But in spite of their being more run of the mill, it can`t be argued that many swear by the results they get from their products.



So my conclusion? Use what works for you in the kinds of situations you commonly run into. That apparently involves trial and error, not just believing one person or one company`s claim to be the one and only right product.



To the OP: For new leather I don`t believe you don`t need anything heavy duty like Leatherique. Regular cleaning and light conditioning or protecting should suffice.



My disclaimer: I`m not a chemist, but I have some experience and I can read product descriptions. Not being a chemist, I may have some detail or explaination wrong or wrongly worded, but hopefully you guys get the gist.

[wfedwar]

Very good points. On judyb`s comments, I`m pretty sure she is describing her own product. If she starts giving out her website or product name, people will scream spam.

[wascallyrabbit]

i don`t use leathermaster vital as i don`t let the leather get that bad. i don`t know if the leather cream protectant is water based or not. i do know that with regular cleaning and protecting its easy to keep the leather from needing anything like leather vital or leatherique i`ve heard good things about both products. by doing regular cleaning and protecting i`m hoping to avoid the need for either of those products. i`ve also heard good things about lexol and have used it in the past. the only bad thing i`ve heard about lexol is that it may darken the color of the leather over time. i`ve personal not been witness to that. as for now i`m quite happy with leather master soft cleaner and cream protectant.

[Deanski]

First, is this a new car under warranty? Have you at least read the manual to see what they say in maintaining the leather?



Most todays leathers are "coated" and some are natural leather. Both are different in maintenance/treating.



For general cleaning, which you should be doing, is use a mild solution of Woolite and water. Have on-hand enough white 100% cotton towels to wipe off excess and dirt from cleaning. Once they are clean, wait 24 hours for the moisture to evaporate from the leather, and if at all possible, crack a window to assist in air circulation.



WHat I use mostly depends on the leather. I use Sonus on some leathers and Zaino on others. Zaino has a new leather odor whereas Sonus does not, but draws from the leather to bring out the natural smell. Sonus also does not make seats slick, in fact, it feels much better than other conditioners, somewhat of a firm feel, but soft to the touch. You`ll not slide in the seats after Sonus to be clear.



Deanski

[jedovaty]

Very good points. On judyb`s comments, I`m pretty sure she is describing her own product. If she starts giving out her website or product name, people will scream spam.



I think judyb is genuinely trying to help, without breaking forum rules? I did a little homework and found their product, and it seems more like their product is a secondary or tertiary thing, outside leather consulting. There`s another gentleman involved who does seminars and stuff, seems to be top in his industry, too, and besides, the general advice appears to make a lot of sense!



It is hard, though, reading through the lines to determine what some of that lingo means. I think listing a few products from various merchants would be most helpful, so we can get an idea of what`s being talked about, especially if the their wn product isn`t primary for them, anyway? *shrug*



I`d be curious to try out their car care line, however, I can`t tell from their website if they can ship to the states. *shrug*

[judyb]

The problem here is that what actually does the damage to leather is the build up of dirt and oils which together with friction will break down the finish on the leather. Products that contain oils and waxes which cannot get through the finish on auto leather will remain on the surface and attract more dirt and oils thus in the long term doing damage. Hence the need to keep leather clean and protected. Therefore it is not particular products that do the damage but the use of them will not do the leather any favours.



Our background is as leather consultants and we are also trainers to leather technicians and specialists therefore we have an in depth knowledge of leather, its properties and the safest and most effective form of maintenance. We try our best to pass on good advice on the care of leather as this is part of our job as leather consultants and instructors (our main aim in the industry) and the products we do supply have been very carefully researched from across the world for the job they do. These are a mixture of products that have been proved over time to be the most effective. We are very genuine in what we do and have years of technical knowledge behind us together with on going research and testing.



There are several ranges of products that fulfill the criteria of fluorochemical water based protectors (most come from the furniture care products rather than the car market) and these protectors can easily be tested for their effectiveness.

I am as always here to give technical help and advice as we know the results that can be achieved and would like everyone to benefit from the.



Forums are here to try to help people with good advice on the probelms they have but it is always a difficult task when we are not allowed to mention specific products that have been well tested and proved by both leather scientists and technicians. I only wish I could help more.

[jedovaty]

Perhaps it would help if we knew how to identify a "fluorochemical water based protector" by the ingredients. I looked up "fluorochemical", and turns out it`s simple a molecule containing a fluorine atom.. typically a fluorocarbon.

define fluorochemical - Google Search (http://www.google.com/search?q=define+fluorochemical)



Dupont has an interesting comment:

DuPont Stone Care Using the Products Glossary (http://www2.dupont.com/Stone_Care/en_US/applications/usingprod_pgs/glossary.html)

[jayjacque]

Well, they`re all claiming to be safe, not oily, the best product or one of the best products on the market, have been researched for years, etc. On most of them if you buff out or wipe off the excess I don`t personally see anything to worry about. Just try a few different brands others are recommending, and settle on what you like.