Should I apply conditioner to new leather?

[Eric1285]

I`ve got a GTI that`s about a month and a half old. I`m wondering if I should apply leather conditioner to it now or if I should wait. I`ve got the Sonus leather cleaner and leather conditioner. I also have some 303 Aerospace Protectant that I was going to apply afterward. I`m asking because the product details for the Sonus products don`t mention anything about protecting the leather, just restoring. Since my leather is pretty much new, should I still apply it now or should I wait a while before using the Sonus stuff?

[zoomzoom3]

It won`t hurt anything if you do. I use Zaino Z-9 & Z-10 on my front seats every other month. I only do my rear seats about every 6 months b/c hardly anyone ever rides back there.



I would say to just use the Sonus, that should be good enough. Save your 303 for your dash, and trim.

[svanderbilt]

No need to Aerospace over Sonus. According to their website (http://www.sonus-usa.com/son-610.html), the Sonus conditioner "creates a durable, sealed finish that lasts for months".

[judyb]

Products should not seal leather so if this is what Sonus state that it does I would avoid using it.

When leather is new it shouldl be `protected` with a quality leather protector which will inhibit dirt and oils and guard against dye transfer. Conditioners are not necessary at any stage. Keep the leather clean (protectors make this easeir) using water based products, and your leather will stay in good condition

[Antonpd]

What leather protector do you recommend? Is 303 ok? Or OLP?

[Eric1285]

Cool, thanks for the advice. I went over my interior plastic and vinyl parts the other day with 303. I was told that it wouldn`t be a bad idea to put a thin application of 303 over the Sonus products, since the Sonus stuff doesn`t seem to protect against UV. I think I`ll put the Sonus stuff on later this week since I reread the bottle and it does seem to offer some protection.

[judyb]

Test your products to see if they do protect that way you will know for yourself whether they are doing any good.

[Lumadar]

Meguiar`s D180 Leather Cleaner and Conditioner is a single product that both cleans, and protects leather without leaving an overly greasy feel in my experience. I really like it, but admit it doesn`t have a lot of cleaning power.



If the leather is considerably filthy I will first go over it with either 4:1 or 10:1 Meguiar`s APC+, and then use the D180. It smells good too...but is very subtle. I use it on all colors and shades of leather.



On my 2005 F150 with tan leather, and D180 applied once every 2 months~ you can not find any wear and tear on any seats (except incredibly incredibly minor micro creases), including the driver seat. It does a great job at keeping it soft so it doesn`t develop nasty creases.

[Eric1285]

I still haven`t had a chance to apply any of the Sonus stuff to my GTI yet as my grandmother and uncle are visiting and I`ve been pretty busy. I did grab the Sonus cleaner and the conditioner though and try it out on our old leather couch. One of the seats is very, very heavily cracked (to the point where it`s very rough when you run your hand over it). The cleaner seems to work pretty well...it removed a fair bit of nastiness from the couch. I applied the conditioner to the seat with heavy damage and it seems to have improved it a bit. It`s noticeably softer than it was before. I think the leather was too far gone for the conditioner to do much else though. I`d say 70% of the cracks are still there, just a bit reduced in appearance.



The Sonus products left a very nice matte finish that wasn`t slippery at all. I`m looking forward to trying it out on the GTI.

[judyb]

No cleaning or `conditioning` product can get rid of cracks in the pigment. Once cracks on leather are evident it is time for restoration and not a cleaning process. Restoration work is best doen before the cracks become evident with the naked eye as the rpocess will be more successful. Leather can be checked with a pocket microscope to see whether pigement has begun to break down. Once there are signs of micro cracking in the pigment this will give a slightly `grubby` look to the leather (the micro cracks show as darker marks) and these cannot be `cleaned` away no matter how much or what cleaner you use.



It is always important to identify exactly what can be cleaned so you know what results can be expected.

[Eric1285]

No cleaning or `conditioning` product can get rid of cracks in the pigment. Once cracks on leather are evident it is time for restoration and not a cleaning process. Restoration work is best doen before the cracks become evident with the naked eye as the rpocess will be more successful. Leather can be checked with a pocket microscope to see whether pigement has begun to break down. Once there are signs of micro cracking in the pigment this will give a slightly `grubby` look to the leather (the micro cracks show as darker marks) and these cannot be `cleaned` away no matter how much or what cleaner you use.



It is always important to identify exactly what can be cleaned so you know what results can be expected.



Thanks for the information. Seems like you really know your leather. I`ve read a few of your other posts and really appreciate your contributions.



I`ve definitely read reviews of people who say that their conditioners managed to get rid of the cracks in their leather. Are these mostly just products that cover up the appearance of cracks for a short while before they dry out and the cracks reappear?



I`m wondering whether or not I should even bother with a conditioner anymore. I think i`ll at least wait a few weeks and see what the couch looks like before I try anything on my car.

[judyb]

`Conditioners` cannot get rid of cracks and the appearance that they do is only temporary. Cracks and creases are two different things. Creases will look less defined if they are cleaned correctly as a crease will always hold a greater amount of dirt.

Protect your leather from new and clean on a regualr basis with a maintenance product and your leather (whether car or furniture) will last longer and suffer less.