Leather cleaner tool

[solekeeper]

Guys, I`m looking for something to agitate leather with?



I have lexol cleaner/conditioner, but do you guys use MF`s or brushes to clean the leather etc.? (Without harming it obviously)



thanks!

[rdorman]

For regular cleaning I just use MF`s. For the heavier action, a horse hair brush (you can even use the one, so long as it is new, that comes with a good shoe shine kit).

[solekeeper]

thanks, i`ll look into that horse hair brush!



Where can i get one?

[judyb]

Horse hair brushes do not make very effective cleaning brushes for leather as the bristles become too soft once wet. For the most effective clean you need to use a stiff bristled brush like a dishwahing brush. This can be used to agitate the foam cleaner into the grain pattern where the product can then lift the dirt. Do not scrub the dirt out but used gently will not damage the finish.



Horse hair and tampico brushes the bristles simply bend on the surface and are of no real use.



MF cloths should be avoided for leather cleaning as thier `grabbing` action can damage the finish



Hope this helps

[Street5927]

I use the Leatherique system, which uses what appears to be a horsehair brush. Although it is soft and gentle, I have absolutely no problems cleaning leather with it, and it does a great job.

[solekeeper]

thanks guys.



found this brush, says it`s for leather. Doesn`t look all that soft.



Asked phil from detailersdomain, and he said it should be ok for leather.



Anyone else use this?

[5pointadam]

Judyb is on point on this one. We use micofibers for wipedowns or buffing out extra dressing. If we`re talking modern leather you need a firm bristle. I wouldn`t put a "dish brush" on a `58 Vet or even a new bentley but Nissan all the way up to Mercedes you need to be able to lift dirt from the grooves. Just remember DON`T SCRUB, gently glide in small slow circles.

[Dr. Woo]

I scrubbed mine with a plain ol` sea sponge the other day. Is this a bad idea?



Guess I need some coarse brushes.

[solekeeper]

Guys when you say the bristles on the horsehair gets wet it becomes soft...



If i`m using Lexol cleaner is that still considered "wet"?



I`m simply applying some lexol to the seat and scrubbing that area. I`m not over-saturating it..

[5pointadam]

We train our guys to do leather out of the sun if possible. Either way never let the product dry. Lexol is a great product but I`ve found similar results using much cheaper options. It really just depends on your idea of what is clean and what is not. Or what is detailed and what is not. If you are just caring for your own seat and doing it regularly (ie every week) you can probably just use a microfiber towel with some water on it. But if you need to deep clean some leather you will need a firm bristle that is gently rubbed over the grains in slow repeated circles. At least that`s how we do it :)

[solekeeper]

thanks adam,



what do you think about this brush?



Vinyl & Leather Scrub Brush (http://autogeek.net/vilescbr.html)



Looks firm.. I was about to buy the swissvax, but with shipping came out to 24 dollars. Can`t justify that on a brush..

[5pointadam]

We use 3 different types of brushes. One is a horse hair brush. We use that for VERY high ends, or for old worn leather that is already showing some suede. We use one similar to that brush (although it doesn`t get as much use), but I think would be fine for most anyone. And then we use one that is much more aggressive that I get from target in the automotive section. It is rectangular and about 3-4 inches long and about 2.5 inches wide. I`ve found that you can pay 3 times as much elsewhere but that brush is perfect. It fits right in the palm of your hand so there is no miscues and it comes with a hook for hanging which is a must for us so they don`t go on the ground. Like that last post said, agitate do not scrub. And don`t buy your leather cleaner from target. Get the good stuff. And if you are not the only one touching the brushes be sure to label them as LEATHER ONLY. That way nobody ever puts some degreaser or something on them and causes a big mess.

[extrabolts]

Yeah I use a very stiff brush for deep cleaning. I`ll only do this every few years - I posted results in a recent thread. Its the leather brush from autogeek, but anything from your home depot would work. For medium cleaning, I use a scrubbie - available at any store in the kitchen supplies section. I think thats what it is called - looks like a little ball of plastic woven together with a handle on top, color is white or blue. For light wipe downs / maintenance cleaning I just use a MF towel.



Leather is tough stuff; its not like paint so you don`t have to treat it as gently. Just watch for die transfer on your towel if you go with a harsher chemical like diluted APC.