Leather Cleaning on Boston BMW Leather

[Harper55987]

I have a BMW vehicle with Boston Creme Leather interior. I believe the seats to be a little dirty but on my test spots when using something abrasive, the seat will show a little wear and tear and some brown will start to show through.

Currently I have 1z Plastic cleaner, Leather Master soft cleaner, Leatherique Rejuvinator.



What type of leather is this or what kinds of care are you guys taking for BMW leather? specifically Boston?

I`ve read on some forums it is Analine and others it is just semi-analine.



Any ideas?

[Harper55987]

Upon some more researching...I guess Boston is the cheapest leather in the BMW lineup. No wonder it is "rare" in my car. Everyone always upgraded ;)

[jfelbab]

I`d not use anything abrasive on your leather. Of the products you mentioned I`d stick with Leather Masters Soft Cleaner. This is a water based cleaner and is safe for Aniline and Pigmented leather according to the manufacturer. It is always a wise to do a test spot with any product you use, however.



Apply gently to a panel at a time with a soft foam applicator, generating an abundance of foam. Let the foam dwell for a couple minutes and wipe up with a soft, white cotton towel. Examine the towel to see if dirt/grime is coming up and not leather dye. When no more dirt is coming up, you`re done as no additional cleaning will have any effect. Wipe down the leather and especially the stitching and seams with a wrung out white cotton towel to remove all traces of the cleaner and gently buff dry with another soft white cotton towel. Wait 20-30 minutes and apply Leather Masters Protection Cream.



It sounds as though you may have used an abrasive product on this leather and removed the topcoat in spots exposing the darker leather beneath. If this is the case, you are in need of leather restoration and no amount of cleaning will fix that.

[Harper55987]

Agreed! Thus the beauty of the test spot... very slightly showing the brown below.



I asked about the abrasive because I see several people cleaning with toothbrushes and even as much as a 3" GG cleaner.

In what cases is this ok and not ok?

[vtextc]

Upon some more researching...I guess Boston is the cheapest leather in the BMW lineup. No wonder it is "rare" in my car. Everyone always upgraded ;)



It`s not necessarily the cheapest, but Boston is only available on certain lines such as the 1-series. Even the 1M came with Boston leather, and in all that series, the leather isn`t upgradeable. It`s still far more superior in quality to some leathers offered by domestic/Japanese manufacturers.



Asif

[David Fermani]

Once clean with your choice of leather safe cleaner, just do regular wipe downs with a damp (water) towel. This is keep it clean and looking natural.

[togwt]

Agreed! Thus the beauty of the test spot... very slightly showing the brown below.



I asked about the abrasive because I see several people cleaning with toothbrushes and even as much as a 3" GG cleaner.

In what cases is this ok and not ok?



Brushes are available in various grades -For extremely soiled finished leather - use a Griot`s 3- inch random orbital polisher and a random orbital brush attachment. Grey Ultra Soft Upholstery Brush - this brush is designed for delicate carpet and upholstery. Each bristle is split in to multiple fine tips (fits Porter Cable 7424, Griot`s Random Orbital Polishers as well as the Cyclo, all have a 5/16", 24 thread shaft / spindle diameter.



The brush has a connector (5/16-inch UNF 24 thread) which screws directly into listed orbital polishers. To attach these brushes to your Porter Cable 7424 or Griot`s Garage 6 Inch Random Orbital Polisher, remove the backing plate using the wrench included with the machines.



DavidF is the toothbrush guru,;) but again they are available in various `hardness` levels (I use a battery operated toothbrush with a medium `soft` head) for tight spots and stitching

[rdorman]

Brushes are available in various grades -For extremely soiled finished leather - use a Griot`s 3- inch random orbital polisher and a random orbital brush attachment. Grey Ultra Soft Upholstery Brush - this brush is designed for delicate carpet and upholstery. Each bristle is split in to multiple fine tips (fits Porter Cable 7424, Griot`s Random Orbital Polishers as well as the Cyclo, all have a 5/16", 24 thread shaft / spindle diameter.



The brush has a connector (5/16-inch UNF 24 thread) which screws directly into listed orbital polishers. To attach these brushes to your Porter Cable 7424 or Griot`s Garage 6 Inch Random Orbital Polisher, remove the backing plate using the wrench included with the machines.



DavidF is the toothbrush guru,;) but again they are available in various `hardness` levels (I use a battery operated toothbrush with a medium `soft` head) for tight spots and stitching



I use that brush extensively on interiors and love it!