Necessary to use leather cleaner before conditioner?

[qweewq11]

My car is 1.5 months old and the seats still look very clean...not darkened or anything. I`d like to condition the leather this weekend to keep it looking good. I am wondering, however, whether it is necessary to use the leather cleaner (Lexol) before conditioning it (since it`s not dirty), or should I just condition it and that`s it.



Thanks in advance! :)

[vmunoz]

Hello and welcome.....yeah I would clean them just to make sure. As long as you`re going to take the time to condition them.

Who knows, you may be surprised on how much better they look cleaned as well.

[Preachers Sheets]

I just use warm dawn soapy water, it get`s rid of all oils and grime and leaves the leather ready to soak in the conditioner.

[BradE]

Cleaning is a necessary step in leather care. If you condition the seats without cleaning you can get dirt and oils forced into the leather. It can create an uneven appearance, dark spots, and just make the leather look poor. Also, depending on the dirt, it could cause damage to the actual structure of the leather.



In short, clean before conditioning. It`s worth the added time, you won`t be sorry. :xyxthumbs

[Acura_RL]

If you want to maintain the appearance, just get one of those one-step cleaner/conditioners. I have the meguiars version and it smells like leather. Between major details, I`ll use that, and when it comes to a major detail I`ll use Lexol.

[forrest@mothers]

I`d suggest using the cleaner once every 3-4 months or so. Conditioning is important, but the cleaner need not be used as frequently.



BTW, 2 steps are better than the combo cleaner/conditioner - they just push the dirt down and put the conditioner on top of it.

[Acura_RL]

I agree with that. That`s why I only use it intermittantly (2 weeks after major detail I use it, 2 weeks later it`s lexol). Plus it`s not bad to use for seats which nobody sits on. I have a four door and i`m the only one in that car. lol



Hey I tried the mother`s cleaner and conditioner a while back but I just can`t find it anymore at the autoparts stores. It had a nice smell too. :D