OMG did I ruin my leather?

[imported_zenhog]

Ah, thankfully spring is here and I can get back to some serious detailing.. I missed this group alot this past winter...



Ok, here`s one for the leather people.



I have leather seats in my `99 Suburban and I think I ruined the leather on the passenger side. My seats normally have this "waxy" kind of feel to them but on the side that I cleaned with some pretty strong cleaner it feels like dry, flaky leather. Did I strip something off in the cleaning process? And if so.. can I repair this?



Craig

[Sirslap2]

Is it clear coated leather....almost plastic coated like a Ford or is it uncoated?

What did you use??:confused:

[JasonD]

What did you use to clean them with?? Regardless, get some leather conditioner and condition them as soon as you can to prevent drying them out any further.

[josh_s70glt]

on a related topic I just used Megs 2-step leather cleaner and conditioner and was amazed at how much better the leather felt, and sounded (if you get what i mean). I had been using armour all leather wipes for almost two years before this. The armour all wipes just make it slippery.



hope you get your leather back into shape Craig



Josh

[imported_Burlyq]

You didn`t ruin your leather unless you ripped it. You can sand all that factory garbage off and totally restore it. It will be some work, but your seats will look better than new, and after market dyes can be high quality. This place will match your color.

http://www.leatheriqueorder.com/leather_care.htm

[01bluecls]

Reading all that for restoring leather it almost seems that replacing the leather would be more simple. You can get leather installed for around $1200 to $1500 with good and sometimes better than factory quality leather. PLUS, you will have BRAND NEW leather and the color of your choice etc. With all the man hours the restoration takes I wonder how much a shop would charge to do the whole interior?

[imported_zenhog]

I used a powerful cleaner by 1Z called Plastik Reiniger. It`s an "intensive" cleaner for plastic and imitation leather and the instructions say to immediately wipe it off.



Well, I think I got distracted and by the time I got to that seat whatever was the coating on the leather is gone now. As one guy asked I don`t know if it`s a plastic coating but it is some form of coating that has come off. The rest of the seats are smooth, slick, soft and coated with something. This stuff stripped whatever the coating was right off and now it`s bare (but dyed) leather. I have used preservatives on it but there`s something missing...

[togwt]

It sounds like the Iz product has stipped the urathene coating.



Try this until you decide on repair / replacement-



Clean & condition the leather Leatherique (I assume you have stripped all the coating, if not do it) from the same company get some Leatherique âہ“Originalâ€Â� Klear Kote, Check compatibility of this product before using on urethane-covered leather

hope this helps

JonM



FWIW-(from Autopia shop) Don`t let the funny German name fool you. Einszett Plastik-Reiniger (Vinyl Cleaner) is a gentle, effective cleaner for all interior and exterior vinyl, rubber and plastic surfaces.