Cleaning Leather


Let`s face it leather/interior cleaning is bland. There are a ton of products on the market that indeed work well, but they never really blow you away with the results. Like many detailers I am not a huge fan of cleaning interiors, In all honesty its boring, It`s not as fun as polishing/waxing and getting your car`s paint so shiny that when you get out of it to pump gas you cant help but turn around and gaze upon the fruits of your labor. I can honestly say that these 2 new products actually got me excited in many ways.






Characteristics In Products

If you think about it we are all picky when it comes to the compounds/polishes/pads we use. We like the certain characteristics of our favorite products and we stick to that. IE: I like compounds/polishes that do not dust, But in reality I can get great results with a compound that still dust. That is just a characteristic I do not like. So where am I getting at? Well, If me and you sat down and wrote down a list of characteristics we would want in a leather cleaning product, What would that list consist of? For me it would be the following.




1. Cleaning Ability
2. Safe and pH balanced / Non alkaline
3. Smells good
4. Leaves Leather Looking/Feeling Soft Supple
5. Easy Wipe Off
6. Water Based




I think its safe to say the above list consists of attractive attributes that anyone would want in a leather cleaner. If you have not guessed already, Leather Shampoo contains all the above characteristics.


Now there are some decent leather cleaning products on the market, However like I stated above they never really blow you out of the water or get you excited. Upon using Leather Shampoo I caught my self getting excited and more impressed as I used it. In actuality I paused for a moment and thought to my self , that no leather cleaning/conditioning product has ever really gotten me this excited before.







What Does 70/30 Mean?


70% Cleaner 30% Conditioner, Interesting right? If you have used other leather cleaners before you will notice in the instructions how it always states to follow behind with a Leather Conditioner to restore the conditioners and the soft/supple feeling. After using a traditional leather cleaner you will notice how the leather feels grabby/dry/brittle This is due to the cleaner stripping the oils from the leather. Leather Shampoo is infused with lanolin and mink oils to leave an amazing touch/feel after the cleansing. This is what really sets this cleaner apart from the others is the way it leaves the leather looking/feeling amazing!




Why Is It Called Shampoo?


Leather Shampoo creates a rich foaming lather when you agitate it with a brush. What those suds are doing is lifting/encapsulating the dirt particles, So when you wipe off the product you are avoiding doing 2 important things when cleaning leather.


1. Wiping/Lifting the dirt away from the seat so you are not rubbing the dirt back into the seat.
This is one of the most important factors to me, If you have ever cleaned lighter color leathers, After spraying your cleaner and wiping away you are essentially rubbing the dirt back into the leather. In some cases I would have to use waterless wash to help aid with encapsulating the dirt particles.

2. You are not scratching the leather with dirt particles.


The wipe off is easy clean-up, With one pass of a towel the product is absorbed into the towel and the leather is dry to the touch.


Application






Now that you have a understanding what the product does lets get into the test subject.


I want to start off by saying the customer of this F-450 takes exceptional care of his truck. To most people his truck would not even need to be detailed, However he is OCD. so like Mike Phillip`s says "It`s easy to take something in bad condition and make it look good, But hard to take something that already looks pretty good and bring it to a higher level" This is essentially what I was dealing with. The truck was already pretty clean so obviously I had to pay attention to the little details so the owner sees a difference.










The photo`s above is what the seats looked like before the leather shampoo, I know what your thinking. "Joe those seats look pretty good" And I would have to agree with you, However we have to take these seats to the Next Level!





I start off by spraying product on the working section and a few sprays on my brush.



After working a few circular motions you will see all the rich lather that activates.



the lather has a long working time. It does not dry up and disappear as you are working.


After you are done with your section, Take a microfiber towel and wipe away the lather.






The lather wipes away extremely clean! In a few seconds the seat is dry to the touch.



Notice the dirt on the towel, You can see some of the residual foam on the towel. This is why the lather is so important it lifts that dirt so you are not grinding it back into the leather.



Here is a 50/50 shot after the tapeline was lifted away, I initially did not think the leather was going to show this big of an improvement!


Leather Guard UV50
After cleaning the entire interior with Leather Shampoo, It was time to protect it with Leather Guard UV50 (I will have an entire write-up specifically about Leather Guard soon)


Product Description:

"McKee`s 37 Leather Guard UV50 is the ultimate protectant for leather trim. This high-tech coating blankets your vehicles leather upholstery in a durable shell of protection that resists abrasion. powerful UV50 light absorbers prevent fading, cracking, and long term discoloration. Leather Guard only needs to be applied twice a year, Making it a fantastic value. Use on leather seats, door trim, arm rests, dashboards, and hard smooth surfaces. Imparts a clean, OEM-matte finish that feels smooth to the touch. prevents dye-transfer from blue-jeans, and also protects against damage caused by sunscreen. works equally well on leather handbags , leather shoes, and leather furniture."




a few sprays on a applicator pad.

Such little product is needed to coat the entire seat.





After








The seats looked/felt as good as new, And I can honestly say these are the most exciting products for interior I have used. Anything that puts a little fun in a subject that you are not to thrilled about is always a step in the right direction.


Here is a video review I did with Leather Shampoo On a mobile job!


Excuse me breathing heavy it was 95% with some crazy humidity I`m Surprised my hair looked as decent as it did! :laughing:




Here is a link to the Leather Guard UV50 Article