Cleaning leather...what am I doing wrong???

BRUHA

New member
When it somes to cleaning leather seats...there must be some type of chemical imbalance in my brain that is preventing me from doing this correctly. I have tried Lexol, Gliptones leather cleaner, and Woolite. I have seen some improvements in my seats (that are light gray in a 2001 Lincoln LS), but I can't seem to get all of the dirt out. The Woolite has worked wonders on my vinyl door panels, but when it comes to my seats, I seem to be underperforming. I have used terry cloth towels, scrub brushes, toothbrushes to apply the cleaner on the seats. Have I become a victim of unreasonable expectations, or do I just need to apply more elbow grease??? Please help me out!!! Does anyone have a routine to clean seats that is tried and true??? If so, please share the wisdom. Thanx.
 
It sounds like you are doing what I would do. I use Four Star Ultimate Leather cleaner and it has worked out really well for me. Depending on the quality of the leather, it could be possible that they are stained beyond simple cleaning. Check out www.leatherique.com and see if they have something to offer. I know I have seen it do amazing things for work and cracked leather seats. I've never used their leather cleaning products, but I'm sure it is nice. You could also try some Meguiar's #39 perhaps. I haven't used it on leather, but it cleans plastic and vinyl like a champ. I'm sure it would do the same for leather. Just make sure you condition it afterwards.
 
I cleaned my dad's leather seats yesterday that had a definite brown tone to them (light gray leather). I used a soft bristle brush and Zymol Leather Cleaner and wiped down with a MF cloth. The seats are completely clean now but there are still lines that appear to be dirty when, in fact, the lines are because of Ford's poor quality leather and the color coating coming off. Wrinkles are one thing but the color coating should not start to come off at 20,000 miles.



Basically, I am suggesting you closely inspect your leather to see if it is truly still dirty or if you're seeing areas where the color has worn off.
 
Thanx TW85 HHI and Jngrbrdman for the advice guys.



It seems like portions or the seats are cleaning very well, while some spots are harder to clean. All in all, the leather is in very good condition and really isn't that dirty. There are just some spots that seem to be more resisitant than others. Maybe the Lincoln leather is just crappy and poorly coated.
 
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