Comprehensive Leather Care Thread

I

imported_Megafast13

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I just hadmy car panted about 12 days ago. I am having itwashed today. My ? is this...Before painting I had a three step mirror glaze done twice a year to keep her looking good. will this same thing keep my cars new paint looking good and in good shape? Or do I not neep a 3 step anymore? Any info on keeping my paint alive and well would be great thx



Eric
 
First, only use paintable products on the car paint in the first 3 months after a respray (Meguiars products often tell you whether they are paintable or not).



As the paint should be you may only need a polish (and maybe not even that) and a wax (or sealant). So 2 steps should be enough in the first 6-12 months. After that I would go back to the 3 step process as the paint will need cleaning.
 
It's a breathable glaze or polymer protectant that will not trap solvents from flashing or evaporateing.



Wizards Shine Master and Race Glaze are two of the only products that i know of, that will give good and long lasting protection for freshly painted surfaces.



You can wash your car a day or two after the repaint, just be carful. If you don't wash your car for a mounth the dust and dirt may become part of the paint, that's not good.
 
Then, after the paint has fully cured (a function of what it was painted with and how), I would just thoroughly wash then seal. As the paint is brand new, I see no need for a polish, which is part of the usual two or three step processes.
 
Modern day polyurathane paints with old day laquers and enamels.



Those laquers outgassed solvents and often if you waxed over the paint too soon, you would trap the solvents causing clouding.



today's paints are catalyzed and dry quickly. Also it is sealed in with a clear coat, so if it is not dry before the clear coat goes on, it will never dry.



I would wait 2 weeks, and apply your favorite sealant. Stay away from wax.
 
I suggest listening to your painter and do what he says. He is the only person who knows how much accelerator/hardener he put in the paint mix, he knows how much paint he applied per coat, he know the mix, the flow rate, everything. No two car painters paint the same way so blanket advice is sorta meaningless as none of us painted your car.



If he says wait a month before washing and two months before waxing, I'd follow those rules.
 
I feel like leather care is one of the areas where there is almost NO consensus in the detailing world. If you think about many detailing type questions, almost all will agree that pre-lsp prep is the most important part of your detail. Likewise, two-buckets with grit guards is pretty standard for washing... but what is the deal with leather?

Can we get a thread going where some of the detailing pros go over some of their leather care methods and products?

Guys like Kevin Brown, Todd, Nick Chapman, Rasky etc. etc. etc... We see all of their amazing paint finishing work but we rarely get a glimpse into methods they use on leather. Do we have any leather experts, so forth and so on.

I'm stuck in a real rut with my leather care and I don't know what to do. The CR-V's light grey leather is turning a light brown shade and everything I've used isn't doing a thing.

I know Chad (Rasky) is using Leather Masters, but maybe he can talk a bit about his methods. Types of cleaning tools he is using, how much product, how much pressure, warm water, cold water etc...
 
I know a lot of the big playas use Leatherique. I have seen many threads where this product was used and produced great results.

Come to think of it, my name wasn't mentioned either.:toetap05:/:)
 
I agree that leather is one of those topics that even the leather experts can't seem to agree on. Of the research/reading I've done I've found the information and advice of Judy B to be the most straight forward, consistent and sincere. She didn't try to use big words and try to sound all scientific and for that reason I feel most confident in what she says.


Having said that I've used many products including Meguiars, Lexol, Zymol, Leatherique, Leather Masters, LTT (Judy B's) and a few I can't remember the name of now.

My top 3 favorite would be LTT, Leather Masters, and Leatherique. I can't comment on whether or not Leatherique is actually able to permeate past coated leather or not but it does seem to make the leather feel softer.

The LM and LTT are both water based and seem to work equally well IMO. They leave the leather looking and feeling the way it was when I bought the vehicle, which is what I want. Both cleaners have a foaming dispenser and I apply them with a foam applicator I received form LTT. After letting the foam dwell for a minute I will agitate it a little and wipe dry with a clean soft cotton towel (Or paper towel). For soiled areas I may also use a soft leather brush to get into all the grooves.

One thing I've always found with leather cleaners is that they all suck when it comes to cleaning trashed leather! IMO they are only designed to work well with properly cared for seats and are simply a waste of time on trashed leather seats. For heavy cleaning I find I always have to reach for an APC and then follow with a dedicated leather cleaner.

Just my $.02

Hope this helps UN. ;)
Rasky
 
RaskyR1 said:
One thing I've always found with leather cleaners is that they all suck when it comes to cleaning trashed leather! IMO they are only designed to work well with properly cared for seats and are simply a waste of time on trashed leather seats. For heavy cleaning I find I always have to reach for an APC and then follow with a dedicated leather cleaner.

Just my $.02

Hope this helps UN. ;)
Rasky
Click to expand...

Going off of that, I remember a thread where Todd used OPC on the leather and it cleaned a tremendous amount, then used Leatherique. The thread even had a referrence to coated leather. It was this post in this thread.
 
Leadfootluke said:
Going off of that, I remember a thread where Todd used OPC on the leather and it cleaned a tremendous amount, then used Leatherique. The thread even had a referrence to coated leather. It was this post in this thread.
Click to expand...

I recall that thread as well. ;)


Actually up until the last 4-5 years I've always just used APC to clean leather seats. It wasn't until I started really browsing the detailing forums that I started trying dedicated leather cleaners. :soldier:
 
What do you all think about using Woolite for cleaning leather seats? I have seen it recommended on a few threads. How effectively does it clean and how does it leave the seats feeling? I would think it would be very mild and question it's effectiveness on dirty leather. I haven't used it yet on leather as I have used PB APC only with great results. All out of PB APC though.
 
Tuscarora Dave said:
What do you all think about using Woolite for cleaning leather seats? I have seen it recommended on a few threads. How effectively does it clean and how does it leave the seats feeling? I would think it would be very mild and question it's effectiveness on dirty leather. I haven't used it yet on leather as I have used PB APC only with great results. All out of PB APC though.
Click to expand...

I haven't tried it yet but I know Scottwax and a few other use it and swear by it.
 
Woolite works fairly well if used with brush, not just a wipe with microfiber towel. APC is stronger and I have not compared the feel of both side-by-side yet on the same seat. I like Todd's writeup with decent cleaning then using a dedicated leather treatment.. will try it later on the perforated seats in the SUV (coated leather for sure - FORD)

grungy
 
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