How often do I treat my leather??

C

C-MDX

New member
How often do I treat my leather?? Some said every month, some said once every six months but what's the exact answer?? Condition every month and clean and condition every two months??
 
I don't think there is an exact answer. What works for you may not for others.



There's no real harm in treating your leather as often as you like. If you overdo leather conditioner it will just be wiped onto your clothes when you and your passengers sit down. Just use mild safe products and you'll be fine.
 
So maybe once every 3-4 month?? I only know that you treat your dash/vinyl every month for best protection.
 
C-MDX said:
How often do I treat my leather?? Some said every month, some said once every six months but what's the exact answer?? Condition every month and clean and condition every two months??
Click to expand...



Analine leather can take more conditioning than coated leather. This does not mean that you should over condition it but if you are a daily driver and leave the car in the sun and do alot of entering and exiting of the car then once a month would be good.



I have been detailing some of my clients cars for years now and condition their leather every 4 to 6 weeks and no adverse effects, just nice soft supple leather. Just don't use too much, remember "less is more" in detailing. Always buff the leather out after conditioning to remove any excess.



One result of over conditioning might be a premature rotting of the threads, or so I have heard. There is a chemical or ingredient in many conditioners (I can't remember the name) that is a carrier of the conditioners and can weaken stitching if over applied.



Anthony
 
Mantic6t9 said:
Over conditioning leather IS damaging from what i understand.
Click to expand...



Well, yeah, that is possible depending on the type of leather. This is probably a topic best left to an expert in the field. But I can imagine that untreated leather (aka Nappa leather in an M-series) could be stained if the wrong conditioner is overused.



Thing is, 95% or so of the cars on the road have treated (clearcoated)leather. So the conditioner mostly just sits on top of the clearcoat instead of being fully absorbed in, like it would be on Nappa leather. So, excess conditioner ends up on your clothes than in the leather fibers themselves. Plus some of the excess product will be evaporated and maybe some will get soaked in.



Anyway, good point but a little hard to know for sure unless some kind of testing is conducted. That's why I remarked that there is no exact answer. Who knows what the conditions are at any given time.
 
C-MDX said:
So maybe once every 3-4 month?? I only know that you treat your dash/vinyl every month for best protection.
Click to expand...

Leather and vinyl are two very different products!



Vinyl is a plastic and does not need conditioning nor feeding, although the marketers of car care products would like you to believe that their products are necessary for vinyl longevity. Vinyl’s only natural enemy is ultraviolet radiation, and most modern automotive vinyl is treated with a UV shield. Unlike a ‘50s or ‘60s car, you could probably park your late model car facing into the sun all day for several years before you would find any loss of flexibility or fading. All that is needed is a wipe down with a damp (plain water or a mild soap solution) cloth. In addition I also apply a coating of 303 Aerospace Protectant (the best UV shield available) every month or two, but in reality it’s probably not needed.



Leather is a natural product and requires that its natural oils be maintained or it will dry and crack. Unless coated it is also absorbent and requires periodic cleaning. Although dedicated leather cleaning products are fine, a periodic wipe down with a damp (plain water or a mild soap solution) cloth is adequate. For deep cleaning of old and dirty leather there is no better product than Leatherique cleaner. IMO most of the leather conditioners are roughly equal (except for smell) and should be used on an as needed basis, but a high lanolin content hand lotion would probably be just as good. High temps, direct sun, and low humidity will dry the oils fairly quickly and more frequent conditioning will be needed than if your car lives in a temperate climate. As has been said, it is thought that some conditioners will eventually damage the stitching - especially if a synthetic fiber is used. For old and very dry leather Leatherique conditioner will work wonders, but it’s overkill in normal circumstances. As an OCD sufferer I also use 303 AP on the leather in my roadster.
 
imo, also depends on whether its a convertible or not...

convertibles have to deal with weather (sun, etc.)-

if its not a convtertible, a good leather cleaning and preserving at least every 6 mos or so should do it (i like the townsend products)...

if its a convertible, with sun exposure, i think it will prob need leather treatment (cleaning and preserving) every time its detailed...

one wanabes opinion!
 
wanabe said:
imo, also depends on whether its a convertible or not...

convertibles have to deal with weather (sun, etc.)
Click to expand...

Right on wanabe! In over two years I've only driven 106.9 miles with the top up so my seats get a lot of conditioning and 303 AP.
 
I agree I don't think there's an exact answer to this question.... Just like the "How often to re-wax?" question... :nixweiss



1) What product you're using

2) The leather or leather quality of your seats

3) Sun/temperature exposure

4) :nixweiss
 
C-MDX said:
I live in your area :D
Click to expand...
I know, and right now it's "unusually hot"! It was supposed to rain this weekend and instead it's blazing sun outside...



Colour could be sort of a factor too, because black seats (like mine... :() get blazing hot in direct sunlight, while very light colours aren't as bad.



Anyway, I think there's still too many variables so I think you'll have to just keep an eye on the seats and see if they "feel" like they need re-conditioning or not.
 
I have heard before good opinions about leatherique cleaner. Just wanted to know why is so better than the others. what is the difference?.



I normally use Sonax leather care, I suppose is an standard one step cleaner/conditioner. What will be the difference when using letherique?





Thanks in advance
 
aqua said:
I have heard before good opinions about leatherique cleaner. Just wanted to know why is so better than the others. what is the difference?
Click to expand...

Leatherique is a two step process which works wonders on old very dirty leather. I haven’t used it on normal condition leather, but playing with it on old leather (belts and wallets) was really impressive. It restored a like new look and feel, but it did cause a certain amount of darkening. It’s a somewhat messy process, and I wouldn’t recommend using it on anything except seats that won’t respond to anything else. If you’re restoring an older car, then Leatherique may be the tool of choice.
 
:up I have been using Leatherique for close to 10 years on both older cars as well as new ones with tremendous results. It does not necessarily have to be used on old and tired leather. Most recently, I purchased a new CLK 55 and a new SC 430 and have used it on both of them. The reults on the Lexus were to make the leather feel not as dry as it was when the car was delivered. The same can be said for the Mercedes but in addition the leather felt and continues to be much softer. As I said, I have been using this for years and swear by it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top