Leather Cleaner recommend

Just my two cents as a non-expert but an owner of two cars with leather seats. I think it would be very helpful for the experts to give their opinions on the following questions:



1. New car with treated leather: How should I clean the leather? How should I maintain the leather?



2. Older car with treated leather that is showing its age (not as supple, some mild wrinkles): How should I attempt to restore the leather?



I think the above two questions probably captures 90% of the population. Honestly, I don't care to know the "why" unless there is disagreement among the experts. If there is, we can address that disagreement specifically.



We need to give this thread some structure and organization for it to be valuable to anybody.
 
Dubcnea said:
Wow lol. so i know this is my first post and i don't want to sound troll'ish, but i've been reading this site for several days and this is one of the craziest posts i've seen. there's just so much in here that it's WAY too hard to decipher what's what.



now did i expect to just open this post up and see "buy this and this and apply it like this"...no. okay, maybe i was hoping to but of course no deal. i was hoping, though, that i'd be able to get a good idea of what products people were using and how they would affect my vehicle's leather. i'm not quite sure i care about pH this and that. is it important? of course. but is it something that i want to have to take into account at this point...no.



so that being said...does anyone have any good PRODUCT suggestions on what to use on a newer car (<2k) miles with black leather. it's a mazda 3. i've been using some mcguiars leather cleaner/conditioner combo (i'm sure that's bad) but i don't know what else to use. i'm guessing that LM stuff...but i'd like to make sure it's good to go before i buy it and apply it.



again i'm sorry if this post sounds at all rude...i just want to get down to the nitty gritty without all the science talk. i'll read about that in another post, but not one labeled "Leather Cleaner Recommend".



so go ahead...Recommend! :D
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Lexol Cleaner

Lexol Conditioner



Cleaning & Conditioning Leather Upholstery (EVERY 2-3 MONTHS)

SUPPLIES

Lexol-pH Leather Cleaner

Two large washcloths

Lexol Leather Conditioner

Two medium size towels

One bucket luke-warm water (never use hot)

CLEAN WITH LEXOL

Keep this thought in mind: leather is skin. Cleaning and conditioning leather upholstery is very similar to bathing yourself out of a bucket on a camping trip. You need water to do the job, and you need to use the right amount to do the job right.

Wet a washcloth in the bucket of water and wring it out, leaving it as damp as you would if you were going to wash your face with soap and water. .

Put 2 or 3 half-dollar sized spots of Lexol-pH Cleaner on the wet cloth.

Clean one section at a time as follows.

Gently work the solution into a nice lather with a cloth, sponge, or if your leather is heavily soiled use an upholstery (interior detailing) brush.

Don't forget to clean the stitch lines.

Rinse wash cloth and wipe several times.

Dry the leather with a clean dry towel.

Continue with the whole interior in this fashion: cleaning, rinsing and drying.

CONDITION WITH LEXOL

Start by lightly dampening a clean washcloth so that it doesn't absorb too much conditioner. (No need to waste a good thing).

Put 2 or 3 half-dollar sized spots of Lexol Conditioner on the wet cloth.

Wipe it onto the leather one section at a time until all leather is conditioned. A little Lexol goes a long way, and multiple coats are better than one heavy application, unless the leather is very hard and dry.

Allowed 20 to 30 minutes to absorb the oils and preservatives.

Use a clean dry towel to vigorously rub down all of the leather surfaces and stitch lines to remove any excess conditioner.

Let dry for 1 to 3 hours depending on temperature and humidity.
 
Cleaning and conditioning leather upholstery is very similar to bathing yourself out of a bucket on a camping trip.
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Leather is not skin, it is skin that is dead, it has been chemically processed during the tannning process with complex chemicals and processses and then in the case of most auto leather has been covered in paint and a clear coat finish. There is no way that it can react like skin and cannot
absorb the oils and preservatives
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in 'conditioners' even if left for 20 - 30 minutes.



Claims of this sort from chemical suppliers only show their general lack of ignorance about leather and the products they are selling.
 
judyb said:
Leather is not skin, it is skin that is dead, it has been chemically processed during the tannning process with complex chemicals and processses and then in the case of most auto leather has been covered in paint and a clear coat finish. There is no way that it can react like skin and cannot in 'conditioners' even if left for 20 - 30 minutes.



Claims of this sort from chemical suppliers only show their general lack of ignorance about leather and the products they are selling.
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Are you saying that leather conditioners do nothing? It seems to me from multiple sources that as the leather ages the process which sealed it loses its abilities which is why we clean and then condition it to replenish the moisture.

Are you saying that leather conditioners do nothing?

What is the "correct" process
 
I use to be a Lexol man, but, now the cleaner and conditioner are both sitting in my get rid of quick shelf, there are better products available. Although there are pages of opinions - 17 on this thread alone, I'll bet that most will agree to drop the Lexol. My personal observations are: the cleaner is waaay too soapy and takes more rinsing than other cleaners, the conditioner stinks and takes multiple wipes to get rid of the tacky feel. Don't take my word for it, try a few other brands when you get a chance.
 
JuneBug said:
I use to be a Lexol man, but, now the cleaner and conditioner are both sitting in my get rid of quick shelf, there are better products available. Although there are pages of opinions - 17 on this thread alone, I'll bet that most will agree to drop the Lexol. My personal observations are: the cleaner is waaay too soapy and takes more rinsing than other cleaners, the conditioner stinks and takes multiple wipes to get rid of the tacky feel. Don't take my word for it, try a few other brands when you get a chance.
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Junebug

What have you tried and what do you use now. I have black leather in a saturn if it matters
 
Well, I've tried most of the OTC brands, and Megs, DG, Zaino. I have not and will not pay out the wah-zoo for Leather Masters and simular products.



I use woolite 10:1 for cleaning, now - this is for heavy duty, nasty interiors, if yours is just dusty, then use a damp cloth. For protection - I like Zaino Z10 and the DG equal. Megs has a cleaner-conditioner in their Detailers Line, ADS sells it - and that is good if the leather-vinyl is not too dirty, smells clean too. Best thing you can do is keep it clean, use a vac with a brush attachment to get in the seems at least monthly.
 
Mr. Clean Magic eraser used with woolite or just plain water will speed things up too. I get the leather slightly wet with whatever it needs, water or woolite, sometimes oil soap, then get the eraser wet and wring most of the water out, rub lightly, remove the residue with a barely wet microfiber.



The wet eraser will take the heel marks off the seat and door panels without taking dye off the leather.



Slightly off topic. White vinyl boat seats can be cleaned by spraying from the bottom up with Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner and rubbing with the Magic Eraser, then mop up the residue with a slightly damp microfiber cloth. I don't wet vinyl first because I want the cleaner directly on the dirt, not diluted by water. Try it, you'll think you're on TV. Still off topic, Scrubbing Bubbles works great on nasty vinyl door panels too. Usually just a damp microfiber will pick up all the oil and dirt and it foams the dirt out of the grain of the vinyl too. Much to harsh for leather, though it can also be used to take a grease spot off carpet.



Robert
 
In tests Magic Erasers remove the finish on the leather which then leaves it in a very vulnerable state. It will attract dirt quicker and be harder to clean. Each time you use a magic eraser it removes a little more of the finish so is doing continual damage.

This damage will not be visible with the naked eye until it is too late and you start removing pigment along with the finish.
 
judyb said:
In tests Magic Erasers remove the finish on the leather which then leaves it in a very vulnerable state. It will attract dirt quicker and be harder to clean. Each time you use a magic eraser it removes a little more of the finish so is doing continual damage.

This damage will not be visible with the naked eye until it is too late and you start removing pigment along with the finish.
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My post wasn't to contradict what other people had written, just to add a tool for when the other methods didn't work. Most the time, a damp microfiber cloth is more than enough for the cars I do.



There are types of leather dye that are too soft for Magic Erasers. At the same time, using any cleaner on leather carries risk, and there are cars I take care of I wouldn't touch with anything more than water. Doesn't anything aggressive enough to really clean have a potential of softening the finish?



I'd be interested in who did the testing. I've looked carefully at the white eraser and at the water I wring out for traces of dye and whatever is there is, like you wrote, not visible to the naked eye. Also, there's no doubt in my mind that if I were to really bear down and scrub I could do real damage, that's why I keep the pressure light.



When it comes to scuff marks left by shoes, do you know of a cleaner that will both take the scuff off the leather and not soften the finish?



Detailing for me is always a balancing act. I can make just about any car's paint scratch free if I want to cut to the bottom of the deepest scratches, but I take the long view. I'll sacrifice a little of the paint in the interest of getting the car looking right but I won't just cut and cut. I cut the car the first time I see it. If I get the car back before my sealer is gone, then next time I'm not working the paint so hard. The obvious point is to keep the car looking good and on the road not the in a paint shop. The same goes for leather. If I clean and treat it, from then on, I should be cleaning the treatment, not the leather.



I'll admit interiors aren't my passion, so I'm looking forward to learning from your response.



All the best,

Robert
 
Thank you Judy for posting information that was both clear and easy to understand. There is a lot of confliction information in this thread and the information you have posted seems very sincere and I feel like you are truly just trying to educate us, not sell us something. :thx
 
Give me a break. I dare anyone to step up if they've ever been solicited by judyb. Can't you take her posts at face value and try learning something? If not, stop hating and put her on ignore.
 
wfedwar,

I think he meant this forum.



Why does Judy receive all of the hate for even mentioning her products? There are a lot of other products on here being promoted, but she seems to be singled out.
 
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