Leather Cleaner recommend

Shanle.belzers- Yeah, convenience has a lot going for it all right. That sometimes gets overlooked here with all our emphasis on finding the "best" of everything. Like...OK, define "best"...what with everything that can be considered ;)
 
Agreed, however if my findings determine lexol to be crap, ordering from online isnt out of the picture just less than ideal... Leather masters strong cleaner seems to have a better backing from the community vs lexol. Most of our leather we "clean" is on trashed trades for our used lot or customer details where they never once wiped down there leather since purchase. So in most cases were looking a 1-6 years of neglected leather :( so in other words trashed.



UPDATE: Picked up a spray bottle of lexol cleaner and conditioner omw into work, luckily my guys were working on a pretty bad T&C with tan leather seats :) yay i love test subjects.



So i took my blue micro fiber applicator got it damp and then applied the product working panel by panel on the seats, wiped with a damp MF then blew out the cracks with air etc... Followed by the conditioner. The seats looked really good considering the starting>end result. Some spots it wasn't tough enough though... I did also use a brush to scrub the seats once the product was sudsed and spead over the panel..



Overall my initial impression is its a good mild/medium cleaner which may require a little more work to remove some heavily soiled spots. The conditioner however seemed really nice. The end result after conditioning was very satisfying :)
 
All our products are available in larger sizes - anything up to 210L!!

We also ave concentrates of all our care products for own dilution.

Let us know if we can help

Cheers

Judyb
 
Well i see your in the UK thats a ways away for me to buy product without trying it. If you want to pm me to discuss samples id love to try a new product..



Thanks
 
I have not mentioned one for shoes which tend to be waterproofed rather than protected. The protectors we use are Auto Ultra Protect or our guaranteed protector LTT LeatherGuard.

The old Scotchgard protectors do not work on leather as they were designed for fabrics.

Hope this helps

Judyb
 
Product Description

The Carplan Leather valet aerosol cream contains unique soaps that gently clean leather surfaces while the blend of oils and waxes polish, preserve and nourish the leather. With a unique "bag in a can" system the cream formula is dispensed in a way that allows you to use every bit of product along with providing ease of use.



Alternate uses: Cleaning and protecting plastic and vinyl surfaces, leaves a satin finish and fresh leather aroma.



Application: Apply using a microfiber applicator or microfiber cloth, allow to dry and buff off gently to leave clean, satin finish. For soiled areas use with a recommended leather brush or repeat the application stage until the desired results are achieved. Available at Waxed Shine
 
I have a 2008 BMW with cinnamon Dakota leather and recently purchased a 2012 BMW with black Nappa leather. The Dakota leather seems to have more protection than the Nappa leather. The Nappa leather is a very soft and delicate leather. I quickly cleaned with a damp microfiber cloth and noticed that it absorbs water very rapidly. Both leathers are in good shape but some areas lost the matte look and are looking a little shinier. My question for you is how to clean the leather and maintain it so it looks like just purchased matte?

A few questions:

First, is saddle soap safe on both types of leathers?

Second, has anyone used Swissvax or Spinneybeck?

Third, I am thinking of using Leather Master products because they are pH balanced, water based, and affordable:
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Leather Master Foam Cleaner (Leather Master Foam Cleaner) and Leather Master Protection Cream (Leather Master Protection Cream). I am also thinking of using the Leather Master degreaser for my Dakota leather steering wheel (Leather Master Leather Degreaser)

Are these Leather Master products a good selection? Is Leather Masters Vital needed? I want to make sure it is safe and effective for both the Nappa leather (which is almost aniline) and the less soft Dakota leather.

Thanks in advance!
 
bmwsf- I maintain the matte look best when I use products from Leather Doctor (what a PIA it is to order stuff from Roger! Best stuff on the market though IMO).

99% of the time you can clean (while maintaining the proper finish) by just gently wiping with a cloth (I usually use MF) slightly dampened with an Interior Quick Detailer (I like 1z Ckckpit Premium for my German cars).

Don't use saddle soap for automotive leather. Full explanation would be lengthy...

For steering wheels I *absolutely* pefer the stuff from Leathe Doctor. They make a "Draggy Feel" protectant that's great for steering wheels and shifters.

Note that "Ph neutral" isn't always as good for leather as one might expect. Again, Leather Doctor has lots of good info about this (short version: slightly acidic is often best).

All that said, I've used Leather Master stuff with good results, primarily on US vehicles. It does tend to leave a bit more sheen that I'd want for my European cars.

Note that some "worn shiny" effects just might be forever, sometimes you gotta catch/arrest that right away, brief window of opportunity.

I'd do research on the Leather Doctor stuff. I had a scad of different leather products on the shelf and the whole idea of checking out something new/additional was not appealing. But I'm glad I did as it turned out to be the *perfect* approach for my "good" Audis. I'm still using Sonus on the older Audi, and Leather Masters on the Tahoe, so it's not like there's any real problem with those, they're just not quite right for the A8 and S8.
 
I found the leather doctor website but....confusing as to which kit to purchase. I have aniline leather perforated seats in "like new" condition. Which kit/product would you suggest? Being using Leather Masters for aniline leather with good results, but you've peaked my interest.
 
addysdaddy- I DON'T KNOW. Heh heh, sorry, but that's the honest truth!

The best thing to do is contact Roger Koh and ask him. Yeah, I know, but you gotta contact him anyway to do the purchase, right? (did when I ordered.)

I got a "kit", which had some stuf I haven't used as I too was dealing with leather in good condition (and I'm not gonna spend all the time/effort on "fat-liquoring"). So you might be able to save some $ by just buying individual products.

Basically, here's what I used on the Audi S8: Cleaner 3.8, Rinse 3.0, plus "buttery feel" and "draggy feel" protectants. I despise "leather scented" products so I got unscented versions of the protectants and thus the Audis continue to smell like Audis.

I used his Prep 7.7 on my wife's less-pristine A8 as the first step.

But you *really* need to verify with Roger as I'd hate to steer you wrong and memory fails me with regard to analine leather vs. other types.
 
bmwsf said:
I have a 2008 BMW with cinnamon Dakota leather and recently purchased a 2012 BMW with black Nappa leather. The Dakota leather seems to have more protection than the Nappa leather. The Nappa leather is a very soft and delicate leather. I quickly cleaned with a damp microfiber cloth and noticed that it absorbs water very rapidly. Both leathers are in good shape but some areas lost the matte look and are looking a little shinier. My question for you is how to clean the leather and maintain it so it looks like just purchased matte?

A few questions:

First, is saddle soap safe on both types of leathers?

Second, has anyone used Swissvax or Spinneybeck?

Third, I am thinking of using Leather Master products because they are pH balanced, water based, and affordable:
jX9cSsqahOGGT9ufRhOmVlLVWfNIhlwrbDAE9SaIkEVP81-oc9XZCQIk_IZg8snXBCXztQfX-ny-FJIcaJvmnWLNhDItdVhQMcuCHQ0l5mDIAHFWLO-XPNgcSFobr7MVjPp3r66AtJWIOoc=s0-d-e1-ft
Leather Master Foam Cleaner (Leather Master Foam Cleaner) and Leather Master Protection Cream (Leather Master Protection Cream). I am also thinking of using the Leather Master degreaser for my Dakota leather steering wheel (Leather Master Leather Degreaser)

Are these Leather Master products a good selection? Is Leather Masters Vital needed? I want to make sure it is safe and effective for both the Nappa leather (which is almost aniline) and the less soft Dakota leather.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

I have BMW black nappa leather and have had it for years now (multiple Z4s & current M). The coating is fragile. My approach is clean and protect. I try to clean once or twice a year with something more aggressive - like Leather Masters Strong Cleaner (which is pH neutral and not that aggressive compared to APCs) using the Swissvax Leather Cleaner brush.

I don't believe in using basic (~pH 11) cleaners on leather frequently. So, if your going to use something to clean - I'd make sure it just wasn't APC calling itself leather cleaner.

Anyway, if you keep on top of it (frequent wipe-downs) with something mild it will never get too dirty. I've used ONR 1:16 &Megs QID for this.

But, a really great general, safe, and mild cleaner is available at your BMW dealer for about $7:

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Dilute it 1:1 with water for general use. I'd recommend this before a lot of other things.

I've been using the Megs Leather Sealer for protection and like it a lot so far:

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But I've used other things. IMHO "conditioners" are a greasy / messy waste. Choose a safe combo to clean & protect. My seats are 7 years old:

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Pics are from the iPad from just now, they kind of suck (lot of reflection) - but you get the idea (driver's seat - I love when people show the passenger seat that gets much less wear). "Shiny" is mostly a by product of the silicones, oils, lanolin, animal fats, and greasy junk that is in conditioners - which hold on to dirt and can accelerate wear.

"Shiny" is also from the seat just being just dirty- which is probably what your dealing with. A clean leather seat will look matte. I kind of like a satin look - between shiny and matte.

I'd beware of taking leather advice from those selling or formulating leather products. There are a lot of "Leather Magic in a Bottles" /"leather guru" dudes out there. Most of these are dressings / conditioners which just temporarily make the leather look "nice", but do not protect and attract dirt.

Leather Masters is good - I trust them and have used their stuff. Vital is OK - but it doesn't provide any/much protection. Used that as well. UIG+ is another good protectant. I've used CarPro Fabric and Leather in the past, but have moved away from it because it's difficult to strip and start over 100%. I'm not too sure I'd be buying anything from anyone that ordering through their website requires some special procedure or is a PIA.

I've used some Swissvax products. Some are good, some are average, some suck. None are worth the $$$$ they charge - but I do like the leather brush. Spinneybeck? Who knows??? I've seen it for sale on BMW sites. Find me someone who has used it for 7 years and can show you what THEIR seats look like. Basically, there is no magic product. Just clean and protect frequently with something safe and durable.
 
SwanicYouth- Heh heh...I felt the same way about PIA ordering and people whose advice coincides with their product offerings (no, not backing off my Leather Doctor recommendations) and I really applaud your "..who has used it for 7 years.." comment. Long-term-effect is important for some of us and it does pay to be careful when buying into the oh-so-complicated (and pricey) processes some folks would like to sell ya.

The LM stuff *did* work great on my e36 M3s, even softened it up nicely. Liked how it worked on that so well that I bought some big bottles of it.
 
Accumulator said:
SwanicYouth- Heh heh...I felt the same way about PIA ordering and people whose advice coincides with their product offerings (no, not backing off my Leather Doctor recommendations) and I really applaud your "..who has used it for 7 years.." comment. Long-term-effect is important for some of us and it does pay to be careful when buying into the oh-so-complicated (and pricey) processes some folks would like to sell ya.

The LM stuff *did* work great on my e36 M3s, even softened it up nicely. Liked how it worked on that so well that I bought some big bottles of it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know my pics of my seats look like crap - but they look nice in person. The Nappa leather is pretty fragile. My pet peeve is when people show you their leather seats - and they show you the passenger seat.

I don't think there is a magic product or brand. I just say clean and protect frequently with something safe that is designed for leather. Conditioning - meh.
 
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