leather conditioner? which?

[Dan]

Another one. :hairpull



Are you guys cleaning raw leather hides?

Unless its brand new right off the drum, its got cracks in it. Also seams, stitching, etc. The degreaser is going in those cracks and breaking down the oils right there. And since those areas are cracked, chances are good that its a high wear area.

 

[judyb]

Degreasers are fine to use on leather (although I would use a dedicated leather one so that you get product support if required). We use degreasers on pigment coated and aniline style leathers to remove soaked in head and body oils before doing restoration work. This however is a specific restoration job and not a cleaning process. We have never seen a case where these products have to be used on a car interior. When there is a build up of oils in the leather it does not show until the back of the leather has filled up and then it releases the pigment on the surface - as most cars are not sat in in the same way as a leather sofa (for instance) there is not usually the chance of this type of build up.

If oils/grease are present then any self respecting leather cleaner (used as a foam) will remove grease/oils from the surface. APC's are unpredictable which is why it is always wise to use dedicated leather products that have good support.



Leather does not need 'conditioning' with anything other than moisture (from water base products) however it is vital that the leather is kept clean - dirt will cause cracking etc. There are no 'natural' oils in leather and it is impossible to either remove or replace fat liquors once they are in the leather so the simple process for keeping your leather in good condition is:



Clean

Protect - helps to make cleaning easier and prevents soiling from damaging the pigment

Maintain



on a regular basis.



Leather Vital is a 'feel good' product used extensively in the cleaning industry. It will make the leather feel very nice for a period of time - it does not last but as it is a water based product it is doing good anyway. It was originally created to stop the squeaking of leather against leather on motion funiture.



Choosing a 'conditoner' that contains oils/waxes etc. could cause more problems by leaving the leather with residues on the surface that attract more dirt - the one thing you are trying to avoid.



Hope this helps

 

[David Fermani]

Unless its brand new right off the drum, its got cracks in it. Also seams, stitching, etc. The degreaser is going in those cracks and breaking down the oils right there. And since those areas are cracked, chances are good that its a high wear area.

I've been using various APCs(degreasers) on leather for nearly 2 decades and haven't witnessed any loss of oils as your say. As a matter of fact many cleaners that claim to be safe for leather (HD Total, Optimum Power Clean, etc..) are basically a multi-purpose degreaser/cleaner anyways. I've witnessed the polyurethane coating breakdown on certain applications(mostly after using APCs after long term abuse from lack of care), but this isn't from a loss of oils. You'll see cracking on high rub areas (stemmed from oversoiling), but never at the seam/stitching areas. I think anytime any cleaner is used on leather, it's always a good idea to flush away the reminants of the chemical and dirt with a wipedown with a fresh, wet towel.



Judy - Your explanation is spot on as always.

 

[Dan]

David, I think the word "degreaser" can be used on anything from APC+ to Castrol Power Clean or Greased Lightning. APC+ is supposed to be leather safe according to Maguiars. Power Clean...ummm

 

[Passrat]

Degreasers are fine to use on leather (although I would use a dedicated leather one so that you get product support if required). We use degreasers on pigment coated and aniline style leathers to remove soaked in head and body oils before doing restoration work. This however is a specific restoration job and not a cleaning process. We have never seen a case where these products have to be used on a car interior. When there is a build up of oils in the leather it does not show until the back of the leather has filled up and then it releases the pigment on the surface - as most cars are not sat in in the same way as a leather sofa (for instance) there is not usually the chance of this type of build up.

If oils/grease are present then any self respecting leather cleaner (used as a foam) will remove grease/oils from the surface. APC's are unpredictable which is why it is always wise to use dedicated leather products that have good support.



Leather does not need 'conditioning' with anything other than moisture (from water base products) however it is vital that the leather is kept clean - dirt will cause cracking etc. There are no 'natural' oils in leather and it is impossible to either remove or replace fat liquors once they are in the leather so the simple process for keeping your leather in good condition is:



Clean

Protect - helps to make cleaning easier and prevents soiling from damaging the pigment

Maintain



on a regular basis.



Leather Vital is a 'feel good' product used extensively in the cleaning industry. It will make the leather feel very nice for a period of time - it does not last but as it is a water based product it is doing good anyway. It was originally created to stop the squeaking of leather against leather on motion funiture.



Choosing a 'conditoner' that contains oils/waxes etc. could cause more problems by leaving the leather with residues on the surface that attract more dirt - the one thing you are trying to avoid.



Hope this helps

So what do YOU use?