really grimy and dirty white leather seats

S

syd123

New member
hello detailing enthusiasts

i have just bought a bmw 318is 1992 with white leather interior.They are absolutely filthy as you can imagine.There is dirt in the cracks and the leather has gone a greyish colour.What would be the best way to clean these seats.I have been told mer leather cleaner is the best,but any advice would be valued.

Many thanks

syd
 
Hi Syd welcome to DC:howdy

I'm sure that you will get some great answers, but you also may want to take a moment, to skim through the leather section in the interiors forum. There are many products and processes people have tried and you may find your solution there.

Sorry I don't have leather in my car so I won't be too much help with your problem.

Good luck and enjoy your stay
"J"
 
using a mild APC would be my first approach before going to a leather conditioner. The gray you are seeing may be worn out leather not dirt, so be careful cleaning those areas. Remember that leather is dyed and being too aggressive may make it worse :)
 
I have used Steel Wool and a light degreaser ... But I stress you must know what your doing with the steel wool!
 
A very soft brush and Meg's APC+ mixed at a minimum dilution of 10:1 . Maybe even 12:1 to be safe to start. Follow by Wiping with a damp cloth to remove the dirt. Always use a clean section of the damp cloth when you move to another cleaning area. Then follow with a product such as Lexol Leather Conditioner. Work all of these processes lightly. This will avoid any damage to the leather.
 
jimdawg12 said:
I have used Steel Wool and a light degreaser ... But I stress you must know what your doing with the steel wool!
Click to expand...

I thought I was the only one who has ever done this. It works great, better than any brush I have used.

Before I got my vapor cleaner, steel wool was my go to tool for extremely dirty leather seats. I have used apc's that were too aggressive and caused the color coating to come off though so you need to be careful.

I would use a product that is just for leather so you can be sure it has been formulated not to harm leather.

Dwell time is what makes the difference when using a leather cleaner. If you don't keep it wet and leave it on for a minute or two, it won't work as well. The steel wool (0000) isn't the best choice on all leather, but when used gently it can deep clean very well on most coated leathers.

Troy
 
I've used this for a long time with no issues. May be an alternative to steel wool.

Kiwi Saddle Soap...you can get it in any shoe or grocery store in a tan tin-can. Follow the directions on the can for cleaning the seats.

Allow the seats to air dry and follow with a leather conditioner.

Poorboy's Leather Stuff; Chemical Guys Leather treatment would be some nice choices.
 
syd123 said:
hello detailing enthusiasts

i have just bought a bmw 318is 1992 with white leather interior.They are absolutely filthy as you can imagine.There is dirt in the cracks and the leather has gone a greyish colour.What would be the best way to clean these seats.I have been told mer leather cleaner is the best,but any advice would be valued.

Many thanks

syd
Click to expand...

Are you 100% sure that this is leather and not leatherette (sp) The leather was a option for the year, only the higher end BMW models in those years had leather...the 318 was a price point car trying to compete with the Japanese imports....so they used the leatherette as a cost cutting measure...something that they used on all BMW's in the 70's and 80's

If its leather then you have some great suggestions already and you might want to read about leather care at this site.

Leather Care by Leatherique

If its leatherette...fancy word for vinyl....you can clean that with a good APC with a soft plastic brush and some good clean towels...then I would dress that with a water based vinyl dressing like poorboys world natural look...this is what I did back in 1979 on my car
 
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