Leather Care
#16
Instructor
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I used Lexol cleaner + conditioner on my seats and have a question for the experts. Pre-treatment, seats were shiny and slick. Post-treatment, seats look happily hydrated but seem to have lost some gloss and are no longer “slippery”-feel like they are damp which they clearly are not. Is there some kind of topcoat I should use to restore sheen and more importantly, reduce friction?
#17
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I have done nothing other than wipe off leather in cars or SUVs for decades and it works great. Wet microfiber towels are great for this as others have indicated.
Could my seats etc. look better if I used all the fancy schmanchy cleaners, conditioners, top coats, etc., maybe but I have never kept any one of 54 vehicles in my life much more than a couple years.
A sports car is not a Chanel purse but if you are keeping a car for 10 years then maybe wiping down the leather with special sauce would be a good idea.
Could my seats etc. look better if I used all the fancy schmanchy cleaners, conditioners, top coats, etc., maybe but I have never kept any one of 54 vehicles in my life much more than a couple years.
A sports car is not a Chanel purse but if you are keeping a car for 10 years then maybe wiping down the leather with special sauce would be a good idea.
Last edited by Hunky; Today at 09:58 AM.
#18
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Bzzzttttt,....thank you for playing, Staffie Guy! I know you're a Regular here and I respect that - but there is no plastic coating on leather - any leather.
The topcoat is pigmented using a speciality paint that remains flexible. All leather has to be cleaned and conditioned regularly to keep the longevity of the hide and for it to not crack out. You can't over condition it or overclean it, just as you can't overwash your own skin and over-apply hand lotion. The more frequently its done, the better your hides will look over time.
A damp cloth will not clean anything, just like a damp cloth won't clean you in the shower. You have to get some soap in the mix. I make my own cleaner after selling leather. upholstery for 40 years - and its cheap. Take a spritzer bottle of any size and fill it with 90% water, add in about 4 oz of white vinegar and one pump of the hand soap you have in the bathroom (unscented is best). Now you have the best leather cleaner around and it cost you about 20 cents to make a bottle.
I clean parts of mine with every car wash, the steering wheel, shift ****, driver's door and driver's seat. I do the rest of the interior (which is really not really used much ) 4x a year.
The topcoat is pigmented using a speciality paint that remains flexible. All leather has to be cleaned and conditioned regularly to keep the longevity of the hide and for it to not crack out. You can't over condition it or overclean it, just as you can't overwash your own skin and over-apply hand lotion. The more frequently its done, the better your hides will look over time.
A damp cloth will not clean anything, just like a damp cloth won't clean you in the shower. You have to get some soap in the mix. I make my own cleaner after selling leather. upholstery for 40 years - and its cheap. Take a spritzer bottle of any size and fill it with 90% water, add in about 4 oz of white vinegar and one pump of the hand soap you have in the bathroom (unscented is best). Now you have the best leather cleaner around and it cost you about 20 cents to make a bottle.
I clean parts of mine with every car wash, the steering wheel, shift ****, driver's door and driver's seat. I do the rest of the interior (which is really not really used much ) 4x a year.
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jhenson29 (Today)
#19
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Do I get a "participation award" at least. Seriously, I got my information from spending time on the Corvette forum as a Corvette owner, as this top coating was often discussed, and the consensus was what I was parroting. However I defer to someone who has worked with leather for years and thank you for the technical clarification.
Here is one of many stating that most if not all automotive leathers have some type of "coating" urethane or otherwise.
https://www.best-auto-detailing-tips...nditioner.html
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Staffie Guy (Today)
#20
Instructor
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I highly recommend because it’s easily absorbed by the leather and leaves a protective, low-sheen finish that significantly reduces dye transfer onto lighter leathers. Any dye transfer onto a protected surface is easily wiped off with a damp microfiber (re-apply the protectant after removing any transfer because it acts as a sacrificial layer). I have been using it for 8+ years on a luxor beige interior with great success, making dye transfer a non-issue.
#22
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I used Lexol cleaner + conditioner on my seats and have a question for the experts. Pre-treatment, seats were shiny and slick. Post-treatment, seats look happily hydrated but seem to have lost some gloss and are no longer “slippery”-feel like they are damp which they clearly are not. Is there some kind of topcoat I should use to restore sheen and more importantly, reduce friction?
#23
#24
Rennlist Member
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Do I get a "participation award" at least. Seriously, I got my information from spending time on the Corvette forum as a Corvette owner, as this top coating was often discussed, and the consensus was what I was parroting. However I defer to someone who has worked with leather for years and thank you for the technical clarification.
#25
Instructor
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“Iused Lexol on my wife's car in preparation to sell it. it caused the leather on the passensger seat to get stiff and crack. luckily it was only a honda. still sold the car at a good price but i was pretty annoyed by that. “
Yikes!!! Sure hope I don’t face that or i can take remedial action now to correct. Hoping to hear from Dr Collie w/ his recommendation (s) going forward.
Yikes!!! Sure hope I don’t face that or i can take remedial action now to correct. Hoping to hear from Dr Collie w/ his recommendation (s) going forward.
Last edited by 1BTD; Today at 12:52 PM.