mastiffdog

I just finished my leather interior in my E55. I used Autoglym cleaner first for a quick wipe down, then Zylmol Treat, then a buff. Whole process about 1.5 hours.

500

Mastiff:

Sorry to report this but MB does want any type leather conditioner or cleaner (even their own) used on the nu buck...I have an 06 E55 and it's in the manual...sorry

mastiffdog

Mine is an 05 and the manual says the same thing, so you are correct. The leather looks good, so all I can do at this point is hope for the best. If the leather has a total meltdown, I'll post the photos...

Phil G.

Absolutely - I've used Lexol and Connolly's for years and discovered Zaino #10 (Leather in a Bottle). No comparison - simply the best - low gloss, great smell, and durable! I'm sold.

Phil

'04 C4S Atlas/Black full/supple leather

500

It won't meltdown, just use a damp terry towel follwed by a dry one and remove what you can, all will be well...just don't do it again

ronmart

I've heard lots of good things about Connelly's Hide Food, but lots of people have commented that it smells like ***.

I've used a variety of products and the one I like the best thus far is Sonus Leather Cleaner and Conditioner. It is REALLY more like a rejuvinator because I've had it bring back the leather on my Lexus that hadn't been treated in 5 years and my freinds Jetta had leather that was hard as steel, but it came back to life with this stuff. It smells a bit odd when you put it on, but after 24 hours the natural aroma of the leather comes out. You just need to put it on where the seats look wet, make sure they are nice and warm (use the heated seats if you like) and let it absorb. It only takes about 30 minutes, but if you let it set overnight it'll be soft as a babies bottom!

Zaino's cleaner is a great product for everyday cleaning and touch ups.

SilverSteel

Ronmart, I got the Connoly's and it doesn't smell very good, but it leaves a nice finish. I'm ordering up the Sonus. My wife hates the smell. No worries, Sonus is on the way...

mastiffdog

Figured I'd report back almost three weeks later and let everyone know that the E55's interior is doing quite fine and did not deteriorate, the Zymol Treat did not hurt it at all...still looks nice in fact!

Edgy01

The problem with the Hide Food is most of you, I imagine, are not refrigerating your container. That's a little trick to keep it from separating. Have been using Hide Food for decades. I plan to use it on my Natural Brown leather interior as it becomes necessary.

Deanski

Hide Food is made for untreated leathers like those found in English cars.

Stay with conditioners designed for treated leathers. 1Z, Sonus, Zaino etc,

You can clean with Woolite too

Deanski

Eggplant Cab

I'll throw my 1 cent in on the Connolly debate.
Connollizing is a surface treatment for tanned leather. That is why AM, Jaguar, Ferrari and other car makers use them. So Hide Care can be used on the treated leather as it was designed for them.
I also use Zaino and find it to be very good as well. Hide Care is more of a pain to use and takes a longer time to absord etc. Plus the kid who does my cars likes the Zaino workflow more. Personally I don't care either way so long as the leather stays supple.

cdodkin

You need to get away from your generalisations.

Firstly - not all Porsche leathers are the same.

My 99 Boxster has a more treated/coated look/feel to the seat leather.

My 03 996 has a more natural leather finish on the setas, without the slightly plastic gloss look that the coating often gives

They both take Hide Care differently.

The 996 seat soaks it up easily - the Boxster seat has it sitting on the surface longer, probably due to the coating.

There is no doubt that the 996 leather on my car responds very very well to the Hide Care - smooths out wrinkles, makes it supple and look like new.

The older Boxster seats supple-up, but the visual improvement is less obvious. This may be due to age of course.

Either way, both benefit from treatment - and the diffence in the leather and the responce to Hide Care is interesting.

Your comments about the Hide Care being only for 'english type - non treated leather' does not stand up to my application on these two Porsche cars.

However, my VW, which has a very coated looking leather, really doesn't benefit from it as much, the gloss finish pretty much stays as-is.

It's a very much cheaper looking leather, and of course it was cheaper!

hence I can see where your confusion comes in - you assume that all modern leathers in cars are coated/treated in the same manner, and that this prevents Hide Food from working.

This is plainly not the case.

Chris.

Deanski

AH, all todays leather is of the treated type due to it's wear level. Only several cars (and they state on the invoice mostly or known) are of un-treated leathers.

Porsche leathers come in two versions, that's all.

Treated being that they have mostly a coating or other tanning done to prevent aging, wear, cracking etc.

What may seem as untreated is mostly treated. I've already listed a quick way to test for treated/untreated. Also, treated leathers do wear out the "treatment".

ANother issues is solvent based conditioners that will start to react and remove some treatments.

Hide Food was design primary for Jag, MB, AM/AH, Rols, Bentley etc that do not have treated leathers. Ask anyone at a Jag dealer from long ago and they will confirm it. Same for Rolls etc.

Since I deal mostly with treated leathers and some few untreated, I know what works and what does not. I'm not "confused" in anyway as you may say.

If you feel Hide Food or other "treatments" work for you, then fine. I use only treatments specific to the type of leather unless abused.

If you want, there is more than enough info on leather at both Autopia.org and Detailcity.org for review.

I love Zaino Z-10, but feel it's too strong a leather "odor" for Porsche. Porsche has a very unique smell to it.

Deanski

cdodkin

Yet when I ask my Porsche dealership what they recommend, and sell, it's the Hide Care product.

Now - it is of course possible that they know nothing about the car's leather, and would happily reccomend something that would lead to a deterioration of the finish.

Strange that they would continue to stock, sell and even promote such a product, if it wasn't:

a) popular

b) giving customers good results

c) tried and tested on the cars they sell & service

Chris.

Deanski

Is this Connolly Hide Food? Or is this something different. The Connolly Hide Food was made for Connoly tanned hides in Rolls, Ferrari, bentley MB, AM etc.

This Hide Care has to be a new and different product.

Hide Food is a lanolin waxy cream containing white spirit.

Another product used in the trade is Leatherique Rejuvinator oil and Prestine Clean.

Most Porsche dealers will sell Porsche leather cleaner/conditioner which is 1Z (Einszette) Lederpflege relabeled/rebottled. This is one of the best conditioners to use for Porsche leathers.

If you feel the newer Hide Care works, then fine. Seeing they now have a product for "finished" leather than analine leathers.

Regards,
Deanski