Edgy01

Dean,

I think I have the analine leather (aka "Natural Brown) so I would use their regular Hike Food. Will look in the refrigerator tonight to see if the label in the container refers to a "finished leather" application! (And life used to be so uncomplicated).

Deanski

Natural Brown is just the dye color. Most today's leathers are all treated to a degree. Test a small area with some water and see if it beads and does not get absorbed. If it doesn't, it's treated. Find an area not exposed for best result.

The "Hide Care" must be a new formula that Connolly made recently or it could also be a renaming due to the name "FOOD" in the name. I'm sure the lawyers made this change!

I find that using what the mfg has for that vehicle, then obtaining product that is close to or better is what works for most people. The 1Z Lederpflege works really well for Porsche leather.

I love Zaino Z-10 but find the odor a bit too strong for Porsche. Lederpfledge is somewhat neutral and not overpowering.

Still, you have to clean the leather first before any "conditioner" is used.

Deanski

Edgy01

My "Hide Care" (you're right, it was changed because some percentage of the general population attempted to take it orally) says to test it in a hidden spot for colorfastness,--because it could affect untreated aniline finishes.

mdrums

What is everyones take on Lexol? I have used it for years with good results (i.e. no cracked or worn looking leather seats). There seems to be a few thousand leather conditioner products on the market and of course they all say they are the best.

I just Griot's Garage catalog in the mail. Is there stuff good/

TorqueMonkey

Zaino Leather in a Bottle. Best stuff out there. Strong leather smell out of the bottle but after about 24 hours it tones down.

chago996

Do all these products work on the steering wheel's leather? How about the woolite 6/1 to clean it first? The steering wheel to me is the dirtiest part of the interior, and I hate that shiny look that it gets after a couple of years. help

dstrimbu

Griot's stuff is generally awesome. It's all repackaged from other vendors, but they do a lot of testing to find the best products. Good value, exceptional customer service. 2 Thumbs Up, in my opinion.

I used Lexol for years in the BMW and it worked well; now that I've used the Einszett (1Z) Lederpflege, I won't use Lexol again. Just my opinion.

-don

Deanski

Very wise choice! 1Z (Einszett) Lederpflege is the go-to treatment for Porsche leathers!

I love Zaino Z-9 and Z-10, but still think Z-10 is a bit strong.

Deanski

MoeMistry

Such a spirited debate over an age-old product. Do you think the old cowboys use to exchange leather conditioner recipes? It's really not all that difficult. I firmly believe that since leather is a natural material, you should use a natural conditioner. I've had excellent luck using Zymol Treat. It's designed for untreated leather, but I use it on all leather. I find it gets absorbed quickly, at first it's got a sheen and then it becomes a silk look, regardless of what leather type I use it on. I do firmly disagree with not using anything as recommended by some manufacturers. When the oils from your body, which are acidic, begin breaking down the leather, will the dealer replace the damage free of charge or will simply say it's normal wear-and-tear. As Mastiff has already mentioned, I used Treat on his 997TT and he's used it on his E55 and the leather didn't fall apart. You need to periodically CLEAN and CONDITION leather if it gets wear and tear. Some cars need it less and some need it more...you have to use common sense. The woolite mix for cleaning sounds like a good idea; I'll have to give it a try. I use Autoglym Interior Cleaner and dilute it way down with water. For Ferraris, Astons, Bentleys, etc. I use Zymol's leather cleaner and dilute that down a lot too. It's the only cleaner I found that won't strip the dye off of untreated leather.

Edgy01

I would be greatly upset if the leather on his 997TT was falling apart this quickly!

Deanski

You can use Zymol TREAT on coated leather, but most of the oils etc will not migrate into the leather unless the coating has started to wear down due to useage. Some oils will get in, but mostly stay on the surface only to be wiped off. Sure, it looks good and feels good, but that's about it. It's about the same issue with Leatherique. Works very well on most types of leather to get it back to a clean condition. It draws out dirt. You still have to remove it all then treat the leather.

I use products specific for the finish or the interior. I do not have time to dwell on performing the work, I need to get the job done with the best results in the time allowed. Woolite mix works on both leather and other interior objects with little or no residue. 6 parts water 1 part Woolite for leather, 4 parts water 1 part Woolite for more subborn stains in fabric etc. Wipe off with white cotton towels (to gauge how clean it's getting) and that's it, ready for whatever you use.

BTW, most leather "Cleaners" are nothing more than a soap with dye and fragrance. It's when you use specific leather cleaners things change. Very similar to wheel cleaners, some are gentle soaps (P21s) otehrs are acidic.

Bottom line: two types of leather, treated (coated) and untreated. Use whichever works for you. I just know better.

Regards,
Deanski

mdrums

WOW 4 pages on how to clean you seats! AMAZING! I have used Lexol for well over 15 years on many many cars. I works just fine as I'm sure many other products do.

MoeMistry

I said this to make a point. As any good detailer will tell you, every part of the car should be treated in order to prevent damge and preserve the original look. How you go about doing this task, that's when everything changes. Dean, so you wouldn't recommend using Treat on treated leather? I fully understand your logic, but I still cannot get past using a synthetic product on a natural surface. I've met the North America rep for Einzette, Mike, and we've had this discussion too. My concern is the long-term effects of using such products on this level of cars. What are your thoughts.

Deanski

The 1Z product Lederpflege contains carnuba wax in its formula. A bit different than what you'd find in a finish wax, but still a wax. Point being that it attempts to "re-treat" leather in that it protects it in a similar way the leather was when first "treated".

You can use Treat or any other leather conditioner on treated leather. It's what's left after. Depending on the wear level, some do reach into the leather. So much so, I've found it in the foam and padding when we removed a skin off a car that had physical damage (cuts) and had to be replaced. The foam was somewhat compramised in one area and fell apart when we started removing the skin. In the end, we sent the entire seats to a specialist who warn of over use of sprit based conditioners. Treat does not contain spirits to my knowledge. I can find out quicly as I know the developer of Zymol from when he started making waxes in his house/condo in Stamford. Any "lanonlin" type product like Treat, Zaino etc do soften the leather.

You may one day look into Leatherique. Unique way of dealing with todays leather that again goes against most ways of treating, but bottom line it works and works damn well. If you have a customer with really poor leather treated or not, this is the product to use. They even make dye and can match any current colors. Leatherique is an "oil" which you apply thick, cover it in plastic wrap (seats) and expose the vehicle to sunlight to let the oil pull dirt right out. Odd as it sounds, it works! I did one older A/H like my father had. Seats were dry as all hell. After speaking to my specialist, he gave me the Leatherique to try with directions. I have to dig up those pics because it was just baffeling on how well these old, dry seats came back to life and looked new, but with "age lines) which gave it character.

As for Lexol, good for other leathers. Not so good for automotive leather. It was a marketing idea that started Lexol into automotive long ago. Smells bad and makes leather feel odd. Like the Hide Food (Care) which had an odor of Kerosene. Let Hide "Care" sit in a garage for a week and open it up. You tell me, do you want that on your seats?

Zaino works well, and has the best leather smell. It was dead-on to Lexus leathers. It's just too strong for Porsche leather interior. I love the way it feels after, but Porsche leather has a very unique odor to it. Very clean smelling more than a leather smell. This is also why I use 1Z Cockpit Premium on all non-leather items to keep that clean smell.

Look, if you're happy with one product and it works for you, then stick with it. If you feel a change is needed due to whatever reason, then go and try different items till you find one that makes you happy.

Enjoy keeping it clean and smelling fresh!

Regards,
Deanski

ronmart

Yep, I had resisted temptation after hearing about that aspect of it.

How has Sonus worked for you?

I've since tried Zaino's products and they seem less effective than Sonus, but the smell is IDENTICAL to Griots Garage Leather Scent. I do like the Zanio leather cleaner as a every day spot cleaner, but I do wish it was unscented.

I'm going to have to try 1Z one day.