whyb2nd

Don't mean to be redundant here but I want to know which leather product works the best for our p-cars.
I live in the desert and my 4 month old 997 shows some light white smuges already, it needs moisturizing. What I don't want is any product that's greasey, shiney, or smells like jap leather. I have used Autogylm and Zano in the past with Zano coming out on top but still has a leather smell to it.

Terry Adams

My instructions to the PDI dealer will be "Do not apply any product to the interior, especially not leather conditioner."

Instead, I will apply what I have been putting on my 993 for 10 years:

http://www.leatherique.com/products.htm

It is a 2 step process. Oil on first, bake in the sun for a day, cleaner to take off the excess oil. If the seats are dirty as well, this "baking" will make them "sweat" and bring the dirt to the surface for wipeoff with the cleaner.

gradyex

Whyb2nd, if you are going to use anything please use it sparingly and stick with PORSCHES PRODUCTS! Do not over apply the conditioner, you'll end up with a greasy car! I myself seldom use conditioners because I just hate the way the leather looks and feels (slippery). For the most part I stick with a cleaner that has conditioners in it and skip the step 2 part. Thats just me. I have used about 20 leather products in the past (not on my turbo!) and my favorites are Zanios soft leather cleaner and if I must condition I use Porsches conditioner but sparingly and I wipe the surface with a soft microfiber towel within minutes of applying it. That keeps the leather surface "even looking" otherwise you can get streaks. I do not have deviated stitching but if you do it will complicate things a bit. The trick is to clean the leather without getting the dye on the stitching so dont let the stuff sit too long. Hope this helps, nothing like the way your leather looked and felt the day you picked her up! Its hard to describe but the texture and feel change as we alter it with products that promise the world. My experience is less is better and choose the products that leave it looking like it did new. Good luck.

911/Q45

The best way to preserve your leather is to get a good car cover and use it religiously. From May-Sep I will cover mine even for a 15 minute stop. My leather still looks good after 12+ years including parking outside all day for years when working in West Texas and Mojave.

Ken89911T

Geez, this may sound like heresy, but I like good ol' Lexol conditioner. My black leather when new looked almost a very dark gray, and dry. With a couple of treatments with Lexol, the leather is now black, supple, smooth, non-greasy, doesn't smell.

I would like to try the Porsche stuff but the local dealer doesn't have any in stock. All in all, I'm happy with Lexol. The trick is to not use too much, and gently work it into the leather.

Just my .02

Ken

whyb2nd

The problem is the humidity here never reaches 20% unless it rains. Maybe I'm just being to proactive , my wifes M3 vert is 4 yrs old, leather is close to new and has only been treated with mild soap water.

Last930

I've used Lexol on my old 930 since 1988, it still looks great .

atomic80

Like gradyex, I've tried so many different types of leather conditioners but the best one that I've found just happens to be the Porsche leather conditioner! I absolutely hate Lexol because it leaves a shiny residue and is really diluted so it doesn't do anything.

whyb2nd

I use Lexol on my boots, I tried it years ago on a car and didn't like the results. The Zano leather care was very good from what I remember, I think I'll try that and Porsche's product.

okbarnett

In Fla, I use Lexol, but it does soak in and you would need to reapply as soon as you see it become dull. I think about 3 times a year.

whyb2nd

don't like the smell of lexol either, I want the natural leather smell that the car has now.

gradyex

Ok Guys, I tried a product yesterday that I am really thrilled about (so far)! Before i go on I must comment on some of the products mentioned above. I bought Lexol (2 part) a few months back because of its reputation. After i applied the product(s) I immediately removed it. Why? Not because its bad, but because it smells and looks horrible on my leather loaded turbo. I simply took Griots interior cleaner and cleaned the stuff off (at least as much as I could). The seats, dash, doors, center console, headliner, door finishers, and rear seats were soft, supple, and Satin again, just like the way the car came when delivered (by the way I insisted that my dealer NOT detail either the outside or inside of my car). I have my reasons for that and vouch to never again let anyone but myself detail my automobiles.........So, i want you guys to know where I am comming from and how I like my leather to turn out. I hate any kind of oilly, greasy, shinny, leather smelling, slippery crap that goes on my car, period!

OK, without rambling on about how many years/ products I've tried I will get back to my initial point. Yesterday a bottle of Zymol leather CLEANER that I recently ordered arrived via UPS. I already have Zymol conditioner and tried it, but, like the lexol, removed it because it was too greasy for my taste. I did use some other "popular" cleaner prior to applying the conditioner. Yesterday, I spent a good hour or so using just Zymol's leather cleaner and i couldn't be happier with the outcome. This product uses Glycerin among other ingredients in its cleaner so there is plenty of "conditioners" already in it. It feels like a sudsy liquid and goes on quickly. Another thing i noticed is very little smell (a tad of bannana dissapates almost immediately as you initially spray it on). Also, (according to the label) its so gentle it can be used as often as you like but it does state that you should not over use the product on the stitching. I apply my leather products with a WHITE soft dense smooth sponge (alla Griots) about the size of the palm of my hand and immediately dry it with a soft microfiber cloth. I use a white sponge for good reason. If i see the slightest amount of black dye on my white sponge then the product is too strong IMO. This one passed the test. Of course my interior is not actually dirty and this is just a test. I also rinse the sponge with fresh cold water every 15 minutes or so and ring it out dry because it makes for a better job with no streaks...just re-spray with the product as needed. Zymol makes some great products and some not so great products (I have no interest whatsoever with this company). Some of their products cost a small fortune, but not this one. A $10 dollar bottle goes a long way. I might follow with Porsches conditioner once or at most twice
per year (try not to let it sit too long unless you like greasy seats until the next cleaning) LOL! Here are some of the products that I have tried on my automobiles over the years. Cheers!

eclou

Ermanno you are one compulsive SOB!!

TT Gasman

Dude! You're out of control, I love it
As to leather cleaners, I use the Lexol sparingly. But most of the time, a damp cloth with plain water is all that is needed. Whatever the dealer uses sucks, it was greasy and smelly, hope it wasn't a Porsche product.

atomic80

I remember seeing his garage when I visited and thought to myself, "wow! this guy has got it made!" He really knows what he's talking about here. I can vouch for that.