Dharma255

Would appreciate hearing from anyone who feels they've got good products they use to keep their car in good condition, inside and out. Probably not going to go for the high end stuff myself, but others may be interested in that. Particularly interested in leather cleaner and conditioner. I have a 2003 C4S with...exactly what is the material covering the center console, etc.?--not leather...a mixture of materials. Thanks.

Esoteric_Detail

For a mix of leather and vinyl using Leatherique Pristine Clean is my first go to. Comes in a spray bottle and leaves a clean, satin finish...

http://www.esotericcarcare.com/leath...restine-clean/

It is part of the Leatherique 2-step cleaning system but you can use Pristine Clean as a standalone for cleaning/treatment.

For dash and plastics Meg's Quik Interior is our go-to in the shop:

http://www.esotericcarcare.com/megui...rior-detailer/

-- Ryan at ESOTERIC

Dharma255

Thanks, Ryan. Interesting website.

Bxstr

My friends use Zaino Leather Cleaner and Conditioner. Wont cost you a lot, and does a good job and smells really good.

For a step up, Leathermasters leather system is very good.

If you want a very high end condition, Swissvax is about as good as it gets. Smells amazing, but a small bottle is $60. I dont however recommend the cleaner, because I have had issues, and a couple of my friends have had issues with it removing a bit of the finish off of their leather.

Dharma255

Thanks, Bxstr.

Marine Blue

Another vote for leatherique, without question one of the best products to preserve your leather. I use it on all my cars now and don’t bother with anything else.

I use Griots Interior cleaner to clean vinyl, rubber and plastics parts inside the car. I follow this with 303 conditioner for the plastic and vinyls which I apply every 12 months

For basic maintenance between any deep cleaning and conditioning I simply dampen a soft microfiber with distilled water and wipe everything down.

Dharma255

Appreciate the input Marine Blue.

Diamond Dog

Do any of these leather products do anything on modern cars when the seats are all coated with plastic? How do these leather products penetrate the plastic coating on most modern car leather. I would think something like Carpro PERL would be ideal

Dharma255

Thanks, Diamond Dog. I'm guessing that the leather on my 2003 C4S doesn't have any plastic on it, so not a concern in my case. Even my 2011 BMW 328 doesn't seem to have any plastic. But maybe I'm just not aware.

Esoteric_Detail

Common myth -- Leather "coating" is water resistant, not water-proof so Leatherique will still work.

Diamond Dog

Its very confusing. I have seen many articles like this
http://www.best-auto-detailing-tips....nditioner.html

So the vinyl they use (most 1990+ cars) is semi pourus and differs from regular vinyl.?

Even the Mcquires guy says you are treating the vinyl and yo risk it drying out and getting worn out.

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...LdP2Ek6s1mM.97

So why wouldn't you use a vinyl conditioner instead of leather conditioner ?

I know its very thin, but so are the ceramic coatings everyone raves about
This is why I use the PERL product. It seems very versatile

Marine Blue

Yes. I use leatherique on our 2015 Volvo and Highlander and it definitely soaks in. I have also noted that the leather has held up very well on both cars with regular (every 4 months) maintenance using leatherique prestine clean.

Marine Blue

While I agree that newer leather is more resilient than the older dyed leather I have consistently found one fact to be true across all leathers I have dealt with. If you don't keep the leather clean the dirt will eventually build up in the creases and with time the dirt in the creases will cause the coating to crack. Keeping the seats clean avoids the build up and keeps the leather looking new.

My go to product to clean leather and lightly condition is is leatherique prestine clean. It's milder than using a an all purposes cleaner and it does a much better job than just using water.

Esoteric_Detail

And to address the above concern, it also works well with vinyl/plastic so you don't have to worry about hybrid seats where some parts are different materials.

Dharma255

:Thanks for the input everyone. Much appreciated. Giving the leatherique pristine clean a try this weekend.