sm

Hi:

My leather seats contain creases that are hard to clean and seem to be dried up. The creases show up as distinct lines in the seats and are getting unsightly. What can I do to clean and cure or prevent the creases from getting worse?

I'll take pics tomorrow.

Thanks!

bbs993tt

Do you ever condition or moisturize the leather?

TOGWT

Leather Upholstery Renovation (Using Leatherique Products):
Keeping leather clean is important, but conditioning is the key to preserving the life-flexibility – appearance- and longevity of leather upholstery.

Methodology:
Apply cleaning solution (Water /Woolite or Dreft 6:1 or stronger) on to an applicator pad and apply to one area at a time (i.e. a seat back) Use a Micro fibre waffle weave towel (this Mesh towel is double woven micro fibre, made to be safe and scratch-free for all leather and vinyl finishes - http://poorboysworld.com/microfiber.htm) rinse in warm, clean water and wring out as much moisture as possible, fold the towel in half and then half again

The oil will work better if you first warm it in a microwave, and also warm the leather surfaces (in the sun, with a hair dryer or with the vehicles heating system) this allows the oil to permeate deeper

Apply 2-3 ounces of the Leatherique Prepping Agent onto each of the seats with a light to medium pressure.
Ensure complete coverage of surfaces, especially the seams
Let the Prepping Agent remain on surfaces 8-24 hours for best results. Avoid driving during cure period.
Once the Prepping Agent has been on the surfaces for at least 8 hours, you will see the grime that has lifted come to the surface, it may be a whitish haze, and any tacky residue on the surface is dirt or pollutants that have been forced out of the fibres.
Put the Prestine Clean in a clean mist / spray bottle, spray lightly onto a 100% cotton DF Microfiber towel, apply to leather surfaces with light to medium pressure, for tough dirt gently agitate the surface with a boar's hair cleaning brush. This removes stubborn grime and will not harm the leather.
Wipe leather surfaces with a damp Microfiber cloth, turn towel to clean fold surface as necessary
Finally buff all leather surfaces with an Autopia Concourse Buffing Towel

If you require a softer finish, repeat the above and / or utilize the Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil process.

Leatherique - http//: www. Leatherique.com

TOGWT

Steam cleaning- a steamer has a multitude of functional usages for leather interiors; doors, leather and vinyl upholstery and trim, all clean exceptionally well with steam, it will loosen up the deep ground in soil that normal cleaning cannot reach and emulsify most types of dirt and grime that gets into what are inaccessible places for other methods of cleaning i.e. cup holders, seams and grooves, between cushion and bolsters, liquid spills, etc. Use a d-limonene based (citrus) solvent P21S Total Auto Wash, in a ratio of 10:1 or stronger with distilled water as a pre-cleaning solution, as an alternative use Leatherique Prepping Agent followed by steam cleaning.

The steamer will also ease out wrinkles and the heat generated will open the pores of leather just before the application of a conditioner; the conditioners in the Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil force proteins back into the leather, which helps release soils (dirt and / or grease) then apply Leatherique Prestine Clean to release any deep down soils, which will condition the leather and re-soften it

Leatherique - http//: www. Leatherique.com

IcemanG17

It all depends on how old the leather is and how long its been "set" in that crease......moisturizing will help quite a bit it making the leather soft and supple again.....but if the crease is a mild crack, then your pretty much done.....not much you can do other than replace it.....& good restore-redye might help, but it depends on the conditon.... www.colorglo.com did mine a while back & it turned out very good.....but they did have to replace quite a bit of old leather

SteveInNj

..

Marine Blue

I have dealt with this on several cars over the years. The easiest approach is Leather Master Strong Cleaner in combination with a leather cleaning brush. Apply the product liberally to the brush and scrub a small area in circles until the creases are clean. Apply Leatherique prestine clean when you're done cleaning and the leather should look perfect.

If a crease remains after this procedure it's likely already cracked through the paint surface and you'll need to touch it up.

TOGWT

4. Creasing - automotive finished leather is a multi-strata material, it comprises; a water-based urethane pigmentation (colour) to provide both an even colour and protection from wear when getting in and out of the vehicle and a thin water-based urethane used for protecting automobile upholstery.

If dirt and / or abrasive grit are allowed to remain in these creases it will abrade the surface, eventually causing the leather to split along the crease lines, dirt in these crease lines also makes the surface appearance appear worse than it is, especially on light coloured finished leather.
So keeping the finished leather surface clean is very important. If the finished leather creases have become excessive the pigmentation and / or the urethane can be renovated. (See also Wrinkle’s)

5. Wrinkle’s - similar to a paints clear coat, upholstery urethane is classified as a semi-solid permeable membrane, being a thermosetting polymer (elastomers) it remains flexible while retaining its tensile strength, to enable it to expand and contract, following the temperature fluctuations (elasticity) of the substrate and is therefore subject to show wrinkle’s.

These can be lessened by using a damp (microwave heated) towel, which will cause the urethane to contract slightly. The foam, leather hide and its urethane covering are subjected to compression (the weight applied by people sitting on them) which causes them the stretch, which in turn produces creases (wrinkles). If they become excessive it may mean that the foam is compressed to the point it will no longer ‘rebound’ and should therefore be replaced (See also Creasing)