Marine Blue

Good info Gary. I may give Colorplus a try as a once a year treatment once the leatherique runs out.

I will post back results on the Leathermaster next week.

Marine Blue

I have to admit that up until now I haven't always been impressed with the products that are recommended on the internet and I have always been of the opinion that the only way to determine the quality of a product is to sample it. I took a chance with Leathermaster since I couldn't easily find a sample of it.

So I spent the better part of a day working on the interior of 928 with most of the time spent on the leather. I used the Leathermaster Strong Cleaner and the Vital Conditioner for the first time and I have to say that the results are nothing short of amazing.

For those of you who say the effort required on Leathermaster is less than Leatherique I have to disagree. A great deal of effort is required, but the results IMHO are far supperior for the Leatherique.

I used the Strong Cleaner at full concentration and I applied it using a moistened yellow applicator which I rinsed regularly. I used a Swissvax leather brush to lightly scrub the surface of the leather to remove any of the embedded dirt on the surface and in the creases. I wiped the cleaner with a damp microfiber to prevent it from being too grabby but strong enough to remove the dirt residue. The Microfiber was also rinsed regularly. The leather looked perfect after this.

I applied the Vital with a yellow applicator and let it dry. The surface looks uniform and the leather is soft and supple with a natural satin finish. No smells or oily residue either which is nice.

I would definitely recommend these products.

Here are a couple of shots. First is a before and the second is an after.

Hamotee

That seat looks great. Nice work!

Phil, after reading through this and several other posts I have decided to give the LM products a shot. How often to you recommend using the conditioner?

detailersdomain

regular care I would say once every month or two.

Jaak Lepson

Just to throw something else into the mix ... I found Mr Clean Magic Erasure to work well on cleaning leather seats & trim in P-Cars. Got this tip from a detailer who has come into friends shop to clean up cars. Just have to keep washing the erasure and the seats & trim come up sparkling. It worked real well on heavy stains such a black jean dye transfer onto grey seats. Worth a look ...

knfeparty

So are my 996 seats painted leather or what? I have leatherique rejuv and it worked well on the actual leather pieces in my 944 but as you said it does nothing for parts that are plastic. Wanted to know if I should use it on the 996 or not. I just bought some lexol and am happy with the way it cleans but I don't really have any protectant right now. Maybe I should give the LM a shot?

The car was detailed well before I bought it and I am thankful that all the leather surfaces (it has the full leather interior) are still very matte with minimal cracking. I want to keep them that way! How important is a good brush?

Marine Blue

Lexol cleaner is useless IMHO. I've never had any luck with it on any of the cars I've tried it on.

Leatherique is excellent and definitely worth using at least once every 2 years for deep moisturizing of the leather.

LM is an amazing product if you put some elbow grease into the cleaning. It has taken my wifes DD Honda leather from tired to really nice in two applications. This is the family hauler and the leather sees juice, milk, sand, dirt, ice cream and oil regularly.

A good brush for cleaning is a benefit as it will get into the stitching and cracks to clean the embedded dirt/oil.

The leather on your 996 is the painted type btw.

TOGWT

Leather Upholstery and Trim Surface Identification
The most important thing to find out before you attempt to clean or care for something is to ascertain what the material is made from. Much the same is true if you’re trying to remove a stain, what caused the stain and what is the material you are trying to remove the stain from. Formulate a detailing plan, then utilize proper detailing techniques, combined with quality products is what makes a details outcome successful.

It is important to be able to recognise the different materials used for vehicle upholstery as some OEM use different materials for the various surfaces (i.e. perforated leather for the seating areas, PVC bolsters and seat backs) Before choosing a product to clean or maintain interior surfaces you must be certain of the material used and wither it is Urethane covered or pigmented Aniline, as the correct care product requirements are vastly different.

Once you’ve correctly identified the leather and / or the applied finish applicable to your vehicle's upholstery, it’s easier to select suitable products / methods (one size fits all is just a vendor's marketing myth)
To identify the material used; (N-Nubuk / Alcantara®) (A-Aniline / Non-Coated) (P-Protected / Coated)

Leather however finished has to allow the movement of moisture back and forth (transpiration) so the use of water- based cleaners and protectors will maintain hydration, which is essential to keeping it in pristine condition.
(a) Natural leather (A-Aniline / Non-Coated) Aniline Leather is coloured all the way through with a transparent dye. The effect is applied by immersing the leather in a dye bath. Because the finish is transparent and shows the natural markings of the leather, only top quality hides can be used. It is absorbent and has a random shade colours and grain pattern; lightly scratch the surface to see if it reveals a lighter colour, water drops will darken its colour (temporarily).

(b) Protected leather (Pigmented) (P-Protected / Coated) - by slightly scratching it with your nail, if it changes to a darker / lighter shade, it is unprotected (i.e. how suede changes colour depending on the fibres' orientation). If this has little effect it’s protected. If water ‘beads’ on the surface, or if cleaners and conditioners remain on the surface, it’s (polyurethane) protected leather as liquids will not penetrate this type of surface; it will also have an even shine.

The majority (95% + ) of automotive upholstery is by-cast polyurethane covered leather, these leathers have aspects of a natural finish, but more uniform in appearance, by-cast will also stretch more than top grain leather and is therefore subject to show creasing. The heavier pigments can create much darker colours, protected leather has a substantial finish applied that makes them more resistant to heavy wear and stains. The heavier pigments and finish do affect the softness and scent, so these leathers often they don't feel or smell like real leather. Just remember you are dealing with the finished (polyurethane) coating on the leather and not with the leather hide itself.

(c) Nubuk, Alcantara® (N-Nubuk / Alcantara® ) - are top-grain cattle hide leather that has been sanded or buffed on the grain side, or outside, to give a slight nap of short protein fibres, producing a velvet-like surface. Alcantara® is a non-organic (synthetic) material. Both materials are very soft to the touch and will scratch or scuff very easily; water drops will darken the surface, but it returns to its original colour after drying.

(d) Nappa Leather (A-Aniline // Non-Coated ) – a very soft, absorbent full grain (uncoated) leather made from an un-split sheepskin, lambskin, or kidskin, usually tanned with alum and chromium salts and dyed throughout, water drops will darken its colour (temporarily).

(e) Vinyl - is a non-organic (synthetic) material that has an even, almost repeating pattern. The depth of the lines within the grain on vinyl is also consistent, while the same lines on leather will vary; it is also usually smooth and soft to the touch. water drops will remain (unchanged) on its surface

The common denominator for all the above surface finishes is that they all require protection from ultra violet (UV) radiation

An extract from “Automotive Detailing, Inside & Out”, a knowledge base for the perfectionist © TOGWT ™ Ltd Copyright 2002-2009, all rights reserved. This book will enable direct access to five decades of detailing knowledge and experience

TOGWT

This foam product is manufactured in Germany by BASF under the name Basotect. Use caution if using Magic Eraser (it contains abrasives) on leather as it has been found to damage the surface of pigmented and covered leather, which may require replacement.