Guybrush Wilkinson

Here is the deal. I bought a 1999 Carrera 2 in 2008. I have taken care of leather seats of the C2 four times per year using LeatherMaster conditioner. Last saturday I traded my C2 in for a 2001 turbo. Both cars have about same mileage meaning that seat wear is somewhat comparable.

I had to make a call to my new turbos previous owner and ask him what leather care he has been using. The leather on the seats of the turbo are silky smooth, flexible, no cracking - like new.

I was shocked to hear that only treatment for seats the car has had is mild soap water wiping. The previous owner said that conditioners may make leather look nice for some time but builds up in leather and eventually dries up in leather resulting leather hardening and cracking.

I think I believe him. The C2 seat leather had hardened despite of my intensive leather care with quality conditioner (LeatherMaster). People will buy what companies want to sell. Long term effects may however be surprising.

Any thoughts about this?

Einsteiger

To a great extent, I think the previous owner is correct. You want to extract dirt, grime etc. out of leather, not put it in. The only product that I have had good, long term results with is Leatherique, which is not a typical spray on-wipe down conditioner. The rejuvinator oil, when used properly, will extract years of accumulated crud out of the leather. The second step, Prestene Clean, removes the stuff that's brought to the surface by the oil and gives the leather a clean, original look.

If I had a brand new car, I would likely follow the PO's routine of just wiping it down with a mild detergent & water. With the car I have now, the leather needed a major rejuvination! I've tried most all of the leather products out there, and with the exception of Leatherique, they were all a dissapointment. You're better off with nothing than with some of the stuff out there.

[there are pages of debate on this very issue on some of the auto-detailing forums out there]

MUSSBERGER

Big fan of Leatherique.

No HTwo O

Exposure to the sun has a big effect too. Maybe the prior owner of the 2001 Turbo did more to protect the car from the sun's elements. Using a windshield sunshade, parking in the shade, parking garage.

I like Zaino's Z10 and products from www.colorplus.com

Kevinmacd

I use the Lexol cleaner with water and soft brush. It works better then just using it straight. Then use a good conditioner.

No HTwo O

Same here. The Lexol cleaner is the orange bottle.