pfitzsim

Hey Gerard - have you guys had much luck ‘restoring’ nubuck/alcantara seats? I’m looking at a new DD which has them and they could do with some sprucing up. Cheers.

IXLR8

My 2015 991.1 GTS has the GR option - "Black Leather Interior including Alcantara Package GTS Rhodium Silver" as it reads on the sales invoice.

The car is ultra-low mileage and stored out of the sun, but if I were to treat the leather dash and other leather items, how do I not affect the Rhodium Silver stitching as I would not want it to change shade due to products used.

987981

How do you clean the sport-tex seats? Even clean water when spilled on it seems to leave a circular stain.

THE REFINERY

Yes, we really like the Sonax Alcantara cleaner. It's a foam that you can use with a soft brush to agitate, then wipe off with a damp MF towel. Once it fully dries, you should find that it's visually cleaner, softer and has "plushed" up a bit.

But there are limits. Once an Alcantara surface has been worn heavily (shift *****, steering wheels), nothing will bring it back. That's the downside of having an awesome feeling Alcantara steering wheel: it's temporary.

THE REFINERY

Most stitching is synthetic and pretty resistant to absorbing most products - but we still are very careful with light colored stitching to be safe. I would avoid any really pasty or oily leather products. For really delicate leathers, we still go back to Leather Master products. The Strong cleaner is about as benign as you get, and great for frequent or gentle maintenance. The Vital conditioner is also gentle, and completely residue free.

I'd still try to avoid saturating the stitching with anything. But if you do find yourself with a stain on your stitching, use your leather cleaner and a soft leather brush to agitate the detergent into the stitching. Then wipe away with a damp MF cloth to lift away the grime and draw out any excess moisture from the cleaning.

Good luck!

THE REFINERY

If you spill or saturate an area with water, pat it dry ASAP with an absorbent Microfiber (MF) towel to draw out as much of the liquid as possible. A shop-vac could be used extract the liquid if it got really wet. But generally, a MF towel is fine.

If you have a stain from a spill, try agitating with a soft leather brush and use either Sonax Alcantara + Upholstery cleaner or Gyeon Fabric Cleaner for some extra cleaning power. Give it a wipe with a damp MF towel to remove any remaining product and pat dry with another dry MF towel.

IXLR8

Can you list each of the above as either a paste, a cream or a liquid. I'd like to coat the dash as it gets direct sunlight.

No rush as the leather is mint but I'll be in TO just after a Porsche track experience.

THE REFINERY

The LM Strong cleaner is a liquid. You can even dilute it with water in a spray bottle.

​​​​​​Leather Vital conditioner is more of a liquidy cream. Use a MF applicator and wipe it on the surface evenly and let dry.

For those with a leather dash - the BEST way to protect that leather from chronic sun/heat exposure is to apply an IR rejecting tint to the inner surface. We use XPEL Prime XR in a very mild tone (70%) so it's virtually unnoticeable visually but it blocks about 80% of IR heat and 100% of UV.

Onami

Nice talking with you yesterday, Gerrard! Here is a pic of one of the stone guards on the car I am trying to buy. I've never had one with cracked guards like this. Is this more concerning with respect to removal? 100% original paint. Thanks, Mark

IXLR8

If you are removing this by yourself, be very careful and patient. A friend removed his and a small section of original panit came with it. I was not there to advise him. I would use a heat gun (use your hand to feel the temperature) and very slowly lift the film and then use a remover to remove any adhesive that remains (forgot the name of the 3M product).

Go slow and it might take an hour-plus to do each side. Why mess up due to being in a hurry.

MisterYe

Hi, I was wondering if you have a solution for correcting this leather issue. Water spilled, and was covered with a towel instead of air drying, now the area that is wet has darkened. I've tried to use cleaner/conditioner to no success. Thanks!

THE REFINERY

Yes, that PPF is about as bad as it gets. It is very challenging to remove - and there is some risk involved, but I would still go ahead and do it. And it wouldn't dissuade me from buying the car.

THE REFINERY

Unfortunately when leather gets saturated then dries, it damages the integrity of the material. It can change the color, flexibility and result in a cardboard-like feel.

It's very difficult to revive leather once that's happened. Conditioning is the right approach. Try something like Leatherique to try to "rehydrate" the hide.

PSA: never wear a wet swimsuit on leather!

kwazi7

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Leather Master for people with black leather and chalk deviated stitching. I've seen various threads where you recommend minimal amounts of agitation so as not to damage the deviated stitch. I've heard recommendations against Leatherique because of that stitching...

1) Whats the difference between the Leather Master Vital and Leather Master Protection Cream?
2) Do you still recommend Leather Master Protection Cream despite the chalk stitching?
3) Is there another product you recommend for my case? Thinking cleaning + protecting..

Thanks

THE REFINERY

Hi - I don't think you have to fear any good quality leather cleaner/conditioner. The stitching is durable and meant to be used. But my reco against Leatherique is mostly because the Rejuvenator Oil is so "oily" that I think there's more risk of it getting saturated into the fibres of the stitching which could collect more dust/dirt over time. Again, not as big a deal for dark colored stitching. But lighter colored stitching could be more likely to show accumulated oils + dirt.

1) LM Vital is the conditioner, and Protection Cream is meant to provide more spill and grime resistance. For example, you could benefit from the Protection Cream on higher touch areas like the Drivers seat/arm rests, steering wheel etc.

2) Yes, the LM products are extremely gentle and residue free.

3) LM products are my favorite for very soft leathers (eg Nappa), and in vehicles that see pretty light duty (ie hobby cars). For daily drivers with kid spills in the back, I'd probably.opt for a max durability leather protectant (eg Gyeon Leather Shield ceramic coating).

Another good option is the Gyeon Leather Kit which includes Leather Strong Cleaner and Leather Coat - along with a great leather.brush and MF towels.

HTH!