Best leather cleanr/conditioner for weekly E46 BMW M3 nappa leather?

D

Dairyman

New member
i am trying to decide on a product to use for my weekly washes to keep my leather completely matte and new looking. i hate any type of shine on leather.



so far have been using leatherique and pristine clean but the process takes a long time and i dont think it should be used more than once every few months.



at first i was leaning towards z9/10 because of all the great smell reviews it gets.



then i was thinking leathermasters....



i dont feel that a simple wet rag wipe down cleans the leather thoroughly enough :smile1:



my leather is cinnamon(brown) in case that matters
 
Dairyman said:
i am trying to decide on a product to use for my weekly washes to keep my leather completely matte and new looking. i hate any type of shine on leather.



so far have been using leatherique and pristine clean but the process takes a long time and i dont think it should be used more than once every few months.



at first i was leaning towards z9/10 because of all the great smell reviews it gets.



then i was thinking leathermasters....



i dont feel that a simple wet rag wipe down cleans the leather thoroughly enough :smile1:



my leather is cinnamon(brown) in case that matters
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If you're keeping up with it weekly you probably won't need more than something like Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer, or Infinite Use Detail Juice to keep it clean. For more intensive stuff, something like Optimum Power Clean is perfectly safe.



My personal pick for a leather conditioner would be Z10 (but get it cheaper by buying Duragloss 221).



Cleaned with OPC:



SEAT_5050.jpg




Conditioned with Z10/DG221:



INTERIOR_AFTER4.jpg
 
Not sure why wiping with a damp MF towel each week isn't enough? Agree with using Meguairs interior QD if simple water isn't enough.
 
You can't see the leather; all you can see is the colored coating. And that's all your "conditioner" is going to see too :) An occasional wipe down with a damp cloth is all the coated leather needs. Now, if you want to slather some sticky goop all over your seats that does nothing but make the car smell good and attract dirt, causing the factory finish and stitching to wear out prematurely, the marketplace is chock full of products for that. Take your pick. Z-10 and Sonus smell good.
 
Shane.belzers said:
Wow that OPC did good work on those seats. What did you dilute at and does anyone know the pH of OPC ?



Thanks
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Optimum Power Clean ™- (pH ~ 11.0) dilute > 3:1 to safely clean leather



Leather pH - the pH value of leather is purely academic and of little, if any value with regard to its care. Leather is very different from fabric and its cleaning and care is very different, specific water-based products have been formulated, which have the correct pH values for the job they are designed for. If for some reason you consider using a non-specific leather care product ensure that its pH value is neither too acidic nor too alkaline
 
TOGWT said:
Optimum Power Clean ™- (pH ~ 11.0) dilute > 3:1 to safely clean leather
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If I recall, the mix I used for this was right at 3:1, but those pics are from over a year ago. Note that it did take 2-3 passes to cut through the heaviest of that ground in dirt, and the APC was agitated with a toothbrush to help break up the layer of crud. I have taken care of this vehicle on about a monthly basis since the initial detail and have seen no evidence of ill effects; the interior still looks just as clean as it did in the above "after" shot.
 
Interesting stuff. So using an APC is fine then... I wont use ours as its pretty high alkaline, i think around 13 pH according to the MSDS...
 
Shane.belzers said:
Interesting stuff. So using an APC is fine then... I wont use ours as its pretty high alkaline, i think around 13 pH according to the MSDS...
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Definitely not all APCs are created equal, nor are they all safe for leather. OPC is one of the exceptions that is safe for intensive cleaning when necessary and warranted.



RaskyR1 said:
There is no need for strong APC's if your seats are already clean and you just want to keep them that way.
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:werd:
 
Exactly, Charlie!

The one's with a lot of sodium hydroxide and butyl cellosolves in them may damage the seats coating.

I use the VG Omni, no butyl's, etc and then mist the leather and vinyl with Fast Finish and wipe dry.

Use this on the Sebring's and Ranchero's interiors, have since I got them, the Sebring for going on 8 years, the Ranchero for going on 4 years.
 
Well the lexol and leather masters products seem nice for cleaning barely dirty leather, maybe leather master strong for grimy un maintained leather but we dont see a lot of properly cared for leather in our shop so we need a strong and SAFE leather cleaner which seems to be OPC or leather masters strong cleaner... I did pick up a bottle of lexol which did a good job on some pretty soiled seats but it did struggle in some areas and needed a few passes or good scrubbing with a brush...



Thanks guys sorry for the OT OP
 
Both, after all, "leather cleaners" for coated leather are basically nothing more than APC with a scent and some written propaganda.

You can use the Omni, "safely" on coating leather, vinyl, cloth, carpets, engines, jams, remove bug guts(prespray them before washing, so it can dwell and liquifiy the deposits, they come off when you do the regular car washing).

They private label it under various names for Ford, Chrysler, etc.

Has no butyl content and is very safe.

Mix according to instructions, spray it on, let it dwell for a minute or longer, agitate and wipe off. Little or no residue is left when mixed correctly.
 
Ron Ketcham said:
...mist the leather and vinyl with Fast Finish and wipe dry..
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There's that Fast Finish again! Hey Shane.belzers, you might oughta give that product a try while you're looking into the Omni. Fast Finish is one of those products that I'd think most *any* shop will find useful, especially a place like yours.
 
Shane.belzers said:
Well the lexol and leather masters products seem nice for cleaning barely dirty leather, maybe leather master strong for grimy un maintained leather but we dont see a lot of properly cared for leather in our shop so we need a strong and SAFE leather cleaner which seems to be OPC or leather masters strong cleaner... I did pick up a bottle of lexol which did a good job on some pretty soiled seats but it did struggle in some areas and needed a few passes or good scrubbing with a brush...



Thanks guys sorry for the OT OP
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You're never going to get around needing to agitate the cleaner with a brush, that's the only way it's going to break up and penetrate multiple thick layers of dirt and grime on a surface. Otherwise the process is going to be even slower going and require a ton of passes as you won't be stripping much off at a time.
 
Yup!

And that is why for leather and vinyl seating, etc, I love that velour spotting brush. Has to do with the stiffness and size of the bristles.

Most don't understand that they have to let the chemical work, however, as you state, somehow, they have to get "down" into the "grooves/valley's" of the material to release the soiling.
 
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