Cleaning leather with woolite..

M

MrNorwall

New member
:chuckle: Can someone just tell me how they apply it and get the leathers clean? I have a detail and leather is dirty. Trying out woolite. I know scottwax uses it, if you could stop by scott and give your technique, that would be great
 
Yeah, I typically use a 1:5 mix in a spray bottle and use a small, soft fingernail brush and immediately wipe up with a clean MF towel. I also use the Leatherique duo, but that's far more involved and ain't no quickee!



FWIW, Woolite is an excellent MP cleaner that doesn't get the cleaning credit it deserves.
 
In terms of scrubbing leather - I have found that a short napped MF towel, or a white (so there is no ink transfer) terry towel does fine. The terry has a little more bite to it. One of these 2 has always done the trick for me - and I have run across a couple of pigs here recently too.
 
From a well respected (in my book) source.........

Woolite® has a number of issues that do not lend to long term quality care of interior car parts and components. Using a detergent that is meant to be flush rinsed (i.e. rinsed until it runs clear) in a situation were this is not possible, is not recommended as when it dries it will attract dirt and contribute to re-soiling. Household detergent soaps tend to be formulated with a sodium sulphate to enable foaming, this salt content may not be safe to use on leather upholstery, as this can compromise pigmented leather and / or its polyurethane covering.

In all honesty, i have never used it, but have heard it recommended so many times, i fell into the trap of recommending it myself. This was/is rather uncommon for me, and pretty uncharacteristic of my business practices as well.

Personally, i have always used a dedicated leather cleaner or just a damp microfiber towel.
 
a.k.a. Patrick said:
From a well respected (in my book) source.........

Woolite® has a number of issues that do not lend to long term quality care of interior car parts and components. Using a detergent that is meant to be flush rinsed (i.e. rinsed until it runs clear) in a situation were this is not possible, is not recommended as when it dries it will attract dirt and contribute to re-soiling. Household detergent soaps tend to be formulated with a sodium sulphate to enable foaming, this salt content may not be safe to use on leather upholstery, as this can compromise pigmented leather and / or its polyurethane covering.

In all honesty, i have never used it, but have heard it recommended so many times, i fell into the trap of recommending it myself. This was/is rather uncommon for me, and pretty uncharacteristic of my business practices as well.

Personally, i have always used a dedicated leather cleaner or just a damp microfiber towel.
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Direct from on of the largest suppliers of automotive leather:



Eagle Ottawa Leather Company :Leather Care



Automotive leather is typically finished with coatings which protect the surface from the sun's damaging rays as well making it resistant to soiling. The finishes used in automotive upholstery leather are unique – much different than furniture, garment or shoe leathers. Leather is extremely resilient and easy to clean and maintain.



Before cleaning leather upholstery, vacuum it to remove dust. To clean leather, simply use a clean, soft and lint-free cloth dampened with lukewarm water and mild soap. Use a gentle, circular motion – do not rub the leather or apply extreme pressure when cleaning.



Wipe the leather again with another clean, slightly damp cloth to remove soap residue. Dry with a soft cloth.



To maintain its resiliency, leather should be cleaned whenever it becomes soiled. Dust and dirt may harm leather if allowed to work into the finish.



Woolite is about as mild as it gets. Lexus specifically recommends using a wool safe detergent (20:1 dillution) in their owner's manual.



I got the Woolite tip directly from the leather care tag attached to headrest in a customer's Cadillac-and at the time, Woolite was specifically recommended. Been using it on customers and my own cars since 1995 with absolutely no issues.
 
Scottwax said:
Direct from on of the largest suppliers of automotive leather:



Eagle Ottawa Leather Company :Leather Care



Automotive leather is typically finished with coatings which protect the surface from the sun's damaging rays as well making it resistant to soiling. The finishes used in automotive upholstery leather are unique – much different than furniture, garment or shoe leathers. Leather is extremely resilient and easy to clean and maintain.



Before cleaning leather upholstery, vacuum it to remove dust. To clean leather, simply use a clean, soft and lint-free cloth dampened with lukewarm water and mild soap. Use a gentle, circular motion – do not rub the leather or apply extreme pressure when cleaning.



Wipe the leather again with another clean, slightly damp cloth to remove soap residue. Dry with a soft cloth.



To maintain its resiliency, leather should be cleaned whenever it becomes soiled. Dust and dirt may harm leather if allowed to work into the finish.



Woolite is about as mild as it gets. Lexus specifically recommends using a wool safe detergent (20:1 dillution) in their owner's manual.



I got the Woolite tip directly from the leather care tag attached to headrest in a customer's Cadillac-and at the time, Woolite was specifically recommended. Been using it on customers and my own cars since 1995 with absolutely no issues.
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Nice come back my friend..........lol

Dangit, Im just going to stick with a water dampened MF!
 
Ahh...information exchange without hostility. How come all threads can't be this civil and still provide GREAT infomation? Thanks to Scottwax for not only putting this to bed, but tucking it in and reading it a bedtime story...I'm copy/paste this page refference Scott cause I know it'll come up again=either on a forum or by a customer.
 
integritydetail said:
Ahh...information exchange without hostility. How come all threads can't be this civil and still provide GREAT infomation? Thanks to Scottwax for not only putting this to bed, but tucking it in and reading it a bedtime story...I'm copy/paste this page refference Scott cause I know it'll come up again=either on a forum or by a customer.
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That's how it should be in these forums, hehe. :up
 
I appreciate civility also. Very cool. One other thing (not to belabor this) but when you've got very ground in dirt, it is sometimes a little harder to just wipe out, so a brush or something with a cleaner in it like woolite or dedicated cleaner is in order. Followed by a conditioner helps to keep from attracting more dirt I think
 
[QUOTE

Woolite® has a number of issues that do not lend to long term quality care of interior car parts and components. Using a detergent that is meant to be flush rinsed (i.e. rinsed until it runs clear) in a situation were this is not possible, is not recommended as when it dries it will attract dirt and contribute to re-soiling. Household detergent soaps tend to be formulated with a sodium sulphate to enable foaming, this salt content may not be safe to use on leather upholstery, as this can compromise pigmented leather and / or its polyurethane covering.[/QUOTE]



I totally agree with this.



jayjacque 'Conditioning' is likely to add to the problem of resoiling and not help it.

Protecting is a more up to date and professional approach.
 
I am sure some those expressing concerns about woolite oversimplify things to think people are washing their leather seats like they wash laundry or carpeting. The leather company is saying that the dirt, sweat, etc. will harm the leather more so than the very temporary use of a mild soap that has been diluted significantly.



The problem with some advice is how you interpret it. If I follow the "expert" advice, I can see someone flush rinsing their seats until it runs clear after a wipedown of 10:1 woolite. :lol
 
a.k.a. Patrick said:
Nice come back my friend..........lol

Dangit, Im just going to stick with a water dampened MF!
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Honestly, a dampened MF should be your first option anyway. Just like with paint, always try the least aggressive option first. :)
 
MF cloths should be used with caution on leather as they can pull off finish in cetain circumstances. A damp cloth (not MF) will help to keep the level of moisture up which is important.
 
judyb said:
MF cloths should be used with caution on leather as they can pull off finish in cetain circumstances. A damp cloth (not MF) will help to keep the level of moisture up which is important.
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Judy, I think the MF wipedown vs the daily attrition of clothes is far less to worry about. I would however state to those who do use Woolite, please wipe it down afterwards with a water dampened MF to remove any soap residue. Treat it like your own skin.......



Judy I noticed "leather consultant" in your heading, care to explain your situation?
 
Hi



Yes we are leather care and restoration consultants to the furniture, cleaning and auto industries. We run a training school in the UK for leather technicians, valeters, upholsterers, cleaners etc. and we do a lot of consultancy work for retailers, manufacturers etc. when they have problems with leather. We also do a lot of independent reporting for insurance companies etc.

Our Technical Director is the UK's leading authority on leather care and restoration and has over 20 years exeperience with the furniture and upholstery business.



We also run a workshop for repairs and are sent a lot of problems that have been caused by untrained technicians and cleaners which we aim to resolve.



Just a word about your post, leather is not like human skin. It is dead skin that has been carefully treated with a finely balanced range of chemicals to make it a stable product, there is no correlation between how we look after our own skin and how we look after leather.
 
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