Connolly cleaner and conditioner?
- Thread starter Mantic6t9
- Start date
Mr Concours
New member
I have used the Connolly hide food (Glass jar like a Wax jar) looks like mayonaise!I would avoid the type I tried if you have the type of leather with little holes,The white paste goes into the holes and looks unsightly and is a PITA to remove.
Make sure you clean the leather before conditioning to remove the dirt rather than just seal it in.
The one step cleaners/conditioner wont do this and you are just smearing all the dirt over your leather.
I always 'wash' my hands in imperial leather soap get up a really good lather then rub my hands over the leather seats,wipe off with a damp towel then condition using your fav conditioner.This works very well for me.
Havent tried it yet but people say Lexol is good.
Make sure you clean the leather before conditioning to remove the dirt rather than just seal it in.
The one step cleaners/conditioner wont do this and you are just smearing all the dirt over your leather.
I always 'wash' my hands in imperial leather soap get up a really good lather then rub my hands over the leather seats,wipe off with a damp towel then condition using your fav conditioner.This works very well for me.
Havent tried it yet but people say Lexol is good.
togwt
The Old Grey Whistle Test
Quote: Connolly cleaner and conditioner?
~One man’s opinion / observations ~
I usually use Griot’s Leather Cleaner on uncoated (Nappa) leather, Connolly Hide Food products are more suited to European leathers.
~Hope this is of some help~
Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/
justadumbarchitect * so i question everything*
~One man’s opinion / observations ~
I usually use Griot’s Leather Cleaner on uncoated (Nappa) leather, Connolly Hide Food products are more suited to European leathers.
~Hope this is of some help~
Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/
justadumbarchitect * so i question everything*
imported_Greg1
New member
Try Leatherique. I have seen some leathers treated with it and it looks fab!
Mr Concours
New member
Mantic6t9 said:What do you mean by this?
I think he means that most European cars (BMW,Merc,Por,Jag,RR,ect) tend to have better quality leather than American or Japanese cars.
Used to also be that EU cars were vat dyed ie: the leather was dyed by submersing and other car makers spray dyed which gave much more even colour but it wears because its only on the surface rather than 'in' the leather, but most late model EU cars seem to be coming through with spray dyed leather now for cheapness which is a shame ( I know Porsche now do this which is a pity on such a nice marque)
togwt
The Old Grey Whistle Test
~One man’s opinion / observations ~
Leather: is either vat-dyed or a spray-on dye is used. Vat-dyed colour is obtained by immersing the hide in dye, ensuring that the dye permeates through the hide. With spray-on the dye is painted on the surface of the hide, it produces an even colour but the natural grain and looks of the hide is hidden as well as the hide’s longevity being compromised. This is also the least expensive way of applying a leather dye (used mainly by both American and Japanese car manufactures) European vehicles are usually upholstered with vat-dyed leather.
The denaturing process of leather tanning removes moisture from the hide, introducing solvent-based products accelerates aging of the leather. Collagen-based products restore the lost moisture and maintain it’s natural flexibility.
~Hope this is of some help~
Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/
justadumbarchitect * so i question everything*
Leather: is either vat-dyed or a spray-on dye is used. Vat-dyed colour is obtained by immersing the hide in dye, ensuring that the dye permeates through the hide. With spray-on the dye is painted on the surface of the hide, it produces an even colour but the natural grain and looks of the hide is hidden as well as the hide’s longevity being compromised. This is also the least expensive way of applying a leather dye (used mainly by both American and Japanese car manufactures) European vehicles are usually upholstered with vat-dyed leather.
The denaturing process of leather tanning removes moisture from the hide, introducing solvent-based products accelerates aging of the leather. Collagen-based products restore the lost moisture and maintain it’s natural flexibility.
~Hope this is of some help~
Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/
justadumbarchitect * so i question everything*
Accumulator
Well-known member
TOGWT- Griot's Leather Cleaner ? Do you mean their Interior Cleaner? Or have they come out with some new product that I'm not aware of?
The (Connolly) leather in my '85 XJS just *LOVES* Connolly Hide Food. It's the *ONLY* product I've ever tried that absorbs evenly in *that* application. I'd heard it was being discontinued, hope that doesn't happen. And it's one product that does NOT smell like a leather goods store (I want the Jag to smell like a Jag).
But unless your leather is picky like my Jag's is, I honestly think that most leather cleaners and treatments will work pretty much the same, with the exceptions being stuff like Leatherique and similar products. Be careful with those, someone I know who likes Leatherique did NOT like the way it left the steering wheel of her Benz. Besides stuff like that, I can't tell any real functional differences with various products when used on the Audis or any of other vehicles (or other leather goods) I've treated. Just find something you like.
The application method where you apply the product to your hands and then rub them on the leather works very well for perforations :xyxthumbs
The (Connolly) leather in my '85 XJS just *LOVES* Connolly Hide Food. It's the *ONLY* product I've ever tried that absorbs evenly in *that* application. I'd heard it was being discontinued, hope that doesn't happen. And it's one product that does NOT smell like a leather goods store (I want the Jag to smell like a Jag).
But unless your leather is picky like my Jag's is, I honestly think that most leather cleaners and treatments will work pretty much the same, with the exceptions being stuff like Leatherique and similar products. Be careful with those, someone I know who likes Leatherique did NOT like the way it left the steering wheel of her Benz. Besides stuff like that, I can't tell any real functional differences with various products when used on the Audis or any of other vehicles (or other leather goods) I've treated. Just find something you like.
The application method where you apply the product to your hands and then rub them on the leather works very well for perforations :xyxthumbs
Brad B
New member
I like Connolly but agree that the formula is best for non-perforated leather. Otherwise, it works fine.
imported_ottoman
New member
I have used the cleaner and conditioner. Don't use them anymore but they were o.k. Use woolite dilution on leather now and am still on the search for a great leather conditioner.
The Connolly cleaner is very cost-effective since it is sold in a concentrate. But it doesnt get some of the grime and dirt out of leather. Works fine if your car is regularly cleaned (like most of us) but not so good on neglected cars that you may be detailing.
The Connolly conditioner is good but greasy. Smells like kerosene and does a good job on leather without holes in it. Should work fine on the M3 seats but it takes a while for the conditioner to be absorbed so dont plan on sitting on the seats for a hour or two.
Try it out, might like it. And if you do, stock up on both becuase the company went out of business in 2002 or 2003 and what is out there right now is the last of it.
The Connolly cleaner is very cost-effective since it is sold in a concentrate. But it doesnt get some of the grime and dirt out of leather. Works fine if your car is regularly cleaned (like most of us) but not so good on neglected cars that you may be detailing.
The Connolly conditioner is good but greasy. Smells like kerosene and does a good job on leather without holes in it. Should work fine on the M3 seats but it takes a while for the conditioner to be absorbed so dont plan on sitting on the seats for a hour or two.
Try it out, might like it. And if you do, stock up on both becuase the company went out of business in 2002 or 2003 and what is out there right now is the last of it.
I've been using the Lexol cleaner and conditioner in my wife's old Volvo (now gone) and her new Honda Pilot.
The Volvo's seats had never been cleaned (by the previous owner, not me!!), so the first time that I used the Lexol, the seats felt "sticky."' After doing a better job on cleaning out the old grime, I got smooth feeling leather and the "gel" nature of the conditioner made application on vertical surface easy.
The Pilot, being new, did not experience this "sticky" problem and the products made a nice feel to the leather surfaces. I've enjoyed using them a lot.
The Volvo's seats had never been cleaned (by the previous owner, not me!!), so the first time that I used the Lexol, the seats felt "sticky."' After doing a better job on cleaning out the old grime, I got smooth feeling leather and the "gel" nature of the conditioner made application on vertical surface easy.
The Pilot, being new, did not experience this "sticky" problem and the products made a nice feel to the leather surfaces. I've enjoyed using them a lot.
Spilchy
New member
According to CMA's website, Rolls Royce reccomends only Connolly Hide Food and Autoglym Leather Care Cream.
You can see if it'll work on your leather.
Just another product you may want to consider.
You can see if it'll work on your leather.
Just another product you may want to consider.
Here's what I've noted on my vat dyed Mercedes black leather seats which are now 12 years old.
I've tried nearly every Meguiars leather product (except the Aloe) I've used Lexol's cleaner and conditioner, I've used Griots and just last week I used Leatherique.
Meguiars products work well on Japanese and painted leathers in general. The Medallion cleans well and conditions well but doesn't smell like leather....argh. I wouldn't use any of their creamy products again on my perforated leather, don't ask why. The Rich Leather product is just ok, not a good cleaner and average conditioning. Ok if you need a quick touch up but too shiny and oily for me and smells artificial.
Lexol cleaner is just ok, I personally didn't care for it to be honest. It does soften the leather after application but it doesn't last more than a day. Lexols conditioner is good but it smells horrible IMO. I couldn't stand the way my car smelled after application. It also only works well on vat dyed leather. I tried it on our painted leather couches in the family room and it is way to oily and you can feel it when you sit on it. It doesn't soak in at all. Maybe the leather is super cheap.
Either way as you can see I'm trying to find other uses for it.
Griots Leather Conditioner is an excellent maintenance product. It has mild cleaning and good conditioning abilities, which are perfect for use every 4 weeks. It also is by far the best smelling product I've ever used. Nothing compares in the smell department including Leatherique. It does leave a slightly satin finish which I like but others may not. Again this is a good maintenance product not a restoration product. It is also very easy to use.
Leatherique Rejuventator Oil and Prestine Clean are superior to anyting I've ever seen. It left my seats looking exactly the way they left the factory (I compared them to a 500E that has 8K miles
) It is the most difficult of the three products to use and takes nearly a day to complete the project but the results are simply amazing. The grain in my leather really stood out and the leather softened up considerably. It is also a completely natural look, no shine at all if you follow their instructions. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to improve their leathers appearance and feel. Keep in mind this is vat dyed leather so painted leather may show different results. The smell of the product is ok, not as good as Griots but certainly better than the others. Tom also do a search on Leatherique, I believe one of the Bimmer guys used in on his M3 with great results. He also did a write up on it.
IMHO if your trying to maintain your leather in as good a condition as possible I would use Leatherique every 6 months or 1 year depending on the usage of the car and use Griots (or other favorite product) every 4 weeks for maintenance.
On that note I should say I've never used Connoly's Hide Food, although it's creamy consistency scares me since my leather has perforations so I doubt I ever will try it.
Let us know how you like the Connoly.
I've tried nearly every Meguiars leather product (except the Aloe) I've used Lexol's cleaner and conditioner, I've used Griots and just last week I used Leatherique.
Meguiars products work well on Japanese and painted leathers in general. The Medallion cleans well and conditions well but doesn't smell like leather....argh. I wouldn't use any of their creamy products again on my perforated leather, don't ask why. The Rich Leather product is just ok, not a good cleaner and average conditioning. Ok if you need a quick touch up but too shiny and oily for me and smells artificial.
Lexol cleaner is just ok, I personally didn't care for it to be honest. It does soften the leather after application but it doesn't last more than a day. Lexols conditioner is good but it smells horrible IMO. I couldn't stand the way my car smelled after application. It also only works well on vat dyed leather. I tried it on our painted leather couches in the family room and it is way to oily and you can feel it when you sit on it. It doesn't soak in at all. Maybe the leather is super cheap.
Either way as you can see I'm trying to find other uses for it.Griots Leather Conditioner is an excellent maintenance product. It has mild cleaning and good conditioning abilities, which are perfect for use every 4 weeks. It also is by far the best smelling product I've ever used. Nothing compares in the smell department including Leatherique. It does leave a slightly satin finish which I like but others may not. Again this is a good maintenance product not a restoration product. It is also very easy to use.
Leatherique Rejuventator Oil and Prestine Clean are superior to anyting I've ever seen. It left my seats looking exactly the way they left the factory (I compared them to a 500E that has 8K miles
) It is the most difficult of the three products to use and takes nearly a day to complete the project but the results are simply amazing. The grain in my leather really stood out and the leather softened up considerably. It is also a completely natural look, no shine at all if you follow their instructions. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to improve their leathers appearance and feel. Keep in mind this is vat dyed leather so painted leather may show different results. The smell of the product is ok, not as good as Griots but certainly better than the others. Tom also do a search on Leatherique, I believe one of the Bimmer guys used in on his M3 with great results. He also did a write up on it.IMHO if your trying to maintain your leather in as good a condition as possible I would use Leatherique every 6 months or 1 year depending on the usage of the car and use Griots (or other favorite product) every 4 weeks for maintenance.
On that note I should say I've never used Connoly's Hide Food, although it's creamy consistency scares me since my leather has perforations so I doubt I ever will try it.
Let us know how you like the Connoly.