Hard leather seats

T

triplethreat

New member
My BIL has a 98ish buick with leather seats. well it seems he left the windows down during a huge rain storm and now the seats are hard as a rock. I wasn't sure what to use to soften them back up or even if you can. is there anything available at a saddle shop or something like that that will cure this problem any help would be great.





Dan
 
Try Leatherique. www.leatherique.com



That stuff looks like it can work miracles, but I have never used it. Big caveat there, it's just a suggestion.



It might not work for coated leather. Check on that before you invest.
 
Leatherique is your best bet. I have used it, and it is goo stuff. It works on coated leather, just make sure the seats are warm when you apply it.
 
triplethreat said:
what about saddle soap would that work i think that leatherique it too pricey for him.
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$35 to repair your car interior? Not a big expense IMHO. Figure on about $1200 if you had to replace it.



And yes, spring for the Leatherique. It will work so much better than saddle soap.
 
Turtle Wax offers a spray and a creme leather conditioner. They're around $7 each. Multiple applications should provide signficant relief.



Lexol is another excellent choice.
 
IMO if Leatherique won't soften up your leather then nothing will. This stuff will surprise you on what it can do to old leather. Work it in good and let it sit in the hot sun with the windows up for about two days and it will make a huge difference.
 
I takes 2 days for the Leatherique? I was reading about 8 hours, do the additional hours really provide that much better results?
 
kompressornsc said:
$35 to repair your car interior? Not a big expense IMHO. Figure on about $1200 if you had to replace it.



And yes, spring for the Leatherique. It will work so much better than saddle soap.
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Please note that it is my Brother in laws car not mine. I wouldn't forget to close my window and i would spend the extra money to do it right. But i live in NC and he lives in MD so he is on his own i'm just trying to get some inexpensive ideas.



Dan
 
JustinTRW said:
Leatherique is nice, but it's not going to work miracles, turning hard leather into very soft leather. IMO.
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Justin, you may be surprised what Leatherique can do.



Yes it can 'work miracles'. :) It did on my Alfas seats which were as hard as dried out cardboard. It made them soft and supple.



The longer you leave it in the heat, the better. Yes, 2 days will work better than 8hrs, especially if you monitor the progress and re-apply to the dry areas as you go. The leather 'drinks' the leatherique, which then dissolves contaminants and 'displaces' them to the surface, to be removed with Prestine Clean.



If you have any more questions on Leatherique I'd be happy to help.
 
My opinion probably stems from two very specific examples. First, I use it on the nappa leather in my Merc, which basically becomes OEM fresh afer use. Since it's already in great condition, there isn't much of a challenge there. I've also used it on a '94 Honda Accord which didn't really respond to a 24 hour treatment. I probably need to do another application and this time extend it to 48 hours.



After the 24 hour treatment there was a slight improvement, but nothing groundbreaking. Maybe another 24 will make all the difference.



- J
 
I know from years of experience that a bar glycerin saddle soap applied with a damp sponge can work wonders on hard leather plus it's really cheap at saddle shops it not only cleans but also contains oils to condition. Just make sure the sponge is damp not wet.
 
Justin, I wasn't trying to minimize your viewpoint. I guess it just shows that results can differ greatly.



As a thought on getting better results on your Honda, Leatherique has to be applied until the leather stops absorbing it. Multiple applications over several days in a 'hot-house' environment will achieve the best results. You may have tried that and it didn't work as well...in that case I don't know what to suggest. :(
 
Didn't take it that way at all, I'm glad you told me. I was just trying to explain the basis for opinion so we could determine why we experienced varying results.



It's my beater car, so I'm not sure I will give it a try, but it's something to keep in mind for the future.
 
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