Just called Leatherique for some answers

C

couch16

New member
I just called Leatherique and spoke with Kristy. She was very helpful and answered some of the questions my fellow Autopians and I had.



Is Leatherique just for reconditioning leather or does it also protect leather?

Kristy gave me a detailed description of the chemistry of preserving leather. Here were some key points of our discussion:



- Preserving leather really means keeping the entire product soft, supple, and moisturized. Many cleaners and conditioners are focused on cleaning the surface of the leather and making it look good. Few products are designed to condition the entire product. Leatherique is absorbed by the entire product and therefore can keep it soft and supple. Therefore, it may be the only product to truly condition and protect leather for a long period of time.



- Products containing petroleum distilates and silicones do not help condition the leather. They may clean well and look nice, but that doesn't mean you're treating the leather. Also, the "new" leathers (I can't remember the the chemical name for them) have some properties that make them difficult to treat with products like Lexol.



Does Leatherique contain UV protection?

Yes, but in order to preserve the product's pH balance, the UV protectors are minimal.



Kristy reminded me that leather is really skin and therefore sunblock will work wonders for UV protection. She recommended Eckart's 45 sunblock, preferably without fragrance. I never thought of this, but it makes sense.



After applying the rejuvenator oil, the car should be left in the sun to help it penetrate the leather. But what if it's cold outside or you're using it on a leather couch?

Not a problem. She recommended leaving it on overnight for Leatherique to work it's way completely through the leather.



I also have a leather couch, leather chair, and a few leather jackets. Will Leatherique work on them?

Absolutely. Kristy said that Leatherique has quite a following from Harley Davidson groups.



How much should I buy and what will it cost?

Since the product has an indefinite shelf life, buying in bulk is the smart approach. Most customers only need a quart or two. Also, BMW and Mercedes car club owners receive a significant discount (you don't need to prove you're a member - just say you are and you get a discount). I was able to purchase a gallon of both rejuvenator oil and pristine clean for $120 plus shipping. Most people can get away with paying a total of $40 a quart of each.
 
Those b@stards charged me twice for one order (2x$60). I emailed them, and they said they would credit me. After almost 2 months, I called my credit card company to dispute the charges.







:mad:
 
I may have to order some Leatherique. I've heard a lot about its reconditioning properties. I've got an explorer to do this sunday morning and he told me his leather is pretty bad and would like me to look at it.
 
I've said it before, and ill say it again. Leatherique rules! for maintaing or reconditioning leather, no product matches it.
 
I've said it before, and ill say it again. Leatherique rules! for maintaing or reconditioning leather, no product matches it.
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I agree 100%. Of all the products I have tried for leather interiors nothing even comes close to Leatherique.:up
 
Thanks for posting the info.



Perhaps someone here can answer these questions...



1) What is it about the "new leather" that prevents Lexol from working, but allows Leatherique to work?



2) Do you guys who use it disagree with Ron K's theory that "new leather" should be treated like vinyl?



3) Do you guys who use it think that Ron K was wrong when he said that conditioning products are bad for "new leather"?



Thanks.
 
I also looked into this product but had one concern, my leather seats have suede panels. I asked is this would pose a problem but she mentioned it worked on suede as well without staining. She mentioned after cleaning the suede the nap of the suede would just need to be brushed back up. I'm a little skepticle about this but look forward to trying this product based off these reviews.
 
RH,



Kristy talked to me quite a bit about the "new leather" situation. Quite frankly, I didn't know what she was talking about because I don't know enough about "new leather" or the chemistry behind it. Kristy does. Perhaps you or Ron K should give her a call at 904-272-0992 from 8am to 5pm EST.



She was quite certain that Leatherique will work great on "new leather" but other products would not.
 
I'll post a link to site that Ron K works for...for reader educational purposes...



http://www.autoint.com/ford_leather.htm



If someone disputes these claims (which would invalidate the use of Leatherique on most newer cars), and has further advice, please post...otherwise save your $ and use 303 Aerospace.
 
What are we talking about? "new leather"? Are you guys talking about "top coated" leather?



I know Ron K saies oil based leather conditioners will damage the top coating on leather. You have to use a waterbased leather conditioner on them.
 
I definitely disagree, I have used leatherique a couple times on our mercedes ML which i believe has top coated leather. It used to have rough spots that are now BUTTER smooth! They said it works better on nude leather (nappa, connolly, etc.) but it is fine for clearcoated stuff.
 
Well, Ron is correct about the clearcoated leather. Don't be fooled though, the coating itself is not solid. It does have small holes in it that allow things to pass through and air to contact the hyde. If you apply this stuff every month then yes you might get damage to the coating, but I think once a year would be O.K.
 
AlBoston said:
I've said it before, and ill say it again. Leatherique rules!
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Leatherique might be great, but Tortuga rules. First the Klasse color comparo and now this. Real data is the best kind to have.



Regards,

Robert
 
Ok...I want to help resolve this issue. I'll call Kristy so we can get her opinion on it. But before I do, I think there's some confusion.



According to the above link, what Ron K referrs to as "new leather" is "clear coated leather". However, Kristy seemed to be talking about something completely different (about how they're not using some chemical in leather anymore or something - I didn't understand it but I'll have her explain it again).



Ron K states about "old leather" that, "the material was simply leather that was dyed. You could not clean it with any type of heavy cleaner or you would remove the dye and the natural oils from the leather." That suggests to me that Leatherique will work great on "old leather" because it restores these natural oils while forcing contaminents out. But Ron K feels that putting leather cleaner/conditioner on a clear coated surface is like putting leather cleaner/conditioner on vinyl surfaces.



Is there anything I misunderstood or something else I need to know before I call her to have her clear this up?





P.S. Thanks porterdog! I haven't finished my Klasse experiments. I've got 4 coats of SG on it and will probably add three more before Sunday. If it's not raining, I'll take it back to the dealer for comparison and also have my mother look at it. I'll keep everyone posted on the issue.
 
Tortuga said:
I haven't finished my Klasse experiments. I've got 4 coats of SG on it and will probably add three more before Sunday. If it's not raining, I'll take it back to the dealer for comparison and also have my mother look at it. I'll keep everyone posted on the issue.
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Dude. You rock.
 
Tortuga said:
Ok...I want to help resolve this issue. I'll call Kristy so we can get her opinion on it. But before I do, I think there's some confusion.



According to the above link, what Ron K referrs to as "new leather" is "clear coated leather". However, Kristy seemed to be talking about something completely different (about how they're not using some chemical in leather anymore or something - I didn't understand it but I'll have her explain it again).



Ron K states about "old leather" that, "the material was simply leather that was dyed. You could not clean it with any type of heavy cleaner or you would remove the dye and the natural oils from the leather." That suggests to me that Leatherique will work great on "old leather" because it restores these natural oils while forcing contaminents out. But Ron K feels that putting leather cleaner/conditioner on a clear coated surface is like putting leather cleaner/conditioner on vinyl surfaces.



Is there anything I misunderstood or something else I need to know before I call her to have her clear this up?





P.S. Thanks porterdog! I haven't finished my Klasse experiments. I've got 4 coats of SG on it and will probably add three more before Sunday. If it's not raining, I'll take it back to the dealer for comparison and also have my mother look at it. I'll keep everyone posted on the issue.
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well I've used it several times on clearcoated leather, it works. Thats all i have to say.
 
I would be willing to share the cost of this with someone if they don't want to bite the bullet for the full cost. My Mother has a 6 year old car that needs some leather work but I am not going to pay $90 to treat it once or twice. If you are interested in sharing or selling some to me send me a pm.
 
PLEASE READ!



I just called Krysti from Leatherique to help resolve the above issues.



Apparently both Ron K and Krysti were referring to the same type of “new leather�. Since roughly 1992, leathers have been treated with “analine� (sometimes spelled “aniline�) which is a co-polymer / acrylic used to protect the top of the leather. Thus the term “clear coated leather�. (Do a search on Google for “analine leather� or “aniline leather� and you’ll get plenty of hits.)



Krysti said that while this new process will help keep leather protected because it’s water resistant, it’s far from being water proof. For example, researchers tried putting coffee on clear coated leather and the coffee soaked right through the coating and into the leather. Often customers call and say that their child left a crayon on the seat and it stained the leather or that a pen burst and it stained the seat. And if you’ve been using your leather for a while, you’ll notice that oils from your skin will stain the leather. If clear coated leather was truly water proof, there’s no way the seat could have been stained.



She reminded me that even vinyl seats can be stained. So how could a tiny layer on a leather seat protect it from stains?



This is why Leatherique should be applied liberally and allowed to sit so that it has time to penetrate this layer and work its way completely through the leather. This allows it to completely moisturize and condition the leather while forcing all of the contaminants to the surface where they can be cleaned away with Pristine Clean.



She reminded me that the vast majority of leather cleaners and conditioners only treat the outer surface of the leather while Leatherique treats the entire product.



If you’d like to try it, they’re having a special where you can buy 16oz of Rejuvenator Oil and 16oz of the Pristine Clean for $30 plus shipping (a savings of $10).



The only “sample program� they have is for car club events. I explained what Autopia is and why it would be beneficial for them to provide samples. Krysti said that as long as you call her directly at 904-272-0992, mention Autopia along with my name, Tim (aka Tortuga), she would be willing to send out a sample for you to try. She did NOT say that the samples would be free. I imagine there will be a minimal charge for the product plus shipping.



Please don’t abuse this sample program. I read how some company was offering free Platinum samples and he was flooded with hundreds of orders. Perhaps a few dedicated people here on Autopia who have used other leather products, have leather in dire need of treatment, and are willing to give objective opinions along with before and after photos should order a sample.



And if you want to order the samples, Krysti will be out on Monday and Tuesday, July 15 and 16 at the Rolls Royce Owners Club meeting. She’s the only person that has talked with me and knows about this offer.



She also said that if anyone here has any questions about leather or Leatherique, she’s more than happy to take your calls. (She’s great to talk to – great voice!)



Autopia has provided me with a wealth of information. But my quest for the perfect leather cleaner and conditioner has come up short. So I ordered a gallon of each of Leatherique’s products to try them out.



I have a new 2002 Mercedes C32 AMG that I want to keep looking new. I’ll try applying it every few months. My wife’s 1997 BMW 528i has a light tan leather interior that needs some help. (Nothing bad, it just needs to be cleaned and conditioned. It’s developed numerous creases in the leather.) I have a leather couch that’s a few years old that we sit on every night and eat dinner on. I’ve never treated it. Worst of all, I have a leather chair in my office that’s a few years old and I sit in for 10 to 14 hours a day. I’ve never treated it and it looks BAD.



I’ll borrow a digital camera and post some before and after pictures.



When I do, my fellow Autopians will be the first to know.
 
I'm surprised no one here has ordered a sample. (Or at least posted that they ordered one.)



Or that anyone has commented on the "clear coated" leather discussion.
 
Thanks for the help Tim.



How have you been cleaning the seats thus far? What I do is mist a microfiber towel with water so that it is damp and then wipe the interior down. Water is perfectly safe for leather surfaces because they are in fact tanned in water. I try to keep up with this, but eventually an actual cleaner will be needed. Of course, I will also have to condition.
 
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