Leatherique -- Leather re-conditioning - W/ Pictures.

That post with the before and after pictures with the reviews and how it works is stellar! If its good enough for Ferarri's, Porches and other 200k+ vehicles, I"ll trust it with my 60k.



I just went and checked and the ambient temperature in the room where the car is , is 96 degree's.. so its holding steady. I'm sure it will drop into the upper 70's by daybreak or so, but thats ok.



I felt of the leather just pushing on it, and it has softened up , even before wiping the tack off -- Fantastic :) -- I look forward to getting up tommorow and then at noon (24hour mark) cleaning it off and seeing how it looks/feels. The tack/gummy residue is preventing a true feel right now of course.



Knuckle, sine your LS is newer than mine, I assume, do you remember how stiff/tout the leather is 'new' ?
 
We got it used. Around 30K. Previous owners in their mid 80s.



Leather looked like new. It isn't taut new. It has a slightly loose quality around the ventilated areas. The bolsters and such are still kind of taut. It has a nice sanded leather feel that is hard to describe. I catch people (and me once in a while) petting it. I tease them mercilessly. Fun!



Does that help?
 
Somewhat -- I think my leather is just a bit dry (well was) -- The car is a 94, but is the in the condition of a 2004 that was well kept for. Not bragging on it, just amazing is all. The seats are softer in areas than others.. but I guess what I'm trying to say is it feels 'right'. I wouldn't want it to be softer really,.. it doesn't need to sag , which would happen over time with very soft/loose areas. I guess the leather is one thing, how tight its strung is another.



The softness is really just on the surface, thats where you really can judge it.. about 3-4 millimeters from surface inward.. not how far you can push the middle of the seat inwards with X pressure :)
 
On the edge of my seat waiting. Haven't tried it yet myself because of expense and time needed (in order to charge potential customers) but am convinced by so many swearing by it. I have used several other rejuvenators that give results but perhaps not so dramatic.
 
Hehe you guys trip me up making this sound so suspenseful lol :)



But, Jay.. I think the expense could be worked out, not that much of a problem -- I could easily see using a quarter , or 4oz on the entire car. Is recommend 3 to 4 times that, but it just isn't necessary. Now I did use half the bottle, but I'm not running a detail business. But if you got 4 cars out of a bottle, it would split it up to something like 13$ cost a car at retail for the 'kit'. If you bought it in bulk, larger bottle sizes, I'm sure that cost could go down to like 6-7$ a car. Give the customers dramatic results like it can provide and it would easily be worth a $50-75 charge imo. Labor isn't that intensive, time wise of labor, maybe an hour or so.



It is the process time.. You'd have to get a car and keep it overnight if possible for best results. Or develop a good heat/sweat system with plastic/saran/bags and heat to get it done in 5-6 hours or so. Just be an added option to give you that 'edge'. Maybe have a little seat in your area that has been halfdone (very old ) -- That shows what it can do . Etc etc.. technicalities hehe.



I know I'd let a shop do this for 75$, IF they did it right. I spent $60 to do it myself, whats another 15$ to have it done no hassle, no mess?
 
The suspense is killing me LOL. Yeah I sure have considered it as a "special" service for troubled leather. My main problem is that I'm mobile all week long, each day going to a different city on this island. That's why I've opted to use conditioners or rejuvenators that I didn't have to come back a second day. For leatherique I'd probably charge more like $175. Wife gets mad if I charge too little!
 
jayjacque said:
Wife gets mad if I charge too little!



We should listen to our wives more often - - they frequently have a good sense about things like that !







Intensiv service = Intensiv price !
 
jayjacque said:
The suspense is killing me LOL. Yeah I sure have considered it as a "special" service for troubled leather. My main problem is that I'm mobile all week long, each day going to a different city on this island. That's why I've opted to use conditioners or rejuvenators that I didn't have to come back a second day. For leatherique I'd probably charge more like $175. Wife gets mad if I charge too little!





I see,.. mobile that would be a difficult one to tackle. It could be an 'interior' detail alone. Or people could bring it to you, or you pick it up, I don't know. Arrangement are arrangements. But the price, that is closer to what I was thinking it *could* be charged, but I didn't want to make it sound 'unreasonable'. My price it the sure why not price,.. then wow! Your price is the this leather better look darn good when I get back :)



Its fair in the grand scheme of things though..



The wife is a good influence on ya here -- Sometimes we want to help people out (god forbid), or just not really thinking about money but getting a job done right .. She's there to make sure you get what your worth! --Then she gets hers no? ;)
 
tom p. said:
:cooleek:



I'd be nervous, too....with Judge Judy standing by and all ..





Hah! -- Doesn't bother me, good or bad we know what the majority think here.



Believe it or not its still on the seats,.. I don't heave the heat up -- But tornadic weather just went by my home several minutes ago and it hasn't been the day to work on it. Not *yet* -- I will, oh yes, will be cleaning that off when the rain dies tonight.
 
Awww, it's gonna look good, I have no doubt. I just wanna see how good...maybe beyond "good". That's my suspicion :)
 
All done.



Turned out great! -- As I thought I couldn't get a decent picture of a drastic 'change'. You need to feel them.



Anyhow,.. it was harder work than I imagined getting them cleaned off. -- I filled a gallon bucket up with warm/hot water and got several cotton cloths. I damped the cloth and started wiping, having to dip in the water and rinse every few minutes. I made 3 passes and used 2 gallons of water (got too dirty) -- To clean them off.



Then I got a Microfiber and 'buffed' them dry,.. not much of that was needed.



It physically changed the color of them,.. I suspect due to the major 'cleaning' that was done not so much the conditioning.



The smell is great. It isn't some 'candy' smell like an airfreshner, but almost like new leather,.. That was unexpected.



The biggest areas I saw a difference in softness were the headrests, and the backseats. The backseats really changed.



These seats are made of leather but in different ways in different areas. The front of the seats have a coarser almost vinyl type of leather feel, the whole section is made that way, then in the center and mid back its plush. It wasn't 'plush' before this. Now those softer areas by design are soft again.



No clue why the headrests got so soft, but just reporting the facts. Oh and the center console really softened up.



Steering wheel, not much change, shifter not much change.



Another noteworthy observation: When you do this you need to clean them inch by inch. If not, you will have areas of dirt showing that you never noticed before. It pulls so much of it out, you have to make sure you scrub them well.. Not just a wipe, but using some elbow grease..



I opted not to use the scrub brush, but just cotton, and some force and water -- Plus Pristine Clean solution.



For anyone else doing this -- The only thing I would change is *maybe* taking the front seats out for easier application and cleaning.



Also, wrapping all the leather in plastic is something I would like to 'try' to see if it procures any different results. Otherwise, just give it heat and time.



Here is the before and after -- This is in the garage, at night,.. and you can't tell much of anything. I will have to try and get some decent shots in the daytime tommorow,.. but maybe this will show you something.



Though, again, the conditioned effect is felt not seen. You can see it in person though. The leather looks healthier, and newer. Color looks better.



beforeafter.jpg
 
The color is different -- but it isn't quite that dark.. The lighting played a big role in those pictures on the color. The texture (how smooth) , what wrinkles/lines are showing and how clean are from the product though.



When the sun comes up I'm hoping I can get some better pictures.. We'll see.
 
Try to match the lighting conditions in the before and after shots. It's really tough to discern what's doin'.



If you had a worn area on a bolster, try getting a close up shot of something like that so folks can see the impact. I think that will gradually improve over the next couple of days - - this is what I noticed on my car.



Do the seats appear significantly cleaner? Perhaps they weren't that dirty at the start?? It sounds like the color changed a bit, hopefully it's a result of relieving some dirt.
 
The seats are significantly cleaner. But , no , they weren't insanely dirty -- But in the right light you can see where there are a little edge of the 'old' dirt was.. to tell just how much was cleaned.



In other words they were alot dirtier than it looked, because the color hides it so well.



I know the lighting in the pictures makes it hard to tell -- But the shots were taken in the sunlight, and its raining still right now, so I can't get the same lighting.



Not to mention it isn't really the way it looks to a camera lense that shows what has been done. The camera doesn't pick it up like in person. Somewhat the same problem I had trying to get watcher etchings to show earlier -- I had to take 30 pictures on all different manual settings adjusting lighting with a halogen light to get even a few spots to show up. Cameras just don't pick details out like the human eye can,..



Bottom line, the product works, no doubt. I am very, very pleased. Not only does it condition it extremely well, and soften it up (taking years off the leather wear) -- but it causes massive dirt to come out. Which gives it a 'new' leather smell.



I would highly recommend this to anyone,.. the price is justified, the work is justified.



Again though, I just can't get across how much better it looks, and FEELS. I wish I could convey that through a before and after that made people go wow - But this isn't paint dye hehe.. At best you'll see a cleaner seat, and the color I have is rather dark, inside a tinted car, in a dark interior.



Now, as for the seams.. minor cracks -- (I don't have many) -- So hard to show them off. I have a spot by the driver door, where everyone has the most wear from getting in and out on the side.. But nothing that goes through the leather, just some more 'wrinkles' than the adjacent panel.



There isn't anything that will miraculously reverse the wear and tear damage on leather -- If its worn down, there isn't much you can do.



The biggest effects people see from before and after on those types of seams, are when people have very dirty seats, especially on black or very light leather -- Then they clean them immensely, and the cracks appear much smaller because the dirt isn't embelleshing them. (Cleaning out the crevaces per se).



But you say in the coming days the leather will alter itself a bit more? Do you mean more conditioning will take place because its still inside of course? Or?



Again, on the 'worn' area on the bolster, I don't have that really to show off -- (I'm not upset I don't hehe) -- But I don't have a before of a highly worn area.. So finding the most worn spot on the after, won't give any perspective without a 'before' shot of the same area.



I think the leatherique and its chemicals act as a filler in some ways as well -- Maybe not in the traditional sense where it wears off quickly,.. but somehow it causes the dye to move around, spread -- Because I did have some scratches/scuffs in spots -- Those are all nice and smooth tone now, no more scuffs. I have a good example of that , that I think I can show well from a before shot I took -- (The middle armrest pulldown in the backseat -- if you look at the before shot.. I will take an after here shortly if the sun comes out and show you what I mean).



Immediately upon getting in the vehicle, the seats conform around the body much better than they did before . (It was quite comfortable before, mind you) -- but now it molds more to the body.. That was immediately noticeable.





Something else,.. I can tell each time I get in and out, it feels a little smoother. Like me rubbing against the leather and 'wearing it in a bit' with my body/clothes. Sort of like I'm wearing in 'new' leather. Sounds silly and makes no sense to me, but it is what it is. :)
 
Very nice write up Neofate. With all this extensive documentation/explanation, I'd hope you'd post some better photos(please don't take this offensive). Can you please take more? Maybe inside/outside with some macro settings used on your camera. Does this new softened feel seem artificial in any way or do you think it's restored your leather to "like new" conditions? Has it bought out/worsened any prior negative conditions(color/cracking/wear areas)?



On a side note, I'd love it if Judy would do a formal test of this product to see what her true facts/finding would be.
 
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