Odor Removal - Change of Procedure - Need help

[ct2272]

Hello.



I have been lurking on this forum for several years now (and well before David decided to reenlist in the Navy). I used this forum's information to detail my previous car, a Black 01 Nissan Maxima. My procedure was as follows:



Interior:

One Grand Exterior Rubber Vinyl for the dash, doors, and related areas.



Exterior:

Car Wash is Blue Coral although I have used One Grand, and Meguiars.



I experimented with the following waxes before settling on AIO.



Liquid Glass

Meguiars Gold Class Liquid Wax

One Grand Blitz Wax

P21S/S100 Paste Wax

Zaino's Z1, Z2, Z2, Z2

Astroshield

Klasse AIO and SG



The key for me was durability and AIO was the best option for me.



Wheels:

I made my own concoction of Simple Green, Rubbing Alcohol, and Distilled Water in a industrial strength gallon container. It was removed with traditional car soap. It reminded me of the wheel formula that P21S uses and by making it myself was more economical.



Question:

I had cloth seats and whenever I drove in it would always spray the seats with a bottle of rubbing alcohol and water. After 4.5 years owning the car, it still smelled new (confirmed by people riding in it as well as the dealer when I sold it).



I have upgraded to a 04 Cadillac Deville and now have to deal with leather seats. This weekend's detail was:



Interior: Lexol (for the seats and accompanying leather), One Grand ERV for everything else.



Exterior: Blue Coral Wash, Rinse, Mother's Claybar (with new Blue Coral Soap in a bucket of water), Rinse, AIO, AIO. Wheels were treated with my Simple Green/Alcohol solution and dressed with Black Magic. I used Mother's Chrome Polish for the tailpipes.



How do I maintain the current New Car smell in the car? I do not want to spray my alcohol solution into the cabin on anything leather for fear of drying it out and can only Lexol the seats once a week when I detail the car. I can definitely spray my alcohol solution on the floor mats to avoid unneccessary stains but otherwise am stuck. Since I lift weights a lot the sweat of my shirt will touch the leather which without daily treatment I feel will effect it negatively.



Am I covering everything?



Regards,

CT

 

[togwt]

Leather-

1. Cleaning- use a soft horse hair brush (Groit's Leather & Interior Brush) and/or a vacuum to remove any dust, apply a cleaning solution (Water /Woolite® or Dreft® 6:1 ratio or stronger) on to an applicator pad and apply to one area at a time (i.e. a seat back). To remove stubborn dirt or grime gently agitate the surface with a boar's hair cleaning brush (this will not harm the leather) then use a clean, damp Microfiber towel to rinse.



Maintenance cleaning- use a cleaning solution (Water /Woolite® or Dreft® 10:1 ratio) on to an applicator pad and apply to one area at a time



Stubborn stains- dependent upon the leathers condition or how dirty it is consider using a leather-cleaning product. (Leatherique's Prestine Clean, Groit's Leather Cleaner or Autoglym Leather Cleaner)



2. Conditioning- recommend a preventative maintenance routine three to four times a year, once prior to the winter season to prevent cold temperatures cracking the leather, and once before the heat of the summer to prevent deterioration and shrinkage by heat, which result in continued cracking of leather. In addition to regular cleaning, leather requires replacement of natural oils; Collagen-based products restore the lost moisture and maintain its natural flexibility. The smell of leather comes from oils evaporating out of the hide.



Covered Leather (Urethane, Vinyl or MB-Tex):

Since late â€Ëœ80s early â€Ëœ90s 85% of vehicle manufacturers have used covered leather for their interior upholstery. Itâ€â„¢s made from natural hides, but uniquely treated with a light pigmented urethane resin coating or a vinyl covering to make it more viable for automotive seating. It retains the softness of natural top-grain leather but resists fading in direct sunlight, leathers worst enemy



Spills wipe off with a moistened cloth, the urethane resin or the vinyl covering require oils to stop it from drying out (just like a paint system's clear coat) the leather also requires replacement of natural oils. Clean, condition and apply a UVR protection



Identifying characteristics- uniform colour and grain patterns; will not scratch easily; water drops will not change colour.

Recommended products-

â€Â¢Urethane Coated Leather- use Groit's Leather Care or Zanio Z-10 Leather in a bottle

â€Â¢Vinyl or MB-Tex Covered leather- use Groit's Leather Rejuvenator or Leatherique Prestine Clean



3.Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR) Protection - you should consider additional sunscreen protection (especially if you own a convertible) leather conditioners typically do not offer any UV screening. The best solution is to alternate between a leather conditioner and a UVR Protectant. One month use a conditioner to keep the leather healthy and supple. On alternate months mist and wipe the leather with a UV protectant. After application allow 60 minutes for product to cure, then using a 100% cotton cloth lightly buff surface.

JonM