Some questions about cleaning leather

[BklynRX7]

So, I picked up the Leather Masters Strong cleaning kit because its the first time Id be cleaning my the whole interior since I got the car. The interior was basically spotless but I had a few concerns such as

1) a bad shine on the steering wheel

2) 2 small smears of silver paint or nailpolish also on the steering wheel

3) some grime in the stitching around the rear seatbelt buckle due to some previosuly cleaned up vomit



So I addressed the steering wheel first, I coated the whole thing with the cleaner, let it sit about 10 minutes and began scrubbing the paint spots with the included brush. The stiffness of the brush concerned me but I tried it anyone because the kit is so widely trusted. The paint came off but black was transferred onto the brush within a few seconds as well. I have no idea if this is dirt of the leathers coating so i stopped using the brush. The spot I scrubbed looks great, it has a nice matte finish while the rest of the wheel is still shiny. How can I tell if I removed the coating or just alot of filth?



After that I was afraid to use the brush again so I used the included applicators to rub the cleaner into the seats and then wiped it off a while later with a damn MF towel. They looked great when they dried but today I noticed a little white residue in some areas when the sun hits it directly. Would another pass witht he wet towel remove this or is the brushing really required?

 

[togwt]

The steering wheel has a clear top coat. What you are probaly cleaning is the body oil / dirt from from your hands. If there is a lot of oil I would suggest a degreaser.



Leather Master™ Leather Degreaser, an aerosol product for cleaning oily stains; dissolves and removes oil and grease from leather surfaces. This cleaner can be applied for cleaning all types of leather (check for colour fastness) this aerosol product is ideal for cleaning this type of stain as it dissolves the oils and transforms them into a powder that is more absorbent than the leather. This powder is what is wiped off, cleaning and degreasing the leather. Allow the white powder to dry fully. If the powder is drying to a yellow colour, it means that there are still a lot of oils in the leather.



Using a Medium / hard horse hair brush, or a soft sponge, spray and work the cleaner into a foam, lightly scrub surface and immediately wipe with a terry towel to remove excess moisture, especially around stitching (you may need to repeat this process).



Once the oil has been removed use a protection product

 

[Roger Koh]

So I addressed the steering wheel first, I coated the whole thing with the cleaner, let it sit about 10 minutes and began scrubbing the paint spots with the included brush. The stiffness of the brush concerned me but I tried it anyone because the kit is so widely trusted. The paint came off but black was transferred onto the brush within a few seconds as well. I have no idea if this is dirt of the leathers coating so i stopped using the brush. The spot I scrubbed looks great, it has a nice matte finish while the rest of the wheel is still shiny. How can I tell if I removed the coating or just alot of filth?



After that I was afraid to use the brush again so I used the included applicators to rub the cleaner into the seats and then wiped it off a while later with a damn MF towel. They looked great when they dried but today I noticed a little white residue in some areas when the sun hits it directly. Would another pass witht he wet towel remove this or is the brushing really required?

Need to examine pictures of the above questions before giving you my comments, if you like!





Roger Koh

info@leatherdoctor.com

 

[BklynRX7]

These pics may not be of any help, I'll get better ones in the daytime. The top part of the wheel is where I brushed it and the bottom I where it's still shiny. It's still smooth on the top. Would it feel rough like suede if I removed the coating?

 

[Roger Koh]

The top part of the wheel is where I brushed it and the bottom I where it's still shiny. It's still smooth on the top. Would it feel rough like suede if I removed the coating?

What happen if coating is further removed...



…the color basecoat would be:



a) poor in aesthetics such as appearance and feel;



b) susceptible to stickiness and attracting loose dust and dye especially in hot humid condition



c) poor physical properties such as wet rub, sweat resistant and scuff resistant;



d) poor in ageing properties such as soil resistant and wet cleaning resistant.



The objective of the topcoat is to impart a film forming coating that provides abrasion and stain resistance to the colorcoat.



It is also this topcoating that decides its desired luster of glossy, satin or matte.





“The paint came off but black was transferred onto the brush within a few seconds as well. I have no idea if this is dirt of the leathers coating so i stopped using the brush. The spot I scrubbed looks great, it has a nice matte finish while the rest of the wheel is still shiny. How can I tell if I removed the coating or just alot of filth?”





Your earlier post mentioned that the “black was transferred onto the brush within a few seconds as well” indicate that the urethane topcoat that seals the color is being removed.

Without the original topcoat, the colorcoat wears out; without the colorcoat, the leather will eventually dries out its fatliquor from sweat damages; resulting in leather stiffness, that leads to eventual cracks, as often seen on neglected leathers.





To remedy the situation, these steps may follow:



1] The remaining soiling accumulation that resulted in the unwanted shine is to be removed without negative “side-effect” (or colorcoat removal) to the already possibly topcoat damaged areas.



2] When all residues are further removed with a leather eraser, it is ready to topcoat refinish it.



3] Matching original waterbased soft urethane matte topcoat is applied with a foam brush and let dry between coats to the desired matte finish.



4] A matching anti-slip draggy-feel protector further reduces wear to the topcoat that seals the colorcoat.





Here are examples of steering wheel cleaning simply using a waterbased, leather-safe, non-dangerous and non-hazardous system…





#1 Product application with a detailing horsehair brush to this Porches Steering Wheel

#2 Towel extraction of suspended soiling

#3 Result of restorative cleaning.

Here’s another example…





#1. The unwanted build-up shine to this BMW Steering Wheel

#2. The right side done to compare the difference in luster.

Good to have better pictures to view the damages you mentioned, so as to confirm the above suggested remediation back to the original.





Roger Koh

info@leatherdoctor.com

 

[BklynRX7]

I will get better pics as soon as I get a chance to take them in good light. Seeing the picks above actually makes me think I only removed dirt. The luster differences on that BMW wheel are identical to mine. I picked up a few small brushes with the same look and texture as my large horsehair brush that ill use to clean the rest of the wheel and then Ill see how it turns out. Thanks for the in-depth replies. I look forward to your thought on the better photos, when I provide them.

 

[BklynRX7]

Here's some daytime pics. I'm

Realizing it's still pretty glossy, just not shiny like before so I'm hopeful the coating is still there.

The top right is where I brushed.

Here's the bottom with some direct sunlight.

And here's the top in the same light

I don't know if it helps but this is what came off on the brush. When I removed color on my other Audi (using a harsh cleaner before I knew better) it looked kinda blue/greenish rather than straight black like this.

 

[Roger Koh]

Thank you for the pictures…



It’s hard to see, there is a luster difference from the light reflection but not as distinct when compared to the above BMW picture.



The color from the brush indicates some kind of stain from the finish, otherwise soiling would be easily removed by just rinsing with water.



If stain remains after rinsing, it is recommended to topcoat seal the vulnerable color coating from further deteriorating.



Roger Koh

info@leatherdoctor.com

 

[BklynRX7]

I didn't rinse the brush until after I took that picture. It washed out with no trouble. Is there any definitive test to tell if it's still coated? I don't want to a) make it worse or b) go through the trouble of recoating it unnecessarily.

 

[David Fermani]

So I addressed the steering wheel first, I coated the whole thing with the cleaner, let it sit about 10 minutes and began scrubbing the paint spots with the included brush. The stiffness of the brush concerned me but I tried it anyone because the kit is so widely trusted. The paint came off but black was transferred onto the brush within a few seconds as well. I have no idea if this is dirt of the leathers coating so i stopped using the brush. The spot I scrubbed looks great, it has a nice matte finish while the rest of the wheel is still shiny. How can I tell if I removed the coating or just alot of filth?

10 minutes is way too long for a cleaner to sit on a leather surface. And then using a brush in conjunction that appears very stiff is a recipe for dissaster. There's no way to tell (as far as I'm aware) if you removed the coating. But, if you attempt another light cleaning and more color comes off then that would confirm it for me.

 

[BklynRX7]

So I lightly cleaned the whole wheel with a horsehair brush and a few soft tooth-brushes. I wiped each section with a white mf towel after I brushed it. Nothing came off the section that I previously brushed and was worried about. However the rest off the wheel seemed to have a similar filth coming off. I'm assuming now that it was just dirt the first time. The whole wheel now has the same luster as the inner section of the wheel that is rarely touched. I applied the protection cream and it's looks great. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Roger Koh]

I applied the protection cream and it's looks great.

What you have done may be just a cover-up job that seemingly looks good without much thought to the chemistry integrity of the leather.



It is not a long term solution to your problem, as the protection cream does not perform at the same level as the original urethane coating.



Check out what ingredient is in the bottle, you would know the difference as compare to a urethane topcoat.



Roger Koh

info@leatherdoctor.com

 

[BklynRX7]

According to some info you gave me earlier I am pretty confident that I did not damage the urethane top coat



"What happen if coating is further removed...



…the color basecoat would be:



a) poor in aesthetics such as appearance and feel;



b) susceptible to stickiness and attracting loose dust and dye especially in hot humid condition



c) poor physical properties such as wet rub, sweat resistant and scuff resistant;



d) poor in ageing properties such as soil resistant and wet cleaning resistant.



The objective of the topcoat is to impart a film forming coating that provides abrasion and stain resistance to the colorcoat.



It is also this topcoating that decides its desired luster of glossy, satin or matte. "



The whole wheel was a uniform, satiny finish in both appearance and feel after the second, lighter cleaning. I can't imagine that I could remove the top coat with the soft brushes, let alone so evenly across the whole thing. I wiped it thoroughly with distilled water and let it air dry for hours before applying the protection cream, to verify that the cleaner wasn't disguising any damage. Again I appreciate all the info I have received int his thread, I wont be making this mistake (and scaring the hell out of myself) again. I cant imagine why they would include a stiff tampico brush in a kit meant for leather, I should have just trusted my instincts and used the horsehair the first time.

 

[Roger Koh]

The whole wheel was a uniform, satiny finish in both appearance and feel after the second, lighter cleaning. I can't imagine that I could remove the top coat with the soft brushes, let alone so evenly across the whole thing. I wiped it thoroughly with distilled water and let it air dry for hours before applying the protection cream, to verify that the cleaner wasn't disguising any damage. Again I appreciate all the info I have received int his thread, I wont be making this mistake (and scaring the hell out of myself) again. I cant imagine why they would include a stiff tampico brush in a kit meant for leather, I should have just trusted my instincts and used the horsehair the first time.

I will be as happy as what is done with what’s on hand, that’s a satisfaction with a relief.



Roger Koh

info@leatherdoctor.com