Why so secretive about leather?

I would like to add that a protectant also adds slip or slide to the leather. If you look at an untreated driver seat after a couple years, the bolster area will likely show wear. Treated seat should show a lot less wear.



The friction also wears off the protectant much faster than the rest of the leather. Driver seat will need to be reapplied more often than back seats.
 
IIRC, one of the products that the "secretive experts" did say was OK is the Leather Master stuff.



This is just from memory, but when Judy B. and others where saying how they believe many products are actually detrimental to leather, they *did* allow that the LM stuff is OK, just "not the best choice" or maybe not the most cost-effective, or some kind of qualification like that which implied to me that they sold a product they like better but didn't want to be spamming.



I've used a whole lotta different leather products over the years, on a whole lot of different leather goods, auto interiors included of course. IME there's often one specific product that just *works best* with any particular leather, and I can't begin to explain why...I just trial-and-error until I find what's best for a given situation.



That said, the LM stuff is good, very good. Maybe my #1 choice for most automotive applications. No heavy scent either.



Striker- "APC" = All Purpose Cleaner



Lexol cleaner is usually OK. I'm not a big fan of their leather treatment/dressing though, and I've seen it actually do damage (or maybe *precipitate* damage by other means) to certain leather goods (not automotive leather though), usually when over-applied. I would not use it for footwear, holsters, etc.
 
Striker said:
Thanks accumulator.



Im still looking for suggestions on a good leather cleaner out there.
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I have been using Zaino Z-9 and Z-10 for the past 4 years. Works well for me. It cleans the leather and leaves a pleasant leather scent.
 
Striker said:
..Im still looking for suggestions on a good leather cleaner out there.
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I've been using up a bunch of (very) old Tony Nancy-labeled leather cleaner since forever, so I'm not the greatest help with what to buy these days.



It's a pricy way to go, but Leather Master offers two strengths of cleaner and they're very good. I reserve such pricy stuff for special situations though, and Griot's Interior Cleaner or a Woolite/water mix will often suffice.



The Sonus cleaner is nice too, and doesn't need rinsed off.
 
My seats arent that dirty at all, but I do need something to keep them looking that way. I plan on picking something up in the next week or so.
 
The absolute number one best thing you can do for your leather is keep it clean. Dirt is abrasive and the dirtier your leather, the shorter the life.
 
BostonBull said:
What is all the fuss and muss about not naming products, or techniques for proper leather care? It seems we have a few leather experts in our midsts, or so they say. It plaques me why the likes of JudyB (sorry but you put yourself out there!) and others, absolutely IGNORE any question about products or techniques. I think it is because people like her know that 90% of the products out there dont do anything.



So, why all the secrets? My gut is telling me that clean leather is happy leather. No protection, balm, conditioner required. But what to clean with? JudyB and others say they know but wont tell. Why not?!
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It's rather simple really. As you noted keep leather clean, especially from debris within the seams. It acts like tiny abrasive sand paper as you enter and exit. Watch the belts, jean rivets, jewelry, etc.



To clean lightly soiled leather (most modern leathers) a damp microfiber towel is all that's needed. Vacuum first, wipe down leather and if you feel the leather needs some protection then apply a water based conditioner......the main area of protection should be UV protection then conditioning second.



The problem may arise from the word "conditioner" and the idea that leathers of today need to be feed with a heavy cream or balm type product like leathers from yesteryear. Most of that is myth and bad advice taken from people who used saddle soap and such on leather goods, like saddles, with the thought....."Hey, if it's good for my saddles then it has to be good for my leather seats also!"



Look to "protect" leather (modern leathers) more than "condition". Most protectants add a polymer to their product so you get that "slip" feeling which helps keep abrasion down but it wears off after some time BUT many times if you take a dry microfiber and buff over the seat you can get that slip feeling back temporarily.
 
Dirt is usually easily wiped away from leather as mentioned previously. I think the only thing to remember is if you do use something to clean it, like a detergent, to make sure you rinse that off very well as you don't want it to dehydrate the leather to the point of cracking, which I think is pretty hard to do anyway, just the act of cleaning it with a damp towel is enough to keep anything bad from happening to it.



And yeah adding some kind of protection to will just make it easier to wipe free of dirt.



That should be the regular standard of cleaning leather.



However my problem is how to remove dye transfer, which seems to be a totally different world from getting the daily grime off the leather. It's been a royal PITA to learn how to remove that dye transfer and as I posted previously , all I get are fortune cookie answers.
 
duke4ever,



My method for transfer, from say jeans and such, is my regular cleaner plus an eraser pad. The key is to not bring on a full assault but rather try and use some foam from the cleaner and using medium pressure on the eraser pad. Check your progress and repeat as needed.



I do not recommend though this method on a continual basis as the eraser pads can be rather abrasive.



Educate your clients on how to better enter and exit their seats to avoid the transfer.



Anthony
 
Anthony Orosco said:
duke4ever,



My method for transfer, from say jeans and such, is my regular cleaner plus an eraser pad. The key is to not bring on a full assault but rather try and use some foam from the cleaner and using medium pressure on the eraser pad. Check your progress and repeat as needed.



I do not recommend though this method on a continual basis as the eraser pads can be rather abrasive.



Educate your clients on how to better enter and exit their seats to avoid the transfer.



Anthony
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Thanks! going to go and pick up a eraser today :)
 
I think I have mentioned many times how to clean leather. I don't believe I have recommended to many products, because cleaning is rather simple and cheap. For the most part a damp rag will take care of the leather. A more in depth cleaning would be to use a Scotch Brite delicate duty scuff pad with a cleaner. The cleaner can be the Woolite solution or the solution I use which is 3% Joy dishwashing liquid, 10% alcohol, and the rest distilled water. Anyone who thinks tanneries are spending a lot of money on expensive leather cleaners are out in left field. Most people would be surprised that the coatings are actually less expensive than some of these high priced products.



I should also mention that the auto manufacturers make the tanneries pass certain performance tests. Leather should hold up for many years if kept cleaned.
 
who here has tried Judys products? I have friends in Ireland, not far from her. I may have them grab me the autokit and send over if its worth it.
 
There are always enormous problems with dye transfer on pale coloured leathers. Unfortunatley dye transfer is NOT always a cleaning problem. Dye from jeans and clothing can be very aggresive and this actually redyes the leather. It is not dirt and therfore will not damage the leather like dirt does, however it always looks very unsightly.

The longer the dye is allowed to sit on the surface of the leather the further it will travel into the finish on the leather and this is why it becomes harder to remove. Cleaning can only deal with what is sitting on the surface of the leather and once anything has begun to penetrate the finish it becomes more and more difficult to resolve. Dye will redye the leather and dirt will degrade the finish.

If you have tried a good foam leather cleaner ( I say foam because with a foam you can get good dwell time on the area concerned) and this has not removed the dye then it is no longer a cleaning problem and will need stronger (solvent based) products to rectify. In removing the dye transfer with these stronger products you will also be likely to remove colour/finish which will then need replacing. This is a technical problem rather than a clenaing one.



Using a 'magic sponge' or eraser is not recommended as these act like a very fine sandpaper which will damage/remove the finish and leave the leather much more vulnerable to dirt degredation.



The key to inhibiting dye transfer from building up in the first place is the use of a quality fluorcarbon protector which will allow dye to sit on the surface and will then be cleanable.



The key to keeping leather in good condition is to keep it clean (as has been said)

Detergent cleaners do not 'dry' out the leather. Water is good for leather and is what keeps it hydrated which is what keeps it in turn in good condition. Wiping over with a damp cloth (not microfibre) is a good thing to keep the leather hydrated but will not be effective as a cleaning process.



Saddle soap is far too harsh for modern leather finishes and should be avoided on auto and furniture leather.



Happy to answer any other technical problems you may have.
 
judyb said:
Using a 'magic sponge' or eraser is not recommended as these act like a very fine sandpaper which will damage/remove the finish and leave the leather much more vulnerable to dirt degredation.
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Not sure if you were talking about my scuff pad or not, but its effects are pretty minimal.
 
I don't know - she might be referring to anything more agressive than a leather cleaning sponge or brush. I think microfiber isn't even recommended because of it's cleaning ability/characteristics.
 
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