All about Lexus leather
07-06-18, 03:42 PM
#466
Lexus Fanatic
My 2003 ES300 has a black interior, its still in my family, its sat outside 24/7 since 2010, and the dash is un faded, no cracks, no issues...no regular use of any dressings.
08-04-18, 12:52 PM
#467
I have a 2014 3IS non f-sport. Black interior with piano trim.
Lexus dealer told me I had real leather seats (they didnt look at the car) and I believed It. Soft, smooth, looks real, ect.
However it appears according to a digital lexus brochure that all 2014 IS's with piano black trim on the interior were ONLY made with the Nuluxe.
What are you guys using on the Nuluxe? Want something to clean/condition and hopefully smells good too. Same stuff you're using on the vinyl?
Seems like a lot of people talking about conditioners for leather on their F-Sports when they have nuluxe too.
Lexus dealer told me I had real leather seats (they didnt look at the car) and I believed It. Soft, smooth, looks real, ect.
However it appears according to a digital lexus brochure that all 2014 IS's with piano black trim on the interior were ONLY made with the Nuluxe.
What are you guys using on the Nuluxe? Want something to clean/condition and hopefully smells good too. Same stuff you're using on the vinyl?
Seems like a lot of people talking about conditioners for leather on their F-Sports when they have nuluxe too.
Last edited by HOMER350; 08-04-18 at 01:24 PM.
08-04-18, 01:12 PM
#468
I have a 2014 3IS non f-sport. Black interior with piano trim.
Lexus dealer told me I had real leather seats (they didnt look at the car) and I believed It. Soft, smooth, looks real, ect.
However it appears according to a digital lexus brochure that all 2014 IS's with piano black trim on the interior were ONLY made with the Nulux.
What are you guys using on the Nulux? Want something to clean/condition and hopefully smells good too.
Lexus dealer told me I had real leather seats (they didnt look at the car) and I believed It. Soft, smooth, looks real, ect.
However it appears according to a digital lexus brochure that all 2014 IS's with piano black trim on the interior were ONLY made with the Nulux.
What are you guys using on the Nulux? Want something to clean/condition and hopefully smells good too.
08-04-18, 01:28 PM
#469
Keeping it clean with my Miguirs interior vinyl wipes sounds like itll be fine. And maybe clean with the woolite sometimes. I just want to do all I can to keep it from cracking and looking just as good in another 4 years
08-06-18, 06:31 PM
#470
Driver School Candidate
my car is in the sun all day. it’s regularly 130°F in there, and days like today when it’s 100°+ out, the inside of my parked car quickly goes above 140° (which i’ve learned is the highest temperature my hygrometer can handle before the screen loses its mind). this is with using a sunshade for the front, AND the back.
i like the idea of periodically leaving a wrung out rag in my car to raise the humidity. are there weather conditions when this shouldn’t be done? and if the interior is around 50% humidity, would it be bad to raise it above that?
also i’m only able to put the tub in front of the seat on the floor, as i can’t get anything under the seat (i put the rag in one of those plastic food containers, without the lid obviously, so i don’t risk anything actually getting wet). is that as effective as placing it under the seat?
08-06-18, 06:54 PM
#471
Racer
I tend to move the front seats all the way forward, lay down some plastic behind the seats on the floor, and then lay a wet towel on the plastic. I then move the front seats back over the towels. This works fine for the front seats but I dont know of any way to rehydrate the rear seats.
08-10-18, 03:33 PM
#472
Driver School Candidate
I have been using the Meguiar's all in one leather cleaner for several years on my Rav4 so I also used it on my newly purchased SC.
I would caution other members to do a really good check on the cleanliness of the seats, especially between the seams and where the seat back meets the bottom for grit, sand, and other dirt before you start spraying and rubbing your leather.
I found half a sand box in the passenger seat and might have scuffed my leather if I hadn't vacuumed it out first.
I would caution other members to do a really good check on the cleanliness of the seats, especially between the seams and where the seat back meets the bottom for grit, sand, and other dirt before you start spraying and rubbing your leather.
I found half a sand box in the passenger seat and might have scuffed my leather if I hadn't vacuumed it out first.
01-21-19, 11:11 AM
#473
I just had my daughter's ES350 seats reconditioned. I watched him clean the seats, lightly sand them and then use isopropyl alcohol to thoroughly clean the leather (this is only when you are refinishing the seats). That also removed some amount of dye. He then sprayed on three thin coats of dye and finished it off with a clear coat. This shop does all the seat reconditioning work for a major Lexus dealer in Central Florida.
His advice on ongoing maintenance - use woolite diluted 1:10 to clean the surface if there is any stubborn dirt. Use a terrycloth, as microfiber towels could be abrasive. Use a wet towel to clean up the soap and that's all you need to do. If the seats are relatively clean then all you need to do is wipe them down with a damp cloth.
Given that there is a clear coat there is no point in using any other product on your seats.
His advice on ongoing maintenance - use woolite diluted 1:10 to clean the surface if there is any stubborn dirt. Use a terrycloth, as microfiber towels could be abrasive. Use a wet towel to clean up the soap and that's all you need to do. If the seats are relatively clean then all you need to do is wipe them down with a damp cloth.
Given that there is a clear coat there is no point in using any other product on your seats.
01-26-19, 05:36 PM
#474
I just had my daughter's ES350 seats reconditioned. I watched him clean the seats, lightly sand them and then use isopropyl alcohol to thoroughly clean the leather (this is only when you are refinishing the seats). That also removed some amount of dye. He then sprayed on three thin coats of dye and finished it off with a clear coat. This shop does all the seat reconditioning work for a major Lexus dealer in Central Florida.
His advice on ongoing maintenance - use woolite diluted 1:10 to clean the surface if there is any stubborn dirt. Use a terrycloth, as microfiber towels could be abrasive. Use a wet towel to clean up the soap and that's all you need to do. If the seats are relatively clean then all you need to do is wipe them down with a damp cloth.
Given that there is a clear coat there is no point in using any other product on your seats.
His advice on ongoing maintenance - use woolite diluted 1:10 to clean the surface if there is any stubborn dirt. Use a terrycloth, as microfiber towels could be abrasive. Use a wet towel to clean up the soap and that's all you need to do. If the seats are relatively clean then all you need to do is wipe them down with a damp cloth.
Given that there is a clear coat there is no point in using any other product on your seats.
01-27-19, 06:31 AM
#475
Not only is most of the leather in modern vehicles painted with a urethane coating, you might be surprised to find out just how little actual real leather is in today's vehicles. If you ordered real leather, only the contact areas are real leather. The rest is a synthetic look-alike product. Many new vehicles come with 100% faux leather as standard equipment. Lexus calls their vision of faux leather. NuLuxe, There is nothing you can do to condition this stuff. Simply keep it clean and if it is a lighter color, use a water-based fluorocarbon protectant to prevent dye-transfer staining from things like jeans and other dyed materials.
01-28-19, 12:48 PM
#476
Lexus Fanatic
01-29-19, 05:30 AM
#478
While on the topic of leather, there is an extensive discussion on the Automotive Care and Detailing forum. Much over-thinking there too from people trying to condition their plastic coatings... 
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/aut...s-leather.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/aut...s-leather.html
01-29-19, 09:05 AM
#479
Lexus Fanatic
I believe they did, LS460 and GS350 has semi aniline options, I have it on my Luxury GS. I think semi aniline is still coated with a clear coat/polyurethane, just not as much/thick, semi aniline is softer leather, you can see and feel more hairs/nap from the leather which is not totally covered by a pigment/coating like with most car leather. You seem to get a lot of different definitions from different sources what semi aniline is, I think care is the same though I would maybe use less liquid with semi aniline.
https://www.leather-dictionary.com/i...p/Semi-aniline
Aniline is pretty much never used in cars, it is one of the softest/finest leathers, it has less processing so it is much more natural what you are seeing and feeling, it has almost no protection to no protection from stains, sun, and wear . The wear, sun, heat, constant getting in and out, spills, etc would quickly ruin it in a automobile. It may be used in rare instances in some very high end cars, likely as a expensive option.
https://www.leather-dictionary.com/i...p/Semi-aniline
Aniline is pretty much never used in cars, it is one of the softest/finest leathers, it has less processing so it is much more natural what you are seeing and feeling, it has almost no protection to no protection from stains, sun, and wear . The wear, sun, heat, constant getting in and out, spills, etc would quickly ruin it in a automobile. It may be used in rare instances in some very high end cars, likely as a expensive option.
Last edited by UDel; 01-29-19 at 09:13 AM.
01-29-19, 09:43 AM
#480
I had it in the 2001 GS. Did not hold up well on the drivers side. Of course, I kept it 18 years and put 195,000 miles on it. That might explain some of the wear and tear...