SlowGS3

I got some stain on leather that look like cigarette burned. I had try leather cleaner, fast orange, isoprotyl (sp?) alcohol but no help. Before I take the sandpaper to it, is there any other method to remove the stain? It is on the lower back of the passenger front seat so it's not that notable if I messed up the leather, but i hated the stain. If I have to use sandpaper, what grit is recommended? Thanks for your help

Guitarman

I hope you realize that it's more than likely that using sandpaper on it*may* remove the stain, but also remove the (clear)coating on the leather and probably some of the dye too.

So, you'll be trading one mark for another IMO, and it may look even worse. Now if you are indeed not worried about making it worse since it's not in an obvious spot, then I'd prefer you try a little polish or rubbing compound on it first, before you resort to wetsandpaper. You WILL cut through the poly clear on it if it is finished that way, just be forewarned. If it's vinyl, the effect may be different, but you'll still cause some visible difference that may not be good, even if you remove the stain.
Not every stain can be removed every time, that's just the way it is.Cigarette burn marks fall into that category, because there is usually DAMAGE to the coating from the heat, not just a benign stain. If you try, best of luck,

SlowGS3

thanks for your insight, guitarman. Like I said above, if I indeed damaged the leather by sand off a top layer, it still look a lot less noteable than the burned mark, IMHO. But I will try the rubbing compound first. Sandpaper will be my last resort.

ktiger

Try using the lemon scent soft scrub. You will have to condition the leather afterwards because the soft scrub will leave it very dry.

SlowGS3

sorry for the newbie question but what is soft scrub and where can I find it? will it more agressive than fast orange and alcohol because I already tried those with no luck. thanks,

ktiger

Soft scrub is a cleaning agent. I guess you can say it's like Ajax or comet. You can find it at Walmart/Kmart or even your local grocery store. The lemon scent works best with a soft brush.

rgarjr

iTrader: (1)

Is the leather they use on seats the inside or outside skin of a cow? I've always wondered about that. Also, do they dye the leather to obtain the color desired?

Guitarman

The underside of the skin is actually where suede comes from (they buff it to achieve that nappy look), The outer side is what you see on your seats.

AFAIK, most all automotive leathers are sprayed, not vat dyed. The exception may be semi-analine leather (found in the LS430) which is not coated as most all other auto leathers are, but I'm not positive on that either. Info is sketchy, but maybe someone else here knows the story on that.

All automotive leathers except the semi-analine and analine are polyurethane coated, to the best of my knowledge.