SmokeyMav

I'm currently a new owner of a 2008 IS-F I wanted to know what I can use to clean and preserve my leather seats? What products do everybody else use?

I plan on using Armor All Leather Wipes for quick cleaning/detailing when washing the car.

Chris@GlimmerGlass

iTrader: (3)

I would advise against the armor all, and in place of them for your routine wipedowns, use 303 aerospace. http://www.glimmerglassdetailing.com/303aepr.html

For leather products, a lot of guys are using leatherique brand products. Poorboys leather stuff is a really nice one-step leather cleaner/conditioner. Its more of a gel than a liquid which helps control overspray as well.
http://www.glimmerglassdetailing.com/leather-care.html

jfelbab

I'd pass on the ArmorAll.

Proper leather care should clean and protect the leather without leaving an oily coating. Products that contan silicones or oils should not be used for this reason.

Cleaning the leather is the best thing you can do to keep your leather looking like new for years to come.

When cleaning the leather use a gentle PH balanced product. Don't use a lot of water or over-wet the seats. Work the cleaner gingerly with a foam pad or very soft bristle brush and after cleaning use a dampened MF to wipe off any traces of detergent and then use a couple of dry MF's to buff dry.

If you are going to protect your leather (and I highly recommend you do) this will make the seats more resistant to dirt and easier to clean, apply it in a thin and even coat. Let dry then buff.

Don't confuse a conditioner with a protectant. In car paint terms, a conditioner is like a glaze and a protectant is like a sealant. One is oily one is not. A conditioner might make the seats feel different or softer but it is the product sitting on the urethane coating you are feeling. This same film will attract dirt where a protectant will not feel oily and not attract or hang on to dirt. Your leather should feel smooth and dry, and not slick nor grabby after you have finished.

FWIW, I use Leather Masters cleaners and protectant on my own vehicles every two to three months and can wholeheartedly recommend it. For a quick wipedown I use Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer as it provides UVA and UVB protection and does not leave any oils.

I use Woolite 1:10 (1:6 for heavily cleaning and up to 1:20 for light cleaning) for customers vehicles. Woolite is a fine and very affordable cleaner. As with any cleaner, be sure to wipe down any cleaning detergent with a damp MF to remove all traces of it and don't get the seats too wet. I've safely used Woolite to clean the leather and vinyl in literally hundreds of vehicles over the 46 years I've been detailing. It simply works.
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eyezack87

iTrader: (4)

If you want to go something that seems to be recommended by the manufacturer, the "All about Lexus Leather" sticky at the top states that the Lexus cleaner/conditioner are great for our coated leathers. How accurate it is is beyond me but it seems to work pretty well...

SmokeyMav

What are your opinions on these products:

Zaino Z-9 AND Z-10

Lexol PH Leather cleaner and Leather conditioner

Lexus Leather cleaner and conditioner
http://www.sewellpartsonline.com/par...id=88876&all=Y

DetailMan

FYI, 303 will leave your leather very slippery. Leather Masters protectant doesnt leave it slippery at all.

jfelbab

Z9 is ok but I think the Z10 smells too much. It leaves a strong odor for a day or two. Woolite works as well or better thatn Z9 IMO.

Lexol, again the cleaner seems fine but Woolite is as good or better. I hate the conditioner as it is oily.

The Lexus products are fine and I've used them off and on until I tried Leather Masters. Simply out, LM make the best leather products I've used in my 46 years of detailing.

UDel

How does LeatherMasters or the LeatherMasters conditioner compare to Leatherique for conditioning and softening older leather? Were do you get your LeatherMasters products at? LeatherMasters seems to get alot of buzz in the last year or two and many are saying they like it better then Leatherique.

jfelbab

Leather gets it's softness and suppleness from the quality of the hide and the moisture level in the leather. Rubbing an oily emulsion on the urethane coating doesn't really soften the leather. Moisture is what does that, moisture in the leather fibers, moisture, not oils or silicones.

The goal is to maintain the suppleness and appearance of the original leather and to avoid abrading or damaging the urethane coating along the way. That is why I stated that the single most effective thing you can do for your leather is to keep it clean. The use of an oily conditioning product will give a false sensation of softness as you feel the oily coating it leaves behind. Most are not softening the leather and leave a coating that will attract and hold dirt and dust, the very things that will degrade the finish of the leather or the urethane coating applied.

By using the LM protectant you are making the leather easier to keep clean. Just like using a sealant on your car's paint, the leather protectant makes the leather shed dirt easier. If you were to apply an oil to your paint (a.k.a. Glaze), it would look deep and wet for a short time. Yet that same oil would have an affinity for dirt. That oil would hold dust and dirt. Most conditioners for leather do the same. If you use a conditioner that makes your leather oily or slippery it will act like a dirt magnet. When you get in and out of the car you will be grinding this dirt into the leather or it's urethane topcoat. The very thing you are trying to avoid.

The LM protectant is virtually odorless and leaves the leather dry and feeling like it did the day you bought the car, with no slippery or oily film to attract dirt. It also makes the leather very easy to keep clean as a damp MF will be all you need to wipe up dust for a couple months.

I was first introduced to LM products when I purchased some high end leather furniture for my home. The furniture came with a protection program that consisted of bottles of LM cleaner and protectant. Under this program, the bottles were bottomless. After 15 years, the store continues to give me new ones every time I bring back the empty ones.

Here is a source for LM: http://www.leatherworldtech.com/cate...FRdinAodFDr-mA

vietdeluxx

iTrader: (2)

Cool.. Thanks for the advice Jfelbab

20solara02

I know i'm bringing back an old post, but i feel this is probably an appropriate question for this thread. I just got an 07 gs350 with clean good condition leather and I was planning on using diluted woolite to clean it and LM Protection cream from the advice that jfelbab gave.

I also have a 99 gs400 with pretty bad leather in it. From what I have read i was thinking of using the leatherique products to clean/rejuvinate it. Do the leatherique products also protect the leather like the LM Protection cream?

Any suggestions or recommendations on what I should use for either car.

Thanks,
Michael

Greg@DI

Michael,

The Leatherique Prestine Clean and Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil does a great job of conditioning, cleaning and preserving the leather. By restoring the natural balance of moisture in the leather it will help prevent the leather from drying out. I use these products regularly and love the results! I highly recommend reading this article to see some before and after pictures - http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-P...r-care-how-to/. Let me know if you have any questions.

Todd@ProperAutoCare

I know many people use/used Woolite with great success but I have a hard time recommending it. I have had conversations with two employees of Woolite and here is the paraphrase of the 'interview'. I asked them about using Woolite for cleaning automotive leather as well as Cadillac's recommendation to use Woolite on their leather.

"We don't have any recommendations on the use of Woolite for anything other than it's intended purpose which is cleaning laundry. Woolite requires a high volume of water to flush away the residue. We simply do not recommend our product for this use despite manufacturer's recommendations."

A friend of mine also emailed Woolite's MSDS sheet to leather doctor Roger Koh. He found a number of chemicals that he felt would degrade the leather over time.

Then again, I would never tell something to stop using a product/method they have had success with. Rather I am just passing along information that I have gathered.