Thanks for clarifying , I got confused in your last post . I will get the Woolite Original itself. Yes I will get the ratios correct, it means for every 10 litre of water I should use 1 litre of woolite , correct ?

 

Well yes but liter is a large volume. You probably only want to mix up a total of about a third of a liter (around 12 ounces) to clean the whole interior. One part of Woolite for 10-20 parts of water would be a suitable dilution. No sense in mixing up more cleaner than you need at any given time but it will keep if stored in a sealed container. In your example 1 liter of Woolite mixed with 10 liters of water would make around 3 US gallons of cleaner. Keep in mind that you want to pour or spray a little of the cleaner on a foam pad and squeeze it repeatedly to work up a lot of foam. Gently rub the foam into the leather covering a 1' x 1' area at a time, let it dwell a minute then wipe up. You don't want to saturate the leather any more than is necessary. A little cleaner goes a long way. If the leather is very dirty, rinse the foam pad a few times and squeeze dry then add more cleaner again and work up the foam. You don't want to reintroduce dirt from a dirty pad into the leather. You also don't want to scrub the leather aggressively. THis is especially true in that you have some issues with your leather already. Gently agitate and let the foam and detergent dwell to do the cleaning. Make sense?

 

I use Blue Magic leather cleaner and conditioner bottles for my seat. It's cheaper than Lexol and work great!! I also put terry cloth towels on my seats when i'm driving during the week to work because of the jeans I wear. I also have a plush towel that I place on the arm rest too while driving so I won't discolor the arm rest and destroy the leather.

 

It makes a lot of sense . Thanks. I'm grateful to you man.

 

Thanks for the idea. Goku. I think it's better I use my leather as usual. Let it wear and tear as normal, if not I'll use it a little more roughly , I know that's so evil of me to do but I still have warranty till 2012 , so I'll make my dealer replace my leather.

I'm not doing this on purpose , the first owner somehow has unknowingly cleaned it with a brush and might have harmed the leather as most have pointed out on in this thread. So if the condition gets worse I've got word from my dealer that they would replace it under warranty. It's not to say that I'm going to damage it just on purpose to get my leather replaced it for free. That'd be so dishonest and heartless of me to do. I wouldn't do that ,but I will just use it as normal with not the total psycho care I used to give it when i got it first.

 

question about the leather as well.. I too have beige leather, and it is turning black/blue from my jeans. I use the lexus leather cleaner to clean it...I have to rub/scrub hard to get it looking normal again..is there is a brush or something else that could be used?? to make it eaiser to take the black/blue off? or is it best to use the mirco fiber cloth and just rub harder? :S

 

I would get some Ultima interior guard on that leather right away. All that scrubbing has probably thinned the protective coating on the leather so future stains will be that much easier to get and they won't come out unless you take the leather colour with it.

The ultima is a leather sealant that should help prevent future staining. Honestly, you might want to get a seat cushion or something if you are planning to sell the car soon.

i'm a big jeans guy too. This is why I always get black leather...

 

Don't use a brush at any cost. You're just going to remove the urethane coating on top . Use lexol cleaner and rub with a microfiber / terry towel. Or try Woolite mixed with water 1:10 ratio. Be very gentle on your beige leather , you'll regret if it gets damaged even lightly.

 

Two part answer.

Cleaning - Use Woolite/warm water mixture, 1:10 or 1:20 dilution, and apply with a foam applicator. If needed use a soft nylon bristle brush. Agitate the Woolite/water solution in small areas to work up a lot of foam, Don't use a lot of pressure let the foamy detergent do the work. Let the foam dwell for a minute or two and wipe up. Repeat as needed until clean. Don't over wet the leather and when clean wipe down the leather well with a wrung out microfiber towel to remove all traces of the detergent. Keep in mind that your are cleaning paint not your leather. What you see when you look at the leather is the painted urethane topcoat. This is really a thin coating so don't get aggressive or you will remove it and expose the split leather hide underneath.

Protecting -You can easily prevent dye transfer by using a water-based fluorocarbon protectant. A popular product is Leather Master Leather Protection Cream. This is not to be confused with a leather conditioner which will do nothing to prevent dye transfer. The protectant can be thought of as a sealant much as what you put on your paint. It will make your leather silky smooth and much easier to keep clean in the future.

 

i think i did the same thing ****ing meguiars ****ed it up it used to be nice light tan and now its darker my headrest and seat s what should i use to clean it and treat it

 

I bet you overlooked the warning on the back of the bottle that said to test in a small inconspicuous area before using. Many/most leather conditioners will darken leather. Usually they will lighten back up in a couple of days as the oils in them evaporate but you can also clean up the conditioner film with a product like Leather Masters Strong Leather Cleaner or Woolite Original mixed 1:10 or 1:20 in tap water. (1part Woolite to xx parts of water) The cleaner will remove the conditioners film and hasten the lightening of the leather. I don't recommend leather conditioners from any company for use on protected leather.

Next time try using Leather Masters Protection Cream to protect your leather. It is a-water based fluorocarbon product and doesn't darken protected leathers. It doesn't leave an oily slippery or grabby film on the leather to attract dirt like a conditioner will. It protects against stains and dye transfer which conditioners can't do. It leaves the seats feeling silky smooth and looking like new.

With any product you use on leather, test it first in a small inconspicuous area before committing.

PS: Meguiar's has a 100% product satisfaction guarantee. Call the 800 number listed on the bottle and speak with one of their car care specialists. They will take care of you.

 

My Lexus (less than a year old) has strange orange colored streaks on the driver's seat--ecru interior. One area is the side of the seat back that doesn't come into contact with anything, another between my legs, and a third at the edge of the seat by my knees. The dealer said Lexus is not responsible and tried to remove it but they only had it for a few minutes. The color and location make we wonder if there's something wrong with the leather or the foam beneath it. Has anyone ever seen streaks this color?

 

How about some pictures?

For starters I'd suggest cleaning the stains with a Woolite 10:1 mix or with Leather Masters Strong Leather Cleaner. If necessary use a soft nylon bristle brush. Are you sure this is not dye transfer from some item of clothing? If it is dye transfer, I'd suggest Leather Masters Super Remover. Dye transfer is more difficult to remove the longer it resides in the leather. The surface you are looking at is paint, a urethane topcoat which is absorbing the stain. If the dealer won't take responsibility, you could take photos and contact Lexus corporate. Document everything.

Dye transfers are very difficult to remove but easy to prevent. Apply Leather Masters Protection Cream and this will prevent future stains.

 

Thanks for the advice. I will try that, and will be in touch with Lexus directly. That's what the dealer said as well. I very much doubt it's a dye transfer as you will see if you can find the photos on another post.

 

The photos look more like a stain from maybe grease? That looks like an area that might have had a greasy hand touch it? Looks like it may have then been rubbed around in an attempt to remove it.

The coating on your leather appears intact and something has stained it. The longer the stain remains the deeper it penetrates that topcoat and more difficult it is to remove. I would be surprised if it can be completely removed.

That said, I'd give the Leather Masters Super Remover product a try. It should improve the appearance and may even remove the stain entirely. Test the LMSR in an inconspicuous place first to insure it is not going to damage the leather. I've used it on Lexus leathers with good results but I test every car I've used it on to be safe.

Apply the cleaner, agitate the area gently with a stiff nylon brush (like a fingernail brush) but be very gentle. Don't scrub, the goal is to work the chemical into the pores, not abrade the topcoat. Let the foamy LMSR dwell for a few minutes but not dry. Wipe up the residue with a soft white 100% cotton towel and inspect the towel to see of any of the stain color is being removed. Repeat this process until the stain color is no longer coming off onto the towel. It is imperative that you remove all traces of LMSR when finished as it will damage the leather if not removed completely. Do several wipedowns with a clean wrung out cotton towel paying special attention the seams and stitching. Try not to over-wet the leather, especially the perforated areas. When dry apply Leather Masters Leather Vital to the cleaned area.

That is about the extent of what you can safely do to clean the leather. Anything more aggressive approach will likely damage or compromise the leather topcoat. If this process fails to completely remove the stain you are no longer looking at cleaning but rather restoration.

If you try this, take pictures and keep us informed as to your progress. If restoration is needed you may need to find a local leather restoration pro. Lexus may have the name of the one they use. Restoration by a pro will be permanent and should look and act like new. It will be less expensive than a replacement.