Rhambler

What can I expect in terms of leather water on the seats?

That's one thing my previous car did well was hold up on ten year's of use without much leather wear. Of course, it was wrinkled in places, but it never faded.

I've read stories about interiors prematurely aging, but again, those were just stories. How are your leather seats holding up?

What products do people use in terms of care, cleaning and protection?

tradosauru

After much research I use a 1:10 solution of Woolite (clothes detergent). Wipe down seats and dry off using clean cloth.

Lexuslsguy

I use the Lexol products with great success. It's better to use a cleaner that is PH balanced and always condition the leather after cleaning. I recommend conditioning once every two weeks to maintain ideal longevity. There are many out there that are good but homegrown solutions are often too harsh and harm the leather in the long run.

DJWLDW

I have been using the Griot's Leather Care Spray and have been very happy with the results.

Dennis

R Z

I too am a fan of Lexol cleaner and conditioner.

roadfrog

Ditto on Lexol. They've been around forever and are a trusted, established brand. My leather is still in mint condition....100k miles and 8 years.

Mob4life

So could you please break down exactly how you clean your seats for it it to be in mint condition? I would greatly appreciate it. That's what I want out of my seats as well.

roadfrog

This is my regimen.....

I use the Lexol leather cleaner several times a year. I use it to just CLEAN the leather. Then I follow up with the Lexol leather conditioner which I also use more frequently (not just after cleaning). Since I have not found any definitive information as to whether Lexol contains UV inhibitors, I apply 303 Aersopace Protectant on the leather and the rest of my interior (dash, door panels etc), several times per year. If you aren't familiar with 303 Aerospace Protectant, it is a VERY good product which is not cheap, but it is also one of the very few products on the market that are specifically named by manufacturers of convertible tops, hot tub companies, etc etc. It's THAT good.

sdwtchlvr

iTrader: (1)

Lexol followed up by Zaino Leather in a Bottle for me.

dal20402

There are several products which are good. Lexol and Leather Master are two names that come quickly to mind. Use only a product which is formulated specifically for leather -- never a vinyl or multi-purpose "protectant."

Cleaning the leather properly is more important than conditioning. Apply your soap using a moist cloth and gently buff, particularly in sensitive areas like the driver's bottom cushion, steering wheel, and shifter. Then "rinse" with another moist cloth with no soap, and repeat until the soap is off. Don't use too much water on your cloths; after this process, your leather should have only a very light coating of water on it, which should evaporate naturally in a couple of minutes. Your leather should have a matte, like-new look after cleaning. If it's shiny, it's still dirty; clean again.

Condition only when clean. Conditioners are designed to be absorbed by the leather (although it's difficult to make that happen if your leather is in good shape and is not the upgraded semi-aniline stuff). If you condition when the leather is still dirty, the leather will absorb the dirt, which will shorten its life and lead to premature cracking. My view is that conditioning without proper cleaning is the culprit in most cases where someone complains "I conditioned my leather religiously and it's cracking after less than 10 years."

These methods work for me. My 2013 Forester, used for harsh kidmobile/snow/mud duty, has light grey leather that looks like new after three years and close to 30k miles. My 1995 Acura Legend with 185,000 miles (pictured) has only slight wear on the driver's seat bolster and one tiny, near-invisible crack. My LS's leather looks literally brand-new, although it's had an easy life (only 46k miles).

1995 Legend L by dal20402, on Flickr

tradosauru

Note that the Lexus Owner's manual recommends using a mild wool detergent solution also. This is why I use a diluted bottle of Woolite.

dlbuckls10

I basically clean my leather seats with warm water and I wipe them down with basic leather protectant. My LS is almost 6 years the leather still looks and smells new. Tinted windows also helps. A home garage or parking garage really helps. Heat builds up when parked in the sun all day and that can do a lot of damage to the leather over a period of time, especially in the south.

roadfrog

Defnitely suitable for cleaning, but no UV protection or conditioning of the leather. FWIW, Lexus dealers in my area sell Lexol.

Rhambler

Yeah, my Acura seats endured for a long time. That's one nice thing about that Honda.

Of course, I did try to condition it, but not as often as I should and I kind of ignored it until it started showing some signs of wear.

I want these seats to look new as long as possible and I'm trying to be proactive. I'm going to try some of the products and techniques people suggested!

tlk2megoos

+100 to dal

But I am going against the grain here and don't like Lexol at all. The soap is too drying and hard to get off while the conditioner is too oily and does not spread well.

Instead, I just use a soft cloth with warm water to clean, and if necessary (very rarely) to get hard stains out, I will use a diluted concentration of equestrian shampoo to clean stained areas (jeans suck on light leather). This is far better than any leather care product I've purchased in treating leather interiors, laminated or not. To condition, I use Leather Masters. It goes on and spreads well without leaving an oily/sticky residue like most products, and leaves the leather soft. Just be careful as some products use the oil to mask the accelerated drying that will occur due to the other chemicals present in the product. You will know because you will find yourself often reapplying these in a shorter and shorter time frame.