Dedicated leather cleaners are worthless for...

Because the companies want you to keep trying therefore using more product and it never works anyways, but you're guaranteed to keep trying anyways. :props: Or it could be because companies don't expect you to buy the stuff unless you take care of your car anyways.
 
Can't really say for sure why but ever since I tried OPC it's like magic in a bottle! I've found so many uses for it!
 
Most of the common "OTC" leather cleaners I've come across seem to have been designed to be safe on any kind of leather, whether it's coated, aniline-dyed, alcantara, etc. since most people don't have enough knowledge about leather care to differentiate. Since some of these materials require a more gentle approach, the leather cleaners have to be a bit on the mild side.

On the other hand if you look at some of the more specialized products that are designed to treat specific types of soiling on specific types of leather, you'll typically find them more effective.

If you want to get REALLY technical, and get caught up in the debates over proper restoration of worn leather, head on over to autopia.org and look for posts by Roger Koh and Judyb (it's humorous to watch their discussions about the use of fatliquors to soften and rejuvenate hides), as well as some of David Fermani's threads discussing the subject. Seems that leather care has been a hot button issue over there lately.
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
If you want to get REALLY technical, and get caught up in the debates over proper restoration of worn leather, head on over to autopia.org and look for posts by Roger Koh and Judyb (it's humorous to watch their discussions about the use of fatliquors to soften and rejuvenate hides), as well as some of David Fermani's threads discussing the subject. Seems that leather care has been a hot button issue over there lately.
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If you sell leather care products (Roger, judyb), it is important to constantly promote the topic especially since they sell fairly high priced products. They are not going to tell you a cheaper product say Optimum Power Clean can safely clean leather if they are not selling it. This is all about marketing with words like fatilquors.

It is like the implied slam about "water based leather conditioners" by trying to imply many others are oil based. Most automotive leather care products are water based but many do contain oils (like Leather Masters) so plenty of marketing FUD.
 
Bunky said:
If you sell leather care products (Roger, judyb), it is important to constantly promote the topic especially since they sell fairly high priced products. They are not going to tell you a cheaper product say Optimum Power Clean can safely clean leather if they are not selling it. This is all about marketing with words like fatilquors.

So people post and post about certain subjects for "marketing purposes and to increase sales"????
all along I thought they weren't biased to a certain line ... SMH
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I've found that for a safe, effective and inexpensive leather cleaner you need look no further than Woolite diluted in the range of 1:6 or 1:10.

I apply this cleaner to a foam applicator, squeeze a few times to work up a rich, foamy lather and gently scrub. I let the foamy mixture dwell for a minute and wipe up the residue with a white cotton towel. I wipe with a wrung out towel to remove all traces of the detergent then buff dry with another towel.
 
07 z-oh-6 said:
any leather that's beyond lightly soiled. Why is this?
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Hi Mark.

I don't know if your at liberty to say or not, but what are the dedicated leather cleaners you are talking about that are lacking in their ability to clean leather that's beyond lightly soiled?.....I may not want to buy and use them, if you know what I mean. :)

On another note...What are some of the cleaning media that you find to clean leather that's beyond lightly soiled? Again, I'd like to add, only if you're at liberty to say so.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Bob
 
jfelbab said:
I've found that for a safe, effective and inexpensive leather cleaner you need look no further than Woolite diluted in the range of 1:6 or 1:10.

I apply this cleaner to a foam applicator, squeeze a few times to work up a rich, foamy lather and gently scrub. I let the foamy mixture dwell for a minute and wipe up the residue with a white cotton towel. I wipe with a wrung out towel to remove all traces of the detergent then buff dry with another towel.
Click to expand...
:dblthumb2:
 
Bunky said:
If you sell leather care products (Roger, judyb), it is important to constantly promote the topic especially since they sell fairly high priced products. They are not going to tell you a cheaper product say Optimum Power Clean can safely clean leather if they are not selling it. This is all about marketing with words like fatilquors.
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Oh say it isn't so...:laughing:

fredcandetail said:
So people post and post about certain subjects for "marketing purposes and to increase sales"????
all along I thought they weren't biased to a certain line ... SMH
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You got it. That's why you have to know the background of people. There are certain people that I take their word on products and a lot of people that I see as "selling something". Research people and products before you buy :xyxthumbs:.
 
FUNX725 said:
Hi Mark.

I don't know if your at liberty to say or not, but what are the dedicated leather cleaners you are talking about that are lacking in their ability to clean leather that's beyond lightly soiled?.....I may not want to buy and use them, if you know what I mean. :)

On another note...What are some of the cleaning media that you find to clean leather that's beyond lightly soiled? Again, I'd like to add, only if you're at liberty to say so.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Bob
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Hi Bob,

I've used Wolfgang leather cleaner, leather masters strong cleaner, and Four Star Leather cleaner. Their cleaning abilities are very weak, IMO. OPC cleans ten times better!

I use a leather scrub brush to clean moderate to heavily soiled leather.

:dblthumb2:
 
OPC or APC+ are magical at cleaning leather. That and we use these white eraser sponges... It's literally pure awesome.
 
Bunky said:
If you sell leather care products (Roger, judyb), it is important to constantly promote the topic especially since they sell fairly high priced products. They are not going to tell you a cheaper product say Optimum Power Clean can safely clean leather if they are not selling it. This is all about marketing with words like fatilquors.
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Exactly true... but even "marketing-centric" posts like theirs do sometimes provide some interesting insight to the science behind leather and its proper care.

The way I see it if you can glean something useful from those types of posts (for instance "use ____ because it has ____ in it, which is good because the leather needs ____") you can apply the important part to what you know about other, lesser priced or lesser discussed products.

I very rarely complain about marketing-type posts as long as they have some sort of information in them that I can use. When I have a problem with it is in cases where someone just says "Here, go use this... it's the best. Just trust me."
 
07 z-oh-6 said:
Hi Bob,

I've used Wolfgang leather cleaner, leather masters strong cleaner, and Four Star Leather cleaner. Their cleaning abilities are very weak, IMO. OPC cleans ten times better!

I use a leather scrub brush to clean moderate to heavily soiled leather.

:dblthumb2:
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Thanks for the info Mark. Even though I try to keep my personal vehicles' leather seating areas from becoming too soiled (although accidents do happen), I'll have to give OPC a try on other folks' more heavily soiled leather, and mine when those accidents do occur.

Bob
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
Exactly true... but even "marketing-centric" posts like theirs do sometimes provide some interesting insight to the science behind leather and its proper care.

The way I see it if you can glean something useful from those types of posts (for instance "use ____ because it has ____ in it, which is good because the leather needs ____") you can apply the important part to what you know about other, lesser priced or lesser discussed products.

I very rarely complain about marketing-type posts as long as they have some sort of information in them that I can use. When I have a problem with it is in cases where someone just says "Here, go use this... it's the best. Just trust me."
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So true, Charlie. Good post!

I never complain when, how, or by whom information is given.......I take that info as a "research project" and balance it against other sources, and/or any experiences I may have, before making a command decision to use/not use a particular product. No use in trying to credit/discredit someone or their products....their minds are already made up. :)

P.S. I don't know about you, but, I hope I'm not getting involved in another of Mark's protracted leather-care threads!:D

Bob
 
fredcandetail said:
Can't really say for sure why but ever since I tried OPC it's like magic in a bottle! I've found so many uses for it!
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I thought in another thread you said you were throwing out your Optimum stuff? Glad you came back around.
 
I tend to agree but with my personal twist, I'm an older, ADD, IT person who is always doing 3 things at once (sometimes not all too well) anyhow I've found that while APC's can be used for some many differnt things at the right dilution, I clean my BBQ and overhead stove top hood with them, I forget too often that I did that. I have learned over the years that products that are made to safely clean something are best of me and I have to accept the cost and the more frequent use as they are milder and safer. Hence why I use the boutique cleaners. I'm not to ashamed to say I ruined a Fuchs alloy years ago using an acid wheel cleaner because I forgot I sprayed it and let is dry too much, same scenario different product but why I play it safe.
 
I keep my leather clean so I can't comment on moderate or heavy soiled leather cleaning too much... i think it's a safety thing though, if the cleaners were stronger and people ruined their leather they would all be upset with ABC company. Most just see leather as leather, they dont realize there are differences in the way they are treated and need specific care.

I've used the regular Leather Master kit and it worked very well on my steering wheel. That was probably the dirtiest of any leather I had in my cars.
 
lets keep this topic on track and factual to the best of all our abilities.
 
I find that Ultima Interior gel works really well on moderately dirty gunked up leather. I was actually very surprised when I saw a review posted by one of the guys that works at AG. His pictures spoke a thousand words and I picked it up shortly there after. I know have 3 bottles. I have found it to have very strong cleaning ability when used with the correct wash media. (ie: short bristle meduim stiff leather brush) I just ordered the Sonus line and am going to soon test there leather cleaner.

The good thing about the Ultima cleaner is that it doesn't need to be rinsed. its also PH Nuetral, so you know it wont be dangerous to some shady leather.
 
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