Cleaning extremely soiled leather seats

[tampatopless]

I have some extremely soiled leather seats (I work in construction) that I need to clean.

I have been doing a lot of research here on AutoGeek and it seems the best plan of attack is to hit them with a degreaser and a brush, followed by conditioner, etc.

Everyone cleaning extremely dirty leather seems to use Meg's D10801, but this stuff is $32 a gallon. I was wondering if there was anything as strong that was cheaper. Plus, the way you dilute the Meg's, I can't imagine using a gallon of it on anything. I don't use APCs all that much.

Any recommendations?

Tx. in advance.

 

[GSKR]

Simply buy something in a smaller quantity. Ultima interior gel is 12.00 but you can agitate with a leather cleaning brush and its not risky of removing dye.

 

[dcjredline]

McKee's APC, Optimum Power Clean.

As always test in an inconspicuous area before spraying down a soiled seat with whatever you buy

 

[WRAPT C5Z06]

Steamer

 

[Natron]

Our method here is to use Megs D181, gentle agitation, and absorb with cotton towels. On heavily soiled seats we keep repeating the process until the seats look their best or the absorbtion towels come clean. We start low, and work our way up, wetting evenly to avoid streaking. Areas of caution: 1) document wear and cracks on V.I.F. (with the customer) they will stand out more once seat is cleaned. 2) Recognize if the seat has been refinished. It may not clean well and is likely to come off easily. 3) Agitation is key, power brushes save lots of time, BUT IT IS EASIER THAN MANY PEOPLE THINK TO WEAR THROUGH THE FINISH. For us the Megs is the way to go. We did several comparisons with different APCs, and the D181 outperformed them to the point that its worth it to us. Good luck, Nathan.

 

[Nick McKees37]

I have some extremely soiled leather seats (I work in construction) that I need to clean.

I have been doing a lot of research here on AutoGeek and it seems the best plan of attack is to hit them with a degreaser and a brush, followed by conditioner, etc.

Everyone cleaning extremely dirty leather seems to use Meg's D10801, but this stuff is $32 a gallon. I was wondering if there was anything as strong that was cheaper. Plus, the way you dilute the Meg's, I can't imagine using a gallon of it on anything. I don't use APCs all that much.

Any recommendations?

Tx. in advance.

I encountered something similar a couple years ago. I never thought I would be so excited to clean absolutely FILTHY leather!

Hi-Intensity APC Plus VS. 10 Year Old Leather Seats

Please note that DP is now McKee's 37

DP Hi-Intensity APC Plus - 10:1 for interior cleaning

DP Hi-Intensity APC Plus is a concentrated cleaner. When a powerful cleaner is needed for engines, tires, and fender wells – dilute 4:1. For light to moderate dirt and grime inside the vehicle, dilute 10:1.

To clean the leather seats in the Corolla, I diluted the cleaner 10:1 with water in our 36 ounce Detail Bottle. To avoid creating a mess, I attached one of our Threaded Refill Funnels. These are nice to have, and they always come in handy when you need them.

What I love about this bottle is the fact that it makes chemicals easy to measure because all the popular dilution ratios are listed on the side.

Add water and voila! You have 36 ounces of ready-to-use interior cleaner.

Let the cleaning begin....

To create a powerful before and after photo, I put a piece of tape down to show the dramatic before and after difference.

Whenever you're cleaning something this filthy, you need to spray a liberal amount of cleaner directly onto the surface. I let the cleaner dwell for a couple minutes before agitating.

I like to use our 1 inch Round Detailing Brush to clean the cracks and crevices first.

The rest of the seat was cleaned using a Waffle Weave Glass Towel. Note: this is not the towel I would normally use to clean leather seats, however with it being white I knew it would show the amount of dirt and grime pulled off the surface.

Finished product

After a couple minutes of scrubbing I pulled the tape line back and admired my work. The difference is HUGE.

Plus it's a fantastic value...

McKee's 37 Hi-Intensity All Purpose Cleaner Plus 128 oz.

:dblthumb2:

 

[GSKR]

Very good product from mckees.