Critical Details: Interior Auto Detailing Tips - How To Clean Leather

[CriticalDetails]

Is My Leather Healthy?

Over time, body oils, skin care products and other contamination (clothing dye, dirt, dust, etc) accumulate on leather surfaces. It is important to frequently remove these contaminants in order to prevent premature leather wear. Shiny leather is unhealthy leather!

Equally important to regular maintenance are the products and tools used to clean leather surfaces. At Critical Details we use PH balanced leather cleaners combined with the power of steam to safely deep clean leather surfaces. After cleaning we apply a premium leather protectant, which unlike traditional leather conditioners does not promote resoiling. A majority of today’s automotive leather is clear coated much like a vehicle’s paint and prevents conditioners from absorbing into the leather. Instead leather conditioners sit on top of the coating acting as a dust magnet.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY52WnRlvoY]Interior Auto Detailing Tips: How To Clean Leather - Critical Details - YouTube[/video]

 

[Chris@AutoCleanse]

Great video, thanks for sharing, just curious what type of conditioner you using, if you don't mind me asking.

 

[Harry Da Hamster]

Thanks for the vid. Which steamer?

 

[CriticalDetails]

Great video, thanks for sharing, just curious what type of conditioner you using, if you don't mind me asking.

Thanks. I am using Optimum Protectant Plus.

Thanks for the vid. Which steamer?

You're welcome. I use a Daimer 300cs steam cleaner.

 

[CriticalDetails]

I used the same method featured in my leather cleaning video to clean these Cadillac Escalade seats.

 

[Regency]

Great video man.

 

[rjd598]

What apc?

 

[zmcgovern45]

Well great... now I want a steamer. Gosh... I swear I am never logging onto these forums again.

:joking:

 

[Pats300zx]

Great video. Thanks for sharing !!!!

 

[sproketser]

Great job & know how to mate .

 

[Radarryan]

Well great... now I want a steamer. Gosh... I swear I am never logging onto these forums again.

:joking:

Lol when I saw the 50/50 shot, I thought, "well, at least I'm earning miles..."

Don't think I can justify it since I just do my cars but, man, that looked good!

 

[Corey@OptimalDetailing]

What a turnaround on those Escalade seats. Great looking method, need to try it if I can find a steamer that won't break the bank.

 

[CriticalDetails]

Great video man.

Thank you.

What apc?

Optimum Power Clean diluted 6/1.

Well great... now I want a steamer. Gosh... I swear I am never logging onto these forums again.

:joking:

That is how I felt until I bought my Rupes polisher the other month. Steamers are also great for cleaning door jambs and cup holders that have been holding more than drinks. It is always a treat when a cup holder is filled with melted candy and you can't even tell what kind of candy it originally was.

Great video. Thanks for sharing !!!!

You're welcome. I am glad that you enjoyed my detailing video.

Great job & know how to mate .

Thanks. I have been using this method for about two years now. Having a steamer really cuts down on the amount of scrubbing required to clean soiled leather seats.

Lol when I saw the 50/50 shot, I thought, "well, at least I'm earning miles..."

Don't think I can justify it since I just do my cars but, man, that looked good!

Thank you for watching.

Steam cleaners are a little easier to justify for personal use than extractors. However steam cleaners are still a big ticket detailing item starting at $500+.

What a turnaround on those Escalade seats. Great looking method, need to try it if I can find a steamer that won't break the bank.

Steam cleaners are pricey and sometimes I wish that I bought the next model up. The 300cs has plenty of power but it would be nice to have the hot water injection feature sometimes.

The VX500 is a pretty good steamer and it starts at roughly $500. It is important to remember that the max PSI output rating on a steamer is only for a few seconds. The pressure quickly drops off until the boiler can re-pressurize. On the max setting my steamer it provides about 1 to 2 minutes of steam before I have to wait about 30 seconds for the boiler to build up pressure again.

 

[JSou]

The same technique I use. Awesome and informative video. I will have to share this.

 

[CriticalDetails]

The same technique I use. Awesome and informative video. I will have to share this.

This is definitely one of the more efficient ways to clean leather. Feel free to repost or retweet this video. I added this video to my interior services page on my website to help potential customers better understand the detailing process. Sometimes customers are shocked not by the cost but by the amount of time required to fully detail the interior of a vehicle.

 

[sn0w]

Lol when I saw the 50/50 shot, I thought, "well, at least I'm earning miles..."

Don't think I can justify it since I just do my cars but, man, that looked good!

Check out harbor freight, add in the 25% coupon at slick deals and you have a entry level steamer

 

[Kappy]

Check out harbor freight, add in the 25% coupon at slick deals and you have a entry level steamer

What are their products like? I just discovered that a Harbor Freight opened a few miles from where I live. Uh, oh.

I looked at their steamer and it doesn't get as hot as the more expensive ones, but still got very good reviews.

 

[sn0w]

Cheap mostly... the da polisher there is money though - big thread on it and I can personally recommend them as well...

will be picking up a steamer and roller seats there shortly

 

[CriticalDetails]

There are definitely different classifications for steam cleaners: consumer, commercial and Industrial. Each which have their place. For personal use, a consumer grade steam cleaner will work just fine. However I would not recommend a consumer grade steam cleaner to a professional detailer. At times, I have spent well over an hour steam cleaning neglected door jambs with a commercial grade steam cleaner.

The McCulloch steam cleaner (consumer model) has a maximum steam time of 45 minutes which means on the maximum setting you may see 20 minutes of steam. If I don’t refill my water reservoir and let the boiler drain, the 300CS provides about an hour of steam on the maximum setting. Continuous fill steam cleaners like the 300CS, do not list the max operation time because you will have an endless supply of steam.

The VX5000 steam cleaner seems to be the tipping point from consumer grade to commercial grade steam cleaners. The VX5000 costs roughly $800, and has a 4 liter boiler compared to the McCulloch which costs roughly $100, and has a 1.5 liter boiler. The VX5000 also offers 65psi of steam while the McCulloch only offers 35psi of steam. What manufacturers do not mention, is that the overall PSI rating, and the pressure will decrease to almost half the max listed PSI after the trigger has been pressed for close to a minute. The VX5000 is a great entry level commercial steam cleaner which is not to say it is inexpensive. A few hundred more dollars and you can pick up a steam cleaner that has more PSI and a continuous fill boiler, which the VX5000 does not have.

For the majority of professional detailers, a commercial grade steam cleaner ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 will be more than adequate. However there are some detailers that require an industrial grade steam cleaner such as an Optima DM. The Optima DM has a 20 liter boiler compared to the average 4 liter boiler found on commercial grade steam cleaners. The Optima DM also boasts an impressive 116psi which is 40psi more than most commercial grade steam cleaners. Detailing businesses that clean heavy equipment or provide exterior steam washes need an industrial grade steam cleaner.

Time is money but money is a definite consideration when it comes to detailing and purchasing a steam cleaner. A commercial grade steam cleaner will save you countless hours of labor and pay for itself over time.

 

[CriticalDetails]

I looked at their steamer and it doesn't get as hot as the more expensive ones, but still got very good reviews.

Yep, you will find that Consumer grade steam cleaners typically produce steam with a maximum temperature of 200F and commercial grade steam cleaners produce steam with a maximum temperature of over 300F.

The hotter steam of a commercial grade steam cleaner has less humidity than the cooler steam of a consumer grade model. The importance of humidity level comes in when used on moisture sensitive areas such as the headliner but again this must all be balanced with cost.