Help with leather seats

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Z06-Goose

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This afternoon I started to work on the interior of a 96-97 Cadillac STS?
The seats and interior in this thing are nasty!
I worked on the front seats today, and need to finish the driver's side that looks like it's going to be a challenge

I used Lexol Leather Cleaning for this job, aided by some warm water to remove. I repeat this process twice, but I still feel like I'm not there yet
I have Lexol and Duragloss Leather Conditioners as well

After you look at the after pics, you can see I still have some blemishes left that could still be cleaned out

What helpful tips can you guys give me to get me over the hump on this one. I also have a bottle of Duragloss Leather Shampoo I could use, but short of having to buy another product (car's gotta be done tomorrow) what should I do to bring it up to par?

Not an easy task. See the before pics, and the rear seats I'm yet to do for tomorrow! :eek:

Driver's side before:

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Driver's side after:
(Same pics, just the flash showing stuff you can hardly see with the naked eye, but still bugs me) At the time of the pics, the seats were noy fully dry-

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Passenger's side after: -Came out better than the driver's side-

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A glimpse of what awaits me tomorrow: :eek:

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brother that is some NASTY stuff!!! i feel for you... um i would spray tons of leather cleaner let it soak, get a stiff brush... spray it down then throw some elbow grease into it. if it's old leather, you have to be careful on how aggressive with the brush, im talking a brush you would use to work carpet of the vehicle.
 
oh ya, i hope you charge alot for cleaning those seats.... they look really good for the b/a
 
woooow those are the dirtiest seats i have ever seen, you might have to try other products, i dont know of any quick fixes. im sure some one else will chime in.
 
You brought the fronts along good. I agree with Dust2Glory on the stiff brush. It should take out some of the remaining scuffs in the front. Lexol cleaner with a brush has taken out stains that i couldn't get out with other cleaners. Another last resort tool that I've used is a stiff little pad covered in a fine mesh for stubborn spots.
 
Dust2Glory said:
brother that is some NASTY stuff!!! i feel for you... um i would spray tons of leather cleaner let it soak, get a stiff brush... spray it down then throw some elbow grease into it. if it's old leather, you have to be careful on how aggressive with the brush, im talking a brush you would use to work carpet of the vehicle.
Click to expand...
:iagree: Just be carefull not to rub the coating off.
 
Jimmie said:
You brought the fronts along good. I agree with Dust2Glory on the stiff brush. It should take out some of the remaining scuffs in the front. Lexol cleaner with a brush has taken out stains that i couldn't get out with other cleaners. Another last resort tool that I've used is a stiff little pad covered in a fine mesh for stubborn spots.
Click to expand...
I do have a Meguiar's brush that has a yellow half, and a tan side. One side is softer that the other, I guess I could carefully give it a shot. The meshed sponge also crossed my mind
I would give it another shot in the morning once they're completely dry. Those little blems aren't so visible by the naked eye, just the camera flash will expose it, and then you know is there :(
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm charging $200.00 including the carpet. I should've assessed the condition better before the quote. The owner is a heavy smoker
 
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I've had good results with the magic eraser and then using a leather conditioner. If that doesn't work and you wanna go medieval on it try Go-jo ( or any other orange pumice ) and rub it in by hand and rinse away with damp cloth and use leather conditioner. just my 2 cents ... some my not agree with my methods
 
A steamer - has a multitude of functions for leather; interior doors, leather and vinyl upholstery clean exceptionally well with steam, it will loosen up the deep ground in grime that normal cleaning could not get to and emulsify most types of dirt and grime that gets into the cup holders, seams and grooves, between cushion coffee spills, etc.

The steamer will ease out wrinkles and the heat generated will open the pores of leather just before the application of a conditioner - http://www.vaporcleanproducts.com/steam_auto_detailing.htm

Alternative product- (use with caution by trying it on an inconspicuous area first)
a) Mr Clean Magic Eraser Cleaning Pads
 
For nasty seats like this. I use a APC cleaner diluted 10:1 or some type of leather/vinyl cleaner and use a light duty white scotch brite pad and scrub the crap out of it. I have had really good luck witht his method. The scotch brite pad really gets the dirt out without harming the leather at all. I use them for the whole interior. You can pick up a couple pads at any hardware store.
 
I dont like using a degreaser on leather. I know some people use Woolite, might want to try that 10:1.
 
Dust2Glory said:
too much APC will dry out leather bad
Click to expand...

All Purpose Cleaner (APC) - Leather should be cleaned with a product in the pH 5 to 5.5 range. That's actually a mildly acidic solution. Most multi-purpose cleaners and spot removers have a pH of 12 to 13. If you spray a multi-purpose, high pH cleaner on leather and buff with a dry cloth, the cloth will often turn brown. Most people will believe its dirt coming out of the hide; it's not dirt, its tanning agents. You’re actually de-tanning the hide
 
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