Leather care

J

jjj

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Hey all. I had a question about how you prefer or what you think best for leather. Do you guys seal leather or condition? If you choose one over the other please expand. I do both depending on condition. If leather is dry, I condition and rejuvenate. Then seal when leather is in decent condition down the road. I am a little new to the sealing leather world, but so far it seems to work. I just want to double check my work.

Thanks
 
These are the ones I use.
Leather Masters
SONAX Leather Foam is a premium leather cleaner and conditioner
1Z einszett Plastic Deep Cleaner
 
Thanks for info! No one else has input on leather maintenance. Just trying to gain insight on correct process(s)
 
Keep your leather clean by protecting it with a leather protector and then regular cleaning.
Adding 'conditioners' which generally contain oils and waxes will change the appearance of your leather over time as dirt will build up on the surface and cause a sheen.

Using the correct care methods and products will not alter the factory finish.

The type of leather you have is 'coated' leather. This is essentially a 'painted' leather
with a clear coat finish over the top. The leather may or may not be dyed through with
aniline dyes prior to the finish coating.

Essentially it is this top coating that needs looking after.
Cleaning is vitally important as the top coat will wear away if allowed to become dirty.
Dirt on the surface will also become ground into the finish by constant abrassion.

'Conditioners', balms, feeds etc (traditionally oil and wax based) cannot penetrate this
finish so are not worth applying - they can also leave behind residues on the finish which will only attract more dirt if allowed to remain. 'Conditioners' will not do any
protecting on leather even if they say they do as there will not be enough active
ingredient in them to do anything.

A protector will make the finish easier to clean and also inhibit dye transfer etc
on pale coloured leathers.

Leather however finished has to remain breathable and it will allow the movement of
moisture back and forth (transpiration) so the use of water based cleaners and
protectors will keep the leather correctly hydrated which is essentail to keeping it in
good condition.

Leather needs a little regular care and attention and this can be done with a maintenance product rather than a deep clean which you would then only need to do once or twice a year depending on usage and colour.
You will find that detergent style cleaners will remove the protection applied so you would need to reprotect each time you clean.
A maintenance product like Auto Ultra Maintain helps to retain the protection rather than remove it so a reapplication of protector is only required after a deep clean.
Whilst individual products may be effective if they have not been tested together you may find they are counter productive

The routine for correct care should be

Protect from new
Maintain with a regular clean or maintenance product
Deep clean with a foam cleaner once or twice a year

Simple steps of cleaning & protecting will prolong the life of the finish on the leather

Hope this helps
Judyb
 
Thanks for all the info. It will def make for a more productive detail!
 
Does anyone condition then seal or just one or the other?
 
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