Leather Cleaning

[L494]

Afternoon all,

My Range Rover Sport has just over 20k miles and has never gotten an interior detail before.. Thankfully?

the leather seats are absolutely perfect, matte colored and not a spot of armor all shine anywhere.

My question would be, how should I actually clean these seats and keep them conditioned? I would really hate to lose the pristine look of the seats.

I've tried a damp micro fiber cloth, and that actually cleaned most of any spots on the white parts of the leather, and entirely cleaned the black leather seats. But, I am worried about how to condition the leather or if this will eventually damage the seats.

PS:

on my 1991, the leather is both quite hard and glossy on the front seats, unlike the rear which is soft (but still glossy), is there any way to fix this?

thanks,

Rob

 

[Bill D]

I would look into Leather Master’s line of products. They have something for all kinds of leather needs. You can find them right here on Autogeek

 

[L494]

Well that doesn't really answer my question..

I look online and there's all these people using steam, brushes, some kind of soaps.. and not just an all in one product.

I'm looking for someone that wanted the same finish, found a way to make it happen, and has documented it.

Thanks for your reply and I will indeed look into their line,

Rob

 

[machz]

In my Audi I use Pinnacle Leather & Vinyl Cleaner and so far it looks like the day I brought it home. It does a great job of cleaning Jean stains on the seat without changing the look. I like the factory look with no shine so I use this on the leather and Nextzett Cockpit Premium Interior Plastic Cleaner on everything else. I also just picked up McKee’s 37 FAST Interior Detailer and so far it looks good but I want to test it a little longer in the wife's car first.

I have not used a conditioner as I normally keep my cars for a short period (2-4 years)and I have yet to find a true leather conditioner that does not change the look at all. I travel to Germany often and have a friend at the Audi factory. I spoke to an engineer and they recommend only a damp cloth for normal cleaning. He said even the real leather seats are coated and will last the life of the cars.

 

[cwp2016nd]

I typically use Mckees 37 high intensity APC diluted either 10:1 or 15:1 depending on how dirty it is. I aggitate with a soft bristle brush and dry. Then use a leather conditioner of your choice. Wolfgang is a solid choice as well as Mckees 37.

I will typically clean my interior like this once every 3 months or so. In between I wipe everything down with an interior detailer.

 

[L494]

Thank you machz, I'll try your products first.

I keep my cars for a pretty long time (take for example my Discovery, I am the first and sole owner of it) so I'd like to keep it perfect as long as I can.

cwp, will the APC help with shiny old leather? I've heard it being used to bring leather back to its original self.

 

[Breese147]

APC should help remove that shine/body oils. Start at 15:1 and then go up. For that I would also recommend a soft boars hair interior brush to agitate safely.


Sent from my iPhone using Autogeekonline mobile app

 

[cwp2016nd]

Thank you machz, I'll try your products first.

I keep my cars for a pretty long time (take for example my Discovery, I am the first and sole owner of it) so I'd like to keep it perfect as long as I can.

cwp, will the APC help with shiny old leather? I've heard it being used to bring leather back to its original self.

Yes it will. I wish I took more pictures so I could post one.

If you clean old shiny leather with a diluted APC then it will restore the color and feel back to the leather. The sheen is from body oils and dirt making it appear shiny. Clean leather should just be black (or tan, grey etc.)

 

[UncleDavy]

For cleaning I have found that Ultimate Interior Shampoo Gel with a soft Sonax brush works the best. Work one small section at a time and wipe up the residue with a white terry towel.

 

[Desertnate]

I've used McKee's 37 All In One Leather Lotion for several years and really liked it. Easy to use, one-step, product.

Looking at the McKee's product page, I'm not sure if it is available any longer. It's not listed by that name and the "Leather Conditioner" page seems to use the leather lotion name in the product copy right along with "conditioner", which might be a new naming of the same product. It's rather jumbled and confusing.

 

[The Guz]

Check out this thread that Mike wrote. Simple and effective products.

Review: GYEON Q2M Leather Cleaner and GYEON Q2 Leather Coat by Mike Phillips

There is also the option of applying a coating to the leather once cleaned. Both of these perform well.

Review - Gyeon Leather Shield (Leather Coating)

Review - CarPro Cquartz Leather Coating

I've used McKee's 37 All In One Leather Lotion for several years and really liked it. Easy to use, one-step, product.

Looking at the McKee's product page, I'm not sure if it is available any longer. It's not listed by that name and the "Leather Conditioner" page seems to use the leather lotion name in the product copy right along with "conditioner", which might be a new naming of the same product. It's rather jumbled and confusing.

It was discontinued and replaced by the new leather products.

 

[mk9750]

I've used McKee's 37 All In One Leather Lotion for several years and really liked it. Easy to use, one-step, product.

Looking at the McKee's product page, I'm not sure if it is available any longer. It's not listed by that name and the "Leather Conditioner" page seems to use the leather lotion name in the product copy right along with "conditioner", which might be a new naming of the same product. It's rather jumbled and confusing.

Desertnate - My suspicion is that their 70/30 leather product might cover that space now. Take a look. It might be what you are looking for. I just used it last night on one seat, and Blackfire's all in one leather cleaner on the other to compare. So far, like the aroma of the McKee's better. They have about the same appearance after application. I think the McKee's seat feels better, but I can't describe what I mean by better, and it might be a prejudice I have for McKee's products. I'll see how they both look after a week or so.

 

[Desertnate]

It was discontinued and replaced by the new leather products.

Desertnate - My suspicion is that their 70/30 leather product might cover that space now. Take a look. It might be what you are looking for. I just used it last night on one seat, and Blackfire's all in one leather cleaner on the other to compare. So far, like the aroma of the McKee's better. They have about the same appearance after application. I think the McKee's seat feels better, but I can't describe what I mean by better, and it might be a prejudice I have for McKee's products. I'll see how they both look after a week or so.

Thanks, guys.

After reading the product descriptions on both, I think the all in one has been broken apart into two distinct products, a cleaner and a conditioner. The part which confused me at first is found in the middle of the conditioner's product description here at AG

McKee's 37 All-In-One Leather Lotion is not a magical cream that restores older, neglected leather to like new-condition – the truth is, such a product does not exist. What it is designed to do is PREVENT long-term leather deterioration from happening in the first place. We know your time is valuable, which is why we created a product that cleans, conditions, AND protects in one step. Here's the kicker: you actually have to use McKee's 37 Leather Conditioner in order to reap the benefits!

Both names are used in the same paragraph!

OP: Sorry for the confusion. I'll withdraw my recomendation since the product isn't made any longer. Looks like I'll be looking for an new product once this bottle runs out.

 

[DaveT435]

I’ve used Wolfgang leather cleaner followed by Wolfgang leather treatment. It leaves the seats like new. No shine, just natural leather look and feel. I’m currently using Sonax cleaner and treatment with similar results. Most quality leather cleaners and treatment products are going to leave the leather like new, not with any kind of shine or greasy feel.