* * * LEATHER CARE * * *
Leather requires Hydration more than anything, since it was originally the hide of an organic mammal and a mammal's cells are composed of more than 85% water.
* * Quick Note: I have received this information from a few sources over time. One of which was a few very high end leather garment crafters who use a much higher quality and thus more delicate leather. Another source was having conversations with many leather restoration experts for vintage furniture. I understand automotive leather is coated in various ways, but the following is wholly applicable in all of my and many other detailers findings.
Therefore, to effectively clean the surface and remove the dirt from within the pores of the leather hide, these pores need to be refreshed (opened back up) with hydration.
This may seem counter intuitive to hydrate before cleaning, but think of it like carpet cleaning. You would vacumn and fluff of the fibers of a SUPER worn drivers floor mat before using an extractor right? why? --to access and CLEAN the areas beneath the surface.. those fibers that are trapped beneath the matted down carpet.
Leather works like the pores of your skin. Whenever somebody goes in for a hand shave the first thing the barber does is to apply a PIPING HOT towel to the face...why??? To loosen up the pores which contain the folicles of facial hair.. This is done so that when the razor passes over the folicles, lifting the individual hairs, it is able to lift them just that tad big higher [due to the opening up of the skins pores due to heat] and make a closer shave.
Similarly, in order to access the deep down dirt the pores of leather's pores need to be woken up by being hydrated. When they are hydrated [woken up] they open up like a tulip and the inner most part of them is exposed. This is when it is simple to clean leather. The reason old neglected leather is such a burden to clean is because the pores are dehydrated and they almost lock in dirt like a closed tulip.
Therefore, the best systems of cleaning leather will incorporate this into the methodology. This is why the dedicated companies that do this offer two products, often quite expensive: One to hydrate, the second to clean.
All being said the best methodology to clean and protect for the long haul is:
1] Hydrate the leather to access the pores
2] Clean out the dirt from all parts of the now hydrated pores.
3] RE-Hydrate again to compensate for the cleaning agent and to offer that vital mositure to keep the leather supple and, well -- leather like
4] Hydrate leather seats once a quarter [every 3 months]- this can be as quick as 10 mins a seat. But frequent car care is easy car care. And if this it done the seats will forever remain soft, supple and wont age or crack as most neglected leather does.
5] --OPTIONAL BUT HIGHLY BENEFICIAL -- Perform a DEEP hydration once a year with a deep cleaning... this will be your spring cleaning of sorts and will keep it PRISTINE looking.
hope this provides a little insight as to how leather functions
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