Which is better for Leather ?

Largebore

Largebore

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Is using a Leather Cleaner followed up with a Leather Conditioner better than using a Leather Cleaner Combo product?
 
I tried optimum protectant plus and leather master combo. I prefer the opp. Will be trying leatherique pristine clean soon.
 
Depends... If the leather is in a sorry state or has been neglected it's worth using a dedicated cleaner first, then a conditioner. If you are on top of it and all your car needs is routine maintenance on already well maintained car a AIO leather cleaner and conditioner is more than adequate.
 
I've heard that "coated" leather seats (which 95% of the cars we drive around have) are only in need of a cleaning agent. I've also been told that a conditioning step on such "coated" leather seating would be essentially pointless since the conditioner wouldn't be able to penetrate the leather.

I could use some clarification on this topic as well.
 
gatoman39 said:
Depends... If the leather is in a sorry state or has been neglected it's worth using a dedicated cleaner first, then a conditioner. If you are on top of it and all your car needs is routine maintenance on already well maintained car a AIO leather cleaner and conditioner is more than adequate.
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I have both dedicated and AIO and typically reach for the dedicated product for annual clean up and then use AIO thorought the year unless I get some unusual dirt etc. But I do so not from knowledge just because it seems right.

So my questions are still;
Will a dedicated cleaner do a more effective job of cleaning than the AIO product ?
Will a dedicated conditioner do a better job than the AIO product ?
 
Mild soap & water is all you need to clean automotive leather seating surfaces.
 
TimmyG said:
I've heard that "coated" leather seats (which 95% of the cars we drive around have) are only in need of a cleaning agent. I've also been told that a conditioning step on such "coated" leather seating would be essentially pointless since the conditioner wouldn't be able to penetrate the leather.

I could use some clarification on this topic as well.
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Read here, this will explain it much better than I can...
Leather Upholstery Type Surface Identification



Largebore said:
So my questions are still;
Will a dedicated cleaner do a more effective job of cleaning than the AIO product ?
Will a dedicated conditioner do a better job than the AIO product ?
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The answer to your questions is yes. Products with specific uses are better than AIO, AIO are always a compromise in return for ease of use. Jack of all trades master of none.
 
For finished leather I would recomend you vacuum, cleanse the seat of all dirt, salt, and sweat, and then seal with UIGP so it can be easily cleaned moving forward.
 
would Optimum Power Clean & a follow up with Optimum Protectant plus Be a good combo?
 
I've been using leatherique pristine clean for months with no issues whatsoever. It outperforms EVERY other leather treatment product I've ever used hands down.
 
There are currently four types of automotive leather:

ANILINE (Unfinished): Found in very expensive cars (300k plus), very soft to touch and basicaly flawless. It will absorb water. Stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Expensive.

Alcantara: Found in expensive sports cars (100k plus), looks like suede. Will require very specific care and products.

Semi-Aniline/finished: the second most comom type on cars. Has a protective coat that offers a nice supple fell and protects at the same time, but it also causes the seat to get hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Won't absorb water (drop some water onto the seat to test it). Very few products will condition it properly. Will require some scrubing to remove all the gunk and body oils.

Pigmented: The cheapest one. Found in american cars, this leather has a (very) strong coat to hide the natural defects (it's cheap, remember?), therefore it won't absorb water/conditioner at all. Clean it by giving a little scrubing. Don't bother with conditioners, because it won't work.


In theory, Connolly and Leatherique are the best brands you could buy, BUT different types of leather require different products (alcantara being the most annoying to work with).
 
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bmwgalore said:
In theory, Connolly and Leatherique are the best brands you could buy, BUT different types of leather require different products (alcantara being the most annoying to work with).
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Alcantara is a PITA: my wife's car has it and I pray for the seats never to get a stain. There are almost no products available for cleaning it (Swissvax has one).

For leather, the Leatherique combo is expensive but the best IMO.
 
RMM said:
Alcantara is a PITA: my wife's car has it and I pray for the seats never to get a stain. There are almost no products available for cleaning it (Swissvax has one).
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FYI Leather Masters has one as well and I agree Alcantara is a PITA and once it's worn you'll never get to look like new.
I have soo many leather products it's beyond stupid. I use Leatherique once a year or if heavily soiled, I have Pinnacle AIO works ok for maintenance, CG leather products not a fan have them they are inexpensive but do not like the looks and finally PB Leather stuff which I like as a maintenance product. Want to pair down to just Leatherique and the PB once the others are gone(been using the CG stuff on my furniture indoors).
 
bobble said:
FYI Leather Masters has one as well and I agree Alcantara is a PITA and once it's worn you'll never get to look like new.
I have soo many leather products it's beyond stupid. I use Leatherique once a year or if heavily soiled, I have Pinnacle AIO works ok for maintenance, CG leather products not a fan have them they are inexpensive but do not like the looks and finally PB Leather stuff which I like as a maintenance product. Want to pair down to just Leatherique and the PB once the others are gone(been using the CG stuff on my furniture indoors).
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Me too, I have an arsenal of leather products right now. If I had to choose one and ONLY one to use on well maintained leather it would have to be Pristine Clean.
 
I was looking for an AIO with UV protection for leather/vinyl and found it in OPP. I previously used Lexol on my seats and M40 on everything else, but I never really liked how the Lexol finished. Kinda slimy even after a thorough wipe down. OPP finishes really nicely with a very natural finish.

If I had more expensive leather I wouldn't hesitate to use leatherique, but OPP is hard to beat for the price.
 
TRex99 said:
I was looking for an AIO with UV protection for leather/vinyl and found it in OPP. I previously used Lexol on my seats and M40 on everything else, but I never really liked how the Lexol finished. Kinda slimy even after a thorough wipe down. OPP finishes really nicely with a very natural finish.

If I had more expensive leather I wouldn't hesitate to use leatherique, but OPP is hard to beat for the price.
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I found it to be more of a conditioner than a cleaner. It goes on nice and even and finishes well and looks very nice. The thing I don't like about it is that it creates a slick finish. I know this is done to prevent abrasion which can wear leather down. However, I find myself sliding around in the drivers seat a little bit. It's kinda like wearing silk boxers, they feel very nice but when you sit down you feel like you are slipping out of your seat.
Definitely way too slick for the steering wheel.
 
Anyone ever used Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel on their coated leather?? Looking at giving it a try...
 
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