How to: leather care
02-04-2009, 09:27 AM
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S204 C220 CDI, VW Scirocco III 1.4TSI 160
How to: leather care
I've seen a few threads around here concerning leather care. But I've decided to share a method that I learned from Jac-in-the-box, a professional detailer for SwissVax.
Some more "before and after":
All pictures are property of their respective owners. This is a method from Jac-in-the-box, all kudos should be for him.
It's the time of year for all the "how do I..." posts. Leather care is one that crops frequently, so here's my thoughts.
Plenty of products to choose from, some cheap, some expensive - some work and some are just plain damaging.
I've tried and binned most "off the shelf" products. They're generally horrible, leaving a nasty greasy film that simply attracts more damaging dirt.
I'm not going to try and convert you away from your favoured product, if you like it and it works for you, that's fine!
Nor do I have any affiliation with my recommended product "Liquid Leather"
Why "clean and condition"?
Your rear end is parked on your expensive and good looking leather seats; you sweat on it, you grind dirt and dust into it, it loses its natural oils through the effects of sunlight, heat and the cars air-con system.
Leave it untreated the leather will get dry, stiff and start to crack.
What should you buy? (sufficient for 3 or 4 complete treatments)
LL GT12 gentle cleaner 250ml
LL GT11 conditioner 250ml
There is a conditioner which contains water repellant - GT13 I don't think it gives as nice a finish as the GT11. Who's going to let their leather get wet anyway?
Using it:
The secret to getting the best from the product (and any other leather product) is warmth. Doing it on cold leather renders the best of cleaners / conditioners pretty much useless. The products will sit on the leather and not be absorbed.
Choose a warm day, use the seat heater, car heater or a hair dryer.
*Vacuum your seats, get all the dirt from the seams using a small stiff paint brush.
*Wipe the seats down with a cloth and warm water.
* Apply the cleaner, liberally, with a cloth. Work it in with a soft nail brush - don't scrub. All you want to do is small circular movements to "push" the cleaner into the leather pores.
*Leave for 15 minutes and wipe off dirt and residue with a clean damp cloth. Repeat until the cloth "wipes" clean.
*Allow to dry thoroughly.
Don't worry about the cleaner getting into the perforations of the leather.
*Apply the conditioner (to warm leather) with a clean cotton / terry cloth. Work it in and use liberally. Get plenty in around the stitching.
* Leave it for a minimum of 6 hours keeping some warmth in the car.
*Wipe off any residue with a damp cloth - job done.
As easy as that! Just remember it's not a "wipe on, wipe off and drive away product" the conditioner needs time (and warmth) to be fully absorbed.
It leaves a lovely OE look to the leather and restores a long lasting authentic leather aroma - nice.
Clean 2 or 3 times a year and lightly condition every month.
If your leather is really grubby and you're feeling brave (all at your own risk!) the hot "Chinese Towel" trick is extremely effective at lifting dirt.
Do this and then follow up with cleaner and conditioner.
Seriously, be careful - it's easy to get burnt!!!
*One damp hand towel.
*Fold and put into microwave
* Heat for as long as is needed to get the towel steaming hot - trial and error needed!
*Once steaming, carefully take to the car and lay towel over the seats, Pat down and allow to cool.
*Wipe off dirt - you'll be amazed at how effective this is, especially if you pick your nearest and dearests best M&S Egyptian cotton towels (they work the best btw!)
*Treat with Liquid Leather as above...you can just condition alone if you feel confident you have removed all the dirt with the hot towel
If your leather is showing signs of cracking Liquid Leather make excellent touch up kits "Scuffmaster" that are easy and inexpensive to buy and use - and very effective.
3 year old TT leather interior. Never cleaned, slightly scuffed, and with "shiny" leather...end result of using LiquidLeather, not too shabby now!
Plenty of products to choose from, some cheap, some expensive - some work and some are just plain damaging.
I've tried and binned most "off the shelf" products. They're generally horrible, leaving a nasty greasy film that simply attracts more damaging dirt.
I'm not going to try and convert you away from your favoured product, if you like it and it works for you, that's fine!
Nor do I have any affiliation with my recommended product "Liquid Leather"
Why "clean and condition"?
Your rear end is parked on your expensive and good looking leather seats; you sweat on it, you grind dirt and dust into it, it loses its natural oils through the effects of sunlight, heat and the cars air-con system.
Leave it untreated the leather will get dry, stiff and start to crack.
What should you buy? (sufficient for 3 or 4 complete treatments)
LL GT12 gentle cleaner 250ml
LL GT11 conditioner 250ml
There is a conditioner which contains water repellant - GT13 I don't think it gives as nice a finish as the GT11. Who's going to let their leather get wet anyway?
Using it:
The secret to getting the best from the product (and any other leather product) is warmth. Doing it on cold leather renders the best of cleaners / conditioners pretty much useless. The products will sit on the leather and not be absorbed.
Choose a warm day, use the seat heater, car heater or a hair dryer.
*Vacuum your seats, get all the dirt from the seams using a small stiff paint brush.
*Wipe the seats down with a cloth and warm water.
* Apply the cleaner, liberally, with a cloth. Work it in with a soft nail brush - don't scrub. All you want to do is small circular movements to "push" the cleaner into the leather pores.
*Leave for 15 minutes and wipe off dirt and residue with a clean damp cloth. Repeat until the cloth "wipes" clean.
*Allow to dry thoroughly.
Don't worry about the cleaner getting into the perforations of the leather.
*Apply the conditioner (to warm leather) with a clean cotton / terry cloth. Work it in and use liberally. Get plenty in around the stitching.
* Leave it for a minimum of 6 hours keeping some warmth in the car.
*Wipe off any residue with a damp cloth - job done.
As easy as that! Just remember it's not a "wipe on, wipe off and drive away product" the conditioner needs time (and warmth) to be fully absorbed.
It leaves a lovely OE look to the leather and restores a long lasting authentic leather aroma - nice.
Clean 2 or 3 times a year and lightly condition every month.
If your leather is really grubby and you're feeling brave (all at your own risk!) the hot "Chinese Towel" trick is extremely effective at lifting dirt.
Do this and then follow up with cleaner and conditioner.
Seriously, be careful - it's easy to get burnt!!!
*One damp hand towel.
*Fold and put into microwave
* Heat for as long as is needed to get the towel steaming hot - trial and error needed!
*Once steaming, carefully take to the car and lay towel over the seats, Pat down and allow to cool.
*Wipe off dirt - you'll be amazed at how effective this is, especially if you pick your nearest and dearests best M&S Egyptian cotton towels (they work the best btw!)
*Treat with Liquid Leather as above...you can just condition alone if you feel confident you have removed all the dirt with the hot towel
If your leather is showing signs of cracking Liquid Leather make excellent touch up kits "Scuffmaster" that are easy and inexpensive to buy and use - and very effective.
3 year old TT leather interior. Never cleaned, slightly scuffed, and with "shiny" leather...end result of using LiquidLeather, not too shabby now!
All pictures are property of their respective owners. This is a method from Jac-in-the-box, all kudos should be for him.
02-05-2009, 05:36 AM
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Before using a leather care product, a detailer needs to know the material they are working on, and whether the product chosen is compatible with the material and will not damage it. Diagnosis is the key, not guess work. Before deciding on what products to use, you need to ascertain what type of leather finish you have and whether the pigmented leather has a polyurethane covering, or is un-coated, finished natural leather. This is critical, as the cleaning / maintenance vary for each type (although all types require a water-based product to maintain hydration, suede type leathers like Nubuck or Alcantara®, are the exception).
Automotive leather care is a subject surrounded with misinformation and myth. Products such as leather (Saddle) soaps, oil-based Conditioners, Neat-foot oil, and Hide Food still prevail as top sellers, albeit most are made for equestrian tack. These are very different leathers with drastically differing care requirements.
The exact reason for this type of misapplication is unclear. It’s possible that there is an association with old world quality (i.e. European automobiles with leather upholstery and real burl wood interiors) with these types of products, despite the fact that the automotive industry has been using water-based polyurethane covered pigmented leather for many years.
Automotive leather care is a subject surrounded with misinformation and myth. Products such as leather (Saddle) soaps, oil-based Conditioners, Neat-foot oil, and Hide Food still prevail as top sellers, albeit most are made for equestrian tack. These are very different leathers with drastically differing care requirements.
The exact reason for this type of misapplication is unclear. It’s possible that there is an association with old world quality (i.e. European automobiles with leather upholstery and real burl wood interiors) with these types of products, despite the fact that the automotive industry has been using water-based polyurethane covered pigmented leather for many years.
