Cleaning the leather and paintwork

[Greggbb]

Hello,

Yet more questions to you lot!

There is so much rubbish online about what to us when cleaning older leather... but what are the suggestions for my S3 cream leather seats? I want to give them a nourishing clean before she goes into the garage for the majority of the wet months. I want it to clean and protect. Any advice?

Also, I am not too keen on the local 'hand' car wash. The BMW is fine, but they are not very gentle and I would like to know what most people use on the exterior? I am happy to do this myself, as if I mess it up there is only me to blame. I do need to get a couple of chips out, but I will get round to this.

I am going to drive it in the winter, but not in the wet or the frost. I have had her Waxoyl'd in preparation for the hibernation!

Thanks

[TurboTony]

You will probably get many conflicting replies!!

For leather seats I use Gliptone leather cleaner and their leather food. I have used their leather dye to good effect as well.









Cheaper (but not as good as) a retrim!

For paintwork I am a Meguiars fan. I use their clay kit after washing if the paintwork is feeling rough followed by their three stage treatment - cleaner, polish and carnauba wax. After washing the car I give it a wipe over with their spray quick wax - you can polish the car in under 10 minutes. I always use cotton terry towelling or microfibre cloths. Mind you I do enjoy cleaning cars and no I don't want a queue of TVRs on my drive tomorrow!

No connection with either company.

Hope this helps

[Scoobimax]

+1 for the meguiars here too, although I use their NXT synthetic range (especially the shampoo as it has a water softening element because i live in a very hard water area). I find the synthetic polishes easier too, i.e. less effort, than the natural range that Tony mentions. Mind you the carnauba wax has a great fragrance. Shall I stop now?

Oh, and I once attended an open day at the meguiars UK distribution centre for a demonstration day - very informative. They do a great mains electric orbital polisher for about £150 which has a safety feature so the more you press down the slower it spins so you can't burn your paintwork. Ok, ok i'll get my coat now.

If you've never clayed a car surface before, be prepared to be amazed by the results. Right I really am leaving now - I promise.

PS. Tony - those seats look stunning.

[Greggbb]

Wow, you pair really care!

[Greggbb]

I think I am opening a new world of TVR infatuation...

The other thing was the roof. What do you use to waterproof that?

I really appreciate the help. I am going to get on to Meguiars and look at what kit is best.

The NXT wash kit (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Meguiars-NXT-Wash-Wax-Care/dp/B002KKCLS2/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1349857092&sr=8-5) seems decent?

[S2Mike]

Auto Glymm, worked for mine, cleaner with a scrub, then rub in the sealer coat, brought it back from a grey patchy colour with moss to a nice black.

[TurboTony]

Renovo kit for me. My hood has been changed from brown to black in the past.

[Scoobimax]

Meguiars have products for that which I have used satisfactorily. The waterproofer certainly works well for me as water beads on the hood. I like product compatability as I tend to think they compliment each other and work in tandem

I've not used renovo myself but have read really good things about it and may give it a try in due course.

edited to add this link:

a company I've used before and like (no ties just a satisfied customer)

http://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/Store/Search.aspx?SearchTerm=nxt+kit

Edited by Scoobimax on Wednesday 10th October 14:16

[BountyHunter]

another vote for Gliptone here for cleaning/restoring leather seats

[Knowler]

Well chaps... not to side line you but thought its worth mentioning.. what you have managed to do is get one stress out exec couch based worker to get his lazy butt out and clean his car with this conversation... i cant thank you all enough as a bit of the autoglym leather and my can of trade hydrostatic foam cleaner and she's a beauty again now... worked up a sweat and de-stressed to boot!!! Owe you all a little drink when we do eventually meet...

Rich...

Ps Bucket was disgustingly full of brown liquid post clean... mmmmmmmmmm and i sat in that ;-)

[Longers]

For the outside (and sometimes the inside!) my most regular method for cleaning is driving in the rain... but when I do get to clean it properly I also use Meguires.

When I used Renovo on the hood for the first time I couldn't believe the difference in either or colour or the way the water ran off

TurboTony said:

Superb job Tony

[Knowler]

Just to double check which Renovo products do you use?

Is it these?: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RENOVO-HOOD-CLEANER-ULTR...

And is this a good deal or do any of you know a better price elsewhere??

Rich

[Scoobimax]

Longers said:

For the outside (and sometimes the inside!) my most regular method for cleaning is driving in the rain...

Hmmmm - could have sworn I saw you wash it at least two times in Belgium earlier this year......... trailing a hose out of the hotel early one morning and once in the paddock due to fire extinguishing powder coverage?

[TurboTony]

Knowler said:

Just to double check which Renovo products do you use?

Rich

If the mohair is discoloured / faded then you need a 'reviver' which is really a dye. They produce these in lots of colours. I toyed with the idea of turning my hood back to brown from black but my children advised me that it would not be a good idea. (Anyway, that was the sentiment of their comments.) Make sure that you don't get any on the bodywork - it is a PITA to get off.

Here is their site:

http://www.renovointernational.com/products/kits.p...

Again, I have no connection with them apart from using their products.

[Scoobimax]

Knowler said:

Just to double check which Renovo products do you use?

Is it these?: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RENOVO-HOOD-CLEANER-ULTR...

And is this a good deal or do any of you know a better price elsewhere??

Rich

£19.75 on the official renovo website ...... but this is not the renovator - its the cleaner

The renovator is the product I think Longers is on about and what I've heard about - it comes for different colour hoods. Check the product pages on the official renovo website.

Edited by Scoobimax on Wednesday 10th October 19:48

[Knowler]

Thanks gents I'll take a look... Still cant believe how good the interior looks, why didn't I do it earlier!!

[Longers]

Scoobimax said:

Longers said:

For the outside (and sometimes the inside!) my most regular method for cleaning is driving in the rain...

Hmmmm - could have sworn I saw you wash it at least two times in Belgium earlier this year......... trailing a hose out of the hotel early one morning and once in the paddock due to fire extinguishing powder coverage?

[Mr Plow]

Scoobimax said:

Longers said:

For the outside (and sometimes the inside!) my most regular method for cleaning is driving in the rain...

Hmmmm - could have sworn I saw you wash it at least two times in Belgium earlier this year......... trailing a hose out of the hotel early one morning and once in the paddock due to fire extinguishing powder coverage?

Me to, I even took some photo's of the events

[Niiige]

I just want to add my endorsement for Meguiars products. I switched to their products from Autoglym and feel I get better results. The clay bar kit and the three stage polish kit does take its time to apply but can make the bodywork soooo smooth to the touch it is so worth the effort.

And my wife does think I'm a sad polisher !!!

And I've no connection to the companies.

[TurboTony]

It was Niiige who led me astray and introduced me to Meguiars.....Up to then I was a normal bloke who cleaned his car every so often.