Leather Cleaner / Conditioner

[KenJ]

Hi all,

Can anyone recommend a good leather cleaner / conditioner? I was wondering whether to stick to AutoGlym as I've used their polishes and been pleased with the results......unless anyone can recommend something better?

If it makes any difference the leather in my car is black.

Cheers
Jon

[lordlee]

I'm a big fan of the gliptone leather cleaner and conditioner. Does a fantastic job every time.

[_Leg_]

lordlee said:

I'm a big fan of the gliptone leather cleaner and conditioner. Does a fantastic job every time.

By far the best. I get mine, as well as other stuff, from, www.cleanyourcar.com.

[grand cherokee]

if your car leather is 'sealed' none of the leather 'feeding' creams etc work

just use a leather 'cleaner' and nail brush/toothbrush for ingrained dirt

i use Furniture Clinic leather cleaner - they demonstrated it on my car after they had done a leather 'repair'

it works very well as i have Ivory Leather which shows every mark!

[BIRMA]

grand cherokee said:

if your car leather is 'sealed' none of the leather 'feeding' creams etc work

just use a leather 'cleaner' and nail brush/toothbrush for ingrained dirt

i use Furniture Clinic leather cleaner - they demonstrated it on my car after they had done a leather 'repair'

it works very well as i have Ivory Leather which shows every mark!

You're right I read somewhere that car makers all used sealed leather in cars after a certain year.

[grand cherokee]

BIRMA said:

You're right I read somewhere that car makers all used sealed leather in cars after a certain year.

thanks

hence why you don't get the leather 'smell' in new cars

to be honest sealing the leather makes cleaning far easier and the leather does not damage as easily or dry out

[KenJ]

Thanks for the advice. Car is a 1990 Mercedes 190e 2.5-16 so I'm not sure the leather will be sealed.

Anyway, I ended up buying the AutoGlym leather conditioner and used it today. Worked really well, once I'd applied it and buffed it off the leather immediately felt softer and looked newer!

Jon

[judyb]

For cleaning please see the guidelines below to give professional results and prolong the life of the leather.

CLEANING PROCESS
Keep your leather clean by protecting it with a leather protector and then regular cleaning.
Adding 'conditioners' which generally contain oils and waxes will change the appearance of your leather over time as dirt will build up on the surface and cause a sheen.

Using the correct care methods and products will not alter the factory finish
'Coated' leather is essentially a 'painted' leather with a clear coat finish over the top. The leather may or may not be dyed through with
aniline dyes prior to the finish coating.

Essentially it is this top coating that needs looking after.
Cleaning is vitally important as the top coat will wear away if allowed to become dirty.
Dirt on the surface will also become ground into the finish by constant abrassion.

'Conditioners', balms, feeds etc (traditionally oil and wax based) cannot penetrate this finish so are not worth applying - they can also leave behind residues on the finish which will only attract more dirt if allowed to remain. 'Conditioners' will not do any protecting on leather even if they say they do as there will not be enough active ingredient in them to do anything.

A protector will make the finish easier to clean and also inhibit dye transfer etc on pale coloured leathers.

Leather however finished has to remain breathable and it will allow the movement of moisture back and forth (transpiration) so the use of water based cleaners and protectors will keep the leather correctly hydrated which is essentail to keeping it in good condition.

Leather needs a little regular care and attention and this can be done with a maintenance product rather than a deep clean which you would then only need to do once or twice a year depending on usage and colour.
You will find that detergent style cleaners will remove the protection applied so you would need to reprotect each time you clean.
A maintenance product helps to retain the protection rather than remove it so a reapplication of protector is only required after a deep clean.
Whilst individual products may be effective if they have not been tested together you may find they are counter productive

The routine for correct care should be

Protect from new
Maintain with a regular clean or maintenance product
Deep clean with a foam cleaner once or twice a year

Simple steps of cleaning & protecting will prolong the life of the finish on the leather

Hope this helps
Judyb

[HustleRussell]

I want to use the Gliptone liquid leather products on my 1996 BMW, which has sealed leather. I should use only the cleaner and not bother with the conditioner, correct?
I doubt the leather has had any attention in 17 years, it certainly looks like it...

[Ved]

AG leather cleaner is very good and gets all the gunk off you can't even see. Another vote for Cleanyourcar from me too

[Kidders]

I use this -

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/interior/sonus-leath...

Good little kit, the leather smells great afterwards and leaves a natural looking sheen, some conditioners add too much gloss for my liking.

[BIRMA]

A fellow Pistonhead guy who does detailing for a living told me that Swissvax leather milk was a good leather care product. I am very reluctant about paying Swissvax prices but the effect of this stuff is quite remarkable it's an eye watering £30 for a dinky bottle but I have done the natural Carrera red leather in my car with it and the dinky bottle will probably last for years, well worth blowing a few extra quid on the leather is never greasy but just looks like it's brand new.

[cambsbikerguy]

I'm just upholstering my kit in unsealed red leather - any ideas what I can use to shine it up to a good gloss - and perhaps seal it too as it's an opentop car!

Many thanks