How to keep your leather in good condition??

[T1pper]

I have a Griff with a magnolia leather interior, it is in very nice condition but what products can I use to maintain it?

I currently use baby wipes to keep it clean but do I need to "feed" the leather to keep it in good condition, can anyone recommend a good product to use or any usefull tips to keep it looking first class?

Thanks

[PYNEY]

I don't use the standard car leather feeds/cleaners any more ,I was advised to use a good quality leather
food/feed that you get from a horse riding tack shop made for leather saddles etc you normally find 2 or 3 to choose from
including deep leather cleaners

[KEVTVR]

http://www.liquidleather.com/car-shop.html
These products are really good.
Kev

[T1pper]

Thanks the saddle soap option looks an easy and cost effective product, does it leave a residue on the seat or will it disolve?

I will get it in the neck if the wifes white skirt ends up looking like greasy chip paper

Can it be used in the dash and other leather trim?

[T1pper]

Just brought some saddle soap as off the bay very reasonable at £4.90 including p&p.

I will give it a whirl next weekend weather permitting and post the results.

[infinity]

Do your own seat first !! ;-)

[PYNEY]

T1PPER do you have full leather trim or half leather ?
if you have half leather don't do the dash with the saddle soap it won't be leather

[mcosh]

I just use autoglym cleaner and leather cream works fine and have tried all the expensive ones. Micro fibre to wipe with spray cleaner and with ground in dirt very gentle use with a magic sponge (on ebay) and lots of water with standard non wax Maguires car wash suds. Works a treat.

[gutu12]

If you've got cracks etc then a good quality food may be needed, otherwise use nothing but a clean damp cloth.
It's often the ste cleaners that make the leather crack.

[EGB]

I use BMW recommended cream cleaner for leather on my magnolia leather Griff.

[T1pper]

PYNEY said:

T1PPER do you have full leather trim or half leather ?
if you have half leather don't do the dash with the saddle soap it won't be leather

Yes, it is a half leather trim so only for use on the seats.

Additionally the saddle soap arrived today, will report on the how effective it is at the weekend.

[PYNEY]

hi, if its of any help I use to use saddle soap and it was fine it cleans and puts back some goodness in to the leather, but now that I use a leather food I've found that it has a much longer lasting quality and I think goes deeper into the leather making it more supple , see how you get on !

[T1pper]

Well it was cheap enough to give it a go so I wont feel cheated if it does not preform as suggested.
If nothing else the smell is really addictive maybe I could try a dab behind each ear and see what happens

[T1pper]

I had a chance to use the saddle soap on Saturday, it was hard to apply and did not soak in very well, I was in a bit of a huury so had to leave it.

After revisiting it today with a bit more time I considered that the low outside temp of 2-3C was to blame, so I gave it a quick burst in the microwave (Mrs T1pper was not around) this time it had a consistancy of warm butter rather than candle wax.

It was far easier to apply and seemed to soak in leaving a nice supple leather with a satin finish and not greasy at all, it will need a few more coats but will have to wait till the warmer weather for ease of appliction.

[whitewolf]

I've only used autoglym leather cleaner and balm.


I've had no ill effects but I've only given the interior 3 goes in 1.5years...

Only time would tell/show ill effects.

[PYNEY]

T1PPER if you have a similar saddle soap that I have used in the past the cold weather doesn't help some valets use a hair drier to warm the leather up
but i'm sure you apply the soap with a warm damp sponge and work the saddle soap in with that
the damp sponge softens the soap and takes enough soap out of the tub , the soap should be fairly hard
like normal soap even in the summer months it not like applying a cream

[T1pper]

PYNEY said:

T1PPER if you have a similar saddle soap that I have used in the past the cold weather doesn't help some valets use a hair drier to warm the leather up
but i'm sure you apply the soap with a warm damp sponge and work the saddle soap in with that
the damp sponge softens the soap and takes enough soap out of the tub , the soap should be fairly hard
like normal soap even in the summer months it not like applying a cream

Thanks PYNEY for the top info

Had attempt number 3 on Sunday using a damp sponge much easier to work with and seemed to lift the remaiming dirt, rinsing the sponge in warm water frequently, now it all seemes to make a bit more sence.

Once finished I buffed the leather with a soft cloth to dry it, now it is clean and supple.

Do I need to "feed" the leather with anything to stop it from cracking or is the saddle soap doing this??

Maybe I am being a bit OTT but the seats are in really lovely condition and I feel duty bound to do all I can to maintian them.

[PYNEY]

hi T1PPER , glad my info made sense , important to have a damp sponge and rinse in warm water as the dirt comes off
I was given this info from a griff owner some years ago

I have now change the way i clean my seats as someone said there is a better way and saddle soap is good but a leather feed is better

to clean a seat i use "Belvoir tack cleaner" if really soiled use a soft nail brush to work it in first and then wipe off with a clean damp cloth , you will see the dirt lift off

when the seats have dried i then apply NAF leather food let this soak in for half an hour or so and buff up with a clean cloth "wife's best dish cloth"

[Aussie John]

Has anyone tried Hydrophane leather dressing? I am tempted to try it.

[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

Baby wipes and saddle soap should be avoided on modern coated leather. Baby wipes destroy the finish over time and this will then make your seats very difficult to keep clean. Saddle soap should be reserved for saddles only. It is a very aggressive cleaner not designed for modern coatings so will do more harm than good.

Hope this helps
Judyb