Serious leather cleaner needed...and a tip

[muidaq]

I carried a spare tire in my cordoba beige backseat to the Dragon this year and boy did it leave a mark. You can actually read the sidewall lettering on the seat. I tried the Turtle Wax leather cleaner I had on the shelf and the mark just laughed at it. Didn't help one little bit. Any idea what I can do to get the leather back to normal?

The tip: don't carry a naked tire on cordoba beige.

Mike

[mcdbrendan]

Sorry to hear that. I work at a BMW dealership, so i will ask our detailing crew about some good leather cleaners.

[sddave]

I have used Lexor leather cleaner on the taupe colored leather seats in my 4Runner and it worked well on removing deep dirt and grime after many years of camping. It took a bit of elbow grease, but the Lexor really cleaned the leather, plus it did not dry out the leather. I applied the Lexor leather conditioner afterwards.

Good luck!

[S Curvz]

Mike are you coming to breakfast on saturday? I have some products from Griots that I have always had luck with. I would be more than happy to give you a hand cleaning. It is the least I could do.

Wasnt my tire was it?

[muidaq]

Originally Posted by S Curvz

Mike are you coming to breakfast on saturday? I have some products from Griots that I have always had luck with. I would be more than happy to give you a hand cleaning. It is the least I could do.

Wasnt my tire was it?

Thanks man. I should be able to make it. I don't think it was one of yours...pretty sure I had the seats down while they were in there.

See you there.

[creseida]

Go to your local grocery store, to the laundry department, and get a bar of Kirk's Castille Soap. It is the same size as a bar of regular bath soap.

Take a terry cloth (wash cloth), get it wet, wring it out well, and rub on the bar of Castille. Then rub on the leather in a circular motion with a bit of pressure to help remove the mark.

The Castille soap is safe to use on leather; I have been in the leather industry for many years and I (and many others) use it all the time for extra cleaning of the leather without ruining leather with harsh chemicals.

Another thing to try is Murphy's Oil Soap. Dilute 1 part Murphy's to 2 parts water in a spray bottle. Spray it on and rub it with your fingers, then use a damp terry cloth the rub the mark to help remove it. Again, the Murphy's won't harm your leather.

The added bonus with the Murphy's is, it is an excellent BUG remover. (It won't do much for tar). While washing your car, just spray it on the bugs, let it set for about 30 seconds, and then wash the car as normal. The murphy's softens the bugs right up and they wipe right off. Gentle and won't harm paint. And dirt cheap.

[ImagoX]

Creseida, will either of the above solutions work well on light gray leather that's just plain ol' grungy and worn from repeated use? The detailing bug I caught from my Mini has carried over to my '99 Suburban, and those poor seats need HELP. The Meguires' leather cleaner/detailer wouldn't touch it (although it did begin to restore some of the suppleness to the hide).

Thanks!

[creseida]

Yes, if they are really grungy, I'd use the Castille. I prefer terry cloth because it is soft, but the nubbies in the cloth really get into the wrinkles and creases that are inherent in leather. You will need to use elbow grease though.

You can also wash YOUR hands with the Castille and it will not dry them out. The bar is less than $2.00.

[ImagoX]

What would you recommend for reconditioning them after the cleaning? I assume that doing so strips away any last vestiges of whatever conditioner may remain on the leather, and I miss the suppleness that my Mini seats still have...

[creseida]

That is why I use the Castille and/or Murphy's. It doesn't strip the oils.

But, for leather conditioning, I use Connolly Hide Food/Hide Care. I apply it with my bare hands (it is a cream), rub it in, let it sit for a while, then rub and polish with a soft terry cloth.

When I do have to strip leather, I use Pure Neatsfoot Oil (NOT NEATSFOOT COMPOUND), apply it with a rag or sponge (it is a liquid), let sit, then polish with a terry cloth. This is available at stores that sell horseback riding equipment (the stores are usually listed under "Tack Shops" in the phone book). I then follow up with the Hide Food.

Edited to note, it can be a bit of a messy process, but well worth it.

For conditioning leather you do want to avoid any products with Silicone.

[ImagoX]

Is the Connolly stuff also only available at a saddle shop?

I checked the seats again today and they're in sorry shape- the driver's side is actually cracking a bit around the edges. Hopefully a wash with the Castille and then the Connolly stuff will cleamn away the grime and get them soft again.

[creseida]

Connolly is available online through better automotive stores, but if your leather is cracked already...don't bother with the Connolly. Use the Neatsfoot Oil and Castille to clean.

How old is the leather anyways?

[ImagoX]

It's in a '99 Suburban. I've cleaned it a few times in all those years with some product a friend recommended, but not often.

[creseida]

i worked on a friends suburban so i think i know what your dealing with.

biggest problem you have is the leather itself. most automotive leather is what they call "pigment dyed" meaning they basically paint a lacquer coating over the grain-side of the leather to color it. the reason they do this is that it is nigh unto impossible to find hides that do not have some sort of imperfection. these hides used to be cows who get cuts and scrapes mostly from the barbed wire fencing used to contain them (out of necessity). large hides without flaws are very hard to find and when you do they command TOP DOLLAR. these hides are "aniline dyed" (think stained vs painted wood) which allows you to see the grain which is uber nice and it also allowse the leather to develop a lovely glow or "patina" with time and use. but leather like this also requires a bit more work to keep nice.

most people who want the prestige of leather do not want to see scars from barbed wire nor do they want the maintenence issues. they want the prestige of leather and the easy care of vinyl thus the lacquer coating. basically this allows auto makers to use lower grade hides and still offer the prestige of leather.

this lacquer coating that keeps the leather from absorbing stains, etc., also does not allow the leather to absorb conditioners. combine this with the worst possible environment for leather (a hot, sunny car) and the leather begins to dry out and stiffen. not only does the leather stiffen and lose flexibility, but the lacquer coating does as well....hence the cracking you are seeing in the finish.

short of stripping the lacquer heavily conditioning and relacquering there isn't a whole lot you can do. regular use of murphys will help to keep the lacquer a bit softer and prevent more cracking but the leather itself will get stiffer over time.

[Gromit801]

Connolly Brothers Hide Food is available from Moss Mini

[Scotti280]

Is there a good leather conditioner...I tried some armoral leather stuff and all it did was grease up the seats and then dried funny. My car is only a few months old and wanted to keep it in shape from the get go. Any suggestions? No damage yet....knock on wood.

[creseida]

from what ive read here on the forums and seen in persen theres quite a difference in quality between the panther and the regular leather sport seats. the panther (which I have) it appears to be a semi-aniline dye vs a full pigment dye. the leather actually takes the cleaners and conditioners easily. don't know if this is the same for the regular leather sport seats.

i use my regular saddle soap to clean, or murphy's oil soap (the liquid in the bottle not the pre-mixed spray - dilute 1 pt MOS to 2 pts water and put in your own spray bottle) to clean and then use Lexol to condition. connoly's can be a bit sticky which attracts dirt which is exactly what you don't want to do with leather seats.

[kenchan]

i always carry a large bathtowel or beachtowel in the trunk in all my
cars.

if there was tire sauce on the one that stained your leather, i doubt
you can get it out completely

[Detailers Paradise]

The best stand alone (read: single step) leather cleaner we've tested is the Four Star Ultimate Leather Cleaner. Have just about every leather cleaner known to man here and FS Leather Cleaner beats everything else every time. It's also much safer than many other options.

The best two-step leather revitalizing system (cleaner and conditioner) is, by far, hands-down, Leatherique. It's the only product that actually purges the pores of the leather. You can actually watch it do this if you have light colored leather! It's gross but interesting. (especially when you see what areas the most gunk is coming out of!)

I can't say that Leatherique is the best in stain removal but since the leather question has broadened throughout this thread, I thought I'd mention it in addition to the FS Leather Cleaner. Leatherique is the only thing we ever seen that can truly revitalize and clean dirty, stiffening leather.

Having said all that, I do wish you luck with the tire imprint stain... that will be a tough one I'd bet!

-Heather