Leather Seat Maintenance

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Comments

  • vivonavivona Member Posts: 410
    zim5--Just follow this link for complete instructions on how to apply Lexol:

    http://www.lexol.com/docs.htm
  • css3css3 Member Posts: 6
    The fact that the dealer is using Armorall, is the first sign to NEVER use the product. Amorall is a cheap consumer product.I use ZAINO leather in a bottle and find it remarkable also, and if you have leather seats etc. that shows you spent "Extra" for you vehicle...then wake up and spend the "Extra" on products to keep your vehicle that way. What's the question!
  • werkingwerking Member Posts: 431
    just applied the Zaino LIB before a long trip last week. great stuff. goes on easy. absorbs quickly. smells great. leaves no greasy residue (read: like armorall). and, it protects great. spilled some coffee on my seats along the way. it beaded right up and with a couple dabs of a napkin...no problem. i agree with css3 - if you spend that much for leather...spend that much to take care of it...

    my 0.02
    kyle
  • vac23vac23 Member Posts: 118
    what do people think about these two brands. I've been using lexol but ran out so before I get more I just wanted to see what were the pros & cons between the two. I've had no problems w/lexol.
  • joe166joe166 Member Posts: 401
    They are very similar in function. I am not sure either one is superior, but I have used both and like them both. I would not hesitate to use either one of them. There are several other brands which are also good.
  • lmc18lmc18 Member Posts: 32
    My uncle (who seems to know a lot about cars) recommended using ammonia (diluted of course)to clean my dash and leather interior in my new G20. He said the store products are too harsh. Any thoughts on this? I want to use the best possible cleaner/conditioner for my leather interior and keep my dash looking brand new. I don't mind spending a few bucks but want to be sure I'm using the right product.

    Also I had heard that the seats are most likely not true leather and I need to be careful what I use on them. Help!
  • ccotenjccotenj Member Posts: 610
    lexol and vinylex. thousands of satisfied users can't be wrong.

    not "true leather"? what do you mean?

    -Chris
  • joe166joe166 Member Posts: 401
    I have heard that "Rich Corinthian Leather" was a code word for cardboard made to look like leather, but I am not sure it is not a joke. Seriously, I read in one of the car enthusiast magazines that one of the Big 3 had some "leather" with a name in front of it LIKE Corinthian which meant that it was processed somewhat like cigarette tobacco is sometimes done. They put the waste products that are too small in some vat, grind it, pulverize it and then spread it out to dry on a backing of cloth so when it dries it looks like leather and feels kind of like it, but it is really almost a man made material. I am not saying that it was Corinthian because I was not really that interested in it as I did not own a car from that particular manufacturer at the time. I think that is what might be meant. Of course, most "leather" seats are only leather on the actual seating surfaces anyway and the backs, sides and some of the fronts are really good vinyl pressed to look like leather.
  • lmc18lmc18 Member Posts: 32
    Can the "Z" LIB be used on vinyl also since I am not sure which parts of the seats are actually leather and which are vinyl?
  • pjyoungpjyoung Member Posts: 885
    Leather in a bottle works great on all surfaces in the car. I even use it on my dash.
  • rcarbonircarboni Member Posts: 290
    I just tried Autoglym Leather Care Cream (supposedly recommended by Rolls-Royce). Very nice stuff. Easy to apply, doesn't goo up in the stitching, feels and smells real nice, and is relatively inexpensive. I liked it better than the Zymol I had been using.

    For the dash, any interior vinyl and plastic, and tires, I found that the best product is 303 Aerospace Protectant. Lasts much longer than anything else I've tried, and even stayed on the tires after MANY days of driving in the rain.

    I bought them from here:
    http://shop.store.yahoo.com/classic-motoring/interior.html
    but there are many places that carry them.
  • lmc18lmc18 Member Posts: 32
    I have read through all these posts and understand that I should avoid any product that has silicone in it. So why does everyone rave about Vinylex since it contains silicone?
  • vivonavivona Member Posts: 410
    Vinylex claims that their formula is unique. See the following technical information bulletin:

    http://vinylex.net/unique.htm
  • camshaft1camshaft1 Member Posts: 35
    the first time i had a leather interior was in my 84 528e bmw. at the time i didn't have much money and wasn't sure how to take care of the interior. i decided to splurge and bought some zymol out of advanced auto or something. it worked amazingly and it smelled great. by the time i ran out of it, it wasn't on the shelves anymore. i've seen other zmol products for sale but it's all for the exterior it seems. the stuff i used was clear and sprayed on. i have a 95 m3 now and the leather is trying to wear away. i stopped using armor all for obviuos reasons. i started using 2000 leather treatment but it leaves a real bad residue and doesn't seem to last very long. any suggestions to where i can find this stuff or an equal?
  • ccotenjccotenj Member Posts: 610
    you can order it from zymol directly.

    i use lexol, personally. have heard lots of good things about zymol as well as hide food.

    good luck.

    -Chris
  • mmcbride1mmcbride1 Member Posts: 861
    Anyone know where to get it? Pep Boys had Lexol and I picked that up, but they have never heard of Vinylex.
  • joe166joe166 Member Posts: 401
    Look at another Pep Boys or at some other auto parts store. I know it is not as common, but I have seen it at Discount Auto Parts in South Florida and Aadvance Auto Parts (I think that is the goofy way they spell it). Keep looking in the same area as Lexol and you will see it, I think it is a blue bottle.
  • ccotenjccotenj Member Posts: 610
    hmmm... they sell it in the pepboys here in jersey... guess the pony express hasn't made it out to colorado yet with the case of vinylex yet.

    try around a couple other places, they should have it...

    -Chris
  • cinderfancinderfan Member Posts: 2
    I'm not sure where you are, but I just bought Vinylex at Pep Boys in Pennsylvania.
  • mmcbride1mmcbride1 Member Posts: 861
    I looked all over the store. When I asked the salesperson (who was the store manager, or so his tag said), he said he's never heard of Vinylex. Is PepBoys a franchise? That might explain it.
  • mcrrtmcrrt Member Posts: 93
    This may be a somewhat inane question, but should I clean and condition my leather covered steering wheel and gearshift knob the same as you would leather seats? Thanks!

    Sheepishly,
    mcrrt
  • ccotenjccotenj Member Posts: 610
    yup, it's a franchised chain...

    manny, moe and jack... :)

    -Chris
  • mmcbride1mmcbride1 Member Posts: 861
    One thing I hate about franchises is that there is no consistency between stores. Take Subway for example. You can't get a BBQ sub at a lot of stores and it's one of my favorites...
  • ccotenjccotenj Member Posts: 610
    yea, i know... you would think there'd be more consistency in franchise agreements... but i guess that's why you can get a lobster roll at mcdonalds in maine and a rib sandwich at a mcdonalds in south carolina...

    -Chris
  • mmcbride1mmcbride1 Member Posts: 861
    I think I'll pass on that one, thanks.
  • ccotenjccotenj Member Posts: 610
    oh yea, at all the mcdonalds in maine and a bunch in new hampshire you can get lobster rolls... i've been told they are edible... i haven't been brave enough to actually experiment myself...

    -Chris
  • vivonavivona Member Posts: 410
    You can get Vinylex as well as Lexol from http://www.eastwoodco.com/

    Just use the search function on their web page.
  • mmcbride1mmcbride1 Member Posts: 861
    I just ordered it. I can't belive shipping is going to cost 60% of the Vinylex ($10 bottle, $6 shipping). Oh well. At least I don't have to go find it now.
  • j_colemanj_coleman Member Posts: 143
    I know a guy that uses regular Armor All to clean the leather in his Lexus ES300.
  • joe166joe166 Member Posts: 401
    I know people who use armor all too, but they don't seem to mind sliding all over the seat and reupholstering when the leather cracks. They also don't usually dress well enough to notice the greasy residue.
  • ccotenjccotenj Member Posts: 610
    geez, next time you want some, let me know and i'll send it to you... won't cost 6 bucks to ship, and it's only 8 bucks a bottle at pep boys...

    -Chris
  • mmcbride1mmcbride1 Member Posts: 861
    It ought to last for a while, and it'll save me the aggravation of looking (that's worth at least $6 to me).
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    I just took delivery on a new Forester for my wife and the leather steering wheel cover has a slight (3" long or so, in a spiral around the wheel) mark. It looks like maybe the bozo who was taking off the "protective" covering on the wheel used a knife and accidentally 'sliced' the leather.

    It is strictly a surface mark but you can feel it on the wheel. The dealer says their prep room will "buff it out." But I'm wondering if maybe I can't do the repair myself -- after all, they're probably the same bozos who got the cut in there in the first place.

    Do any of you have any way of smoothing the damage so it's not so noticeable against your fingers. I'd also like to avoid making it any more visible.

    Thanks for any suggestions.

    Take care.
    Joe W>
  • dgsgdgsg Member Posts: 29
    Let them do it! If it is not 100% gone when they are done, demand that they replace the wheel.
  • bonderskabonderska Member Posts: 2
    >I bought a 2000 Passat V6 in April. It's my first car with leather seats. During a hot spell in late August, I left a plastic
    >container on one of the bucket seats and some black and red print from a label on the bottom of a plastic container faded onto the seat --- and
    >I can't get it off. I cleaned it w/Lexol, but that didn't help.Is there ANYTHING that will help to remove it? Should I then put leather
    >protectant on the seats?
    >
    >Thanks
  • t0admant0adman Member Posts: 1
    Just bought a used one but don't know if the leather seats are actually leather, leather-trimmed, or how to tell the difference. Anyone that has one and/or is in the know earns my eternal gratitude for sharing your insight.

    Also, when is that lab test of Lexol vs. Hide Food due to be conducted? I want those results!

    My 2 cents - the Maguire's Vinyl Cleaner with SPF 40 is pretty solid. No shiny finish and great protection.
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    I know this is pretty much off topic, but ....

    I'm wondering if I can change the color of leather upholstery. I'd like to hear someone say that it's possible to get a good job with dyes.

    Or is it necessary to go to an upholstery shop to have them re-do all the seats & panels.

    I'm coveting a brown leather interior and mfgrs. for some reason aren't offering the color -- tan, yes. brown, no.

    Any ideas?

    Take care.
    Joe W.
  • innov8arinnov8ar Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2000 TL Acura. My dealer coated all the leather and dash and steering wheel in the car with Armor all. Is this bad for the leather?
    My friends tell me Armor all is bad for the car, is this true? How can I get this off? The seats were supple and nice before and now are slippery and feel like plastic. The steering wheel is slipperty and every surface is wet looking and shiny. I didnt really want the dash so shiny as it reflects sun into my eyes. What should i do? I did not tell the dealer to add this stuff in there.
  • joe166joe166 Member Posts: 401
    I doubt that one application of Armor All would do any harm to any surface. If it did, we would all have that damage as I am sure at one time or another we have all used (or had inflicted upon us) an application of Armor All. If the shine bothers you, (and it does annoy me too), get something like Vinylex from Lexol at Pep Boys or Discount Auto Parts and use it, it should cut the glare, but you can probably take off the shine first with any kind of cleaner. As long as you replace the moisturizers you take off with a harsh cleanser, it should be fine. On the other hand, that shine won't last long, so you might just want to wait it out and just use a better vinyl dressing with a satin or low luster shine.
  • gkarggkarg Member Posts: 230
    joe166:
    You have an LS, too. How often do you clean and condition the seats? My car is not garaged and sits in direct NW PA sun..... so that is sun about 41 days of the year, but seriously....
  • ccotenjccotenj Member Posts: 610
    i clean/condition mine twice a month during the summer (maybe every week if i've got the top down a lot), and every month during the winter...

    you can't "hurt" them by conditioning them "too much"...

    -Chris
  • joe166joe166 Member Posts: 401
    I am sure that I err on the not enough side of too much. I only do my seats when I think of it. I have had my LS since the end of December and I have done the seats twice and the rest of the interior the same.
  • gregg9gregg9 Member Posts: 1
    Just finished reading the entire thread on this topic but was hoping to find some info on using Hide Food on my new Acura. I read on a Rolls Royce owners club web site that Hide Food is not good for painted leather seats and I believe the Japanese auto makers use this method for dying the leather for their seats. It mentioned that it has "white spirits" in it and could subtly soften the leather paint to the point where it may come off. Has anyone heard of this? I am currently using Lexol and seem to have nice results. Also, I noticed on the seat back on the drivers side a slight brown shading occurring from my brown leather belt. Any ideas on how I can remove this stain? Thanks much in advance.
  • gkarggkarg Member Posts: 230
    Thanks for the quick responses! I have treated mine about 4 times so far and they are keeping wonderfully.

    I'm guessing that my LS seats should do okay... based on the 1992 Continental work car that I bought in June. It had 133,000 miles on it and I don't believe the seats were ever cleaned. There was so much crusty crap and dirt in the seems/cracks. It was actually gross! You wouldn't believe the difference now. They are dark blue and really look great. I've treated them MULTIPLE times to try and bring them back. They actually have a luster to them!
  • ccotenjccotenj Member Posts: 610
    yea, it's pretty amazing how hardy "good" leather is... it can be really beat up, but if you baby it a little, it comes right up...

    good luck!

    -Chris
  • dgsgdgsg Member Posts: 29
    I have always used silicon liquid to treat the weather stripping on the doors. Has anyone tried this product for this?
  • arulrajarulraj Member Posts: 7
    Does any one use Zymol products? Since those products are very costly (comparatively), is it justifiable to use Zymol? Can some one share their experience in using Zymol?
    Thanks.
  • vivonavivona Member Posts: 410
    I have used Vinylex on my weatherstripping and find it work great. Lasts a long time and doesn't rub off on clothes. I also do my tires with Vinylex and it lasts quite a while and doesn't spin off like Armorall did.
  • mkcomkco Member Posts: 65
    I've got a pinkish stain on my beige leather, and I've got to turn in this lease car in January. Anyone have recommendation on how to get a stain out of leather? Thanks!
  • ccotenjccotenj Member Posts: 610
    i'm almost afraid to ask, but what made the stain?

    -Chris
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