Cleaning Leather/Cloth Interiors
jtrujillo86
Member Posts: 300
in General
I have a 2002 Oldsmobile Alero with a leather-wraped steering wheel and shift knob. It currently has about 30K miles on her. I am starting to see stress marks on the shift knob where the leather and the stitches meet. I was curious as to what leather conditioner on the market is the best for my use.
Jeremy
Jeremy
Tagged:
0
Comments
personally, I use a damp cloth to get the sweat and hand oil and dirt off my steering wheel wrap, and then use 3M Refresh cleaner/protectant on all the leather (lemon for me.)
you should find the zaino users have a religious fervor about that line.
Jeremy
Tried Eagle 1 leather cleaner to get the black marks off. Didn't work.
What should I use (brands, where to buy, etc) to get the black off, but not take the ivory color off?
The marks are on the actual leather seat surface.
I am close to trying Simple Green at this point!
Thanks!
if the black case had dyed wax or something on there like shoe polish, and it reacted with the ivory colorant in the seats' dye job, it's almost certain to not come out. a bleaching compound might get it, and might not. you'd do best to talk to a shoe repairman or a car detailer if that didn't get it done.
I have chafing on my wheel cover now in the '00 exploder. for some reason, I really sweat and dirt up the wheel cover when driving, and it's a gunky grey mess after a road trip. it's obvious to me that I didn't use enough 3M Reveal leather cleaner/conditioner to keep it worked up. my seats get a lot less grabbing and soaking, and it's kept them in good shape. It hasn't helped, I suppose, using a wet cloth to get the worst of the goo off after I get a monster killer horror buildup.
I suppose if I wore driving gloves, it wouldn't be a problem. but then I get dry, chapped hands, and feel like lurching out of the truck in a Frankenstein-monster gait.
The leather seems to be rough to the touch and not very soft.
My question is. Can someone recommend a product that will soften the leather and make it smooth to the touch. Thank you.
GTO2
Have the dealer show you cars they've had done. If they don't have one on the lot have them give you the contact info of their installer and visit them to see for yourself. You might be pleasantly surprised.
unless you're buying one of those fancy imports with genuine hand-rubbed burl walnut instead of phony imitation wood food product, and oil changes cost $190 each at the dealer, you're not ever going to see leather every place you have pliant material.
Thanks.
QUESTION - I avoided using the leather cleaners on the doors and seatbacks b/c I assumed those portions were vinyl, not leather. Was I wrong?
On most cars, including my late 90's Cadillac and 2002 Accord EXV6, the only leather part is the seat 'inserts', meaning the center part of the seat covers. The 'bolsters' on the bottom and back, the sides, and the backs of the seats are vinyl.
Maybe some very top of the line autos have 'full' leather seats, but I don't know which ones. Not Cadillac.
Lexol is supposed to be pretty good, but I think it may darken light colored leathers.
If you've been happy with Armorall for 7 years, why switch.
Leather is a natural product (skin) and has to be cared for in a specific way. Just like your skin, it has oils in it that make it soft and supple. UNLIKE your skin, this oil is not replenished naturally, so you have to add it yourself. Also, since it is always looking for this moisture, it will absorb any oils and stains that touch it; and the drier it gets, the more it will absorb.
To prevent leather from drying out, it should be conditioned (think hand lotion for your skin...BUT DON"T USE HAND LOTION!!). This will keep the leather soft and also fill up the moisture pockets and help slow down the absorption of unwanted oils (hands, grease, stains).
When leather becomes soiled, it has to be cleaned to remove the soil (again, think of your hands when they get dirty) and then conditioned to add moisture back into it.
When leather becomes stained, it will usually require special care to remove. Many stains, like ink, require a little practice to remove without destroying the leather.
Here is the trouble with leather....it is a very very very forgiving surface that holds up well and hides blemishes and soil. Why is this bad??? Because by the time it shows damage (cracking, peeling, deep soil, ect) it is already SERIOUSLY neglected and damaged. Most people start asking what to do when their product is in this condition. Often, you are too late to restore it back to it's original shape. TAKE CARE OF YOUR LEATHER BEFORE IT LOOKS BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, now...what to use?!?!
There are hundreds of products on the market. After years and years of research, testing, and experimenting, I have only found one product I would recommend. Leather Master Care Products. http://www.uniters.com/products.php
No, I do not sell these products. I have no affiliation with them. I do not make one bloody cent off them. Why do I recommend them? Because they are ALL we will use.
You will need a simple kit with cleaner and conditioner. Condition your leather at least every 3 to 6 months - NO MATTER WHAT or how much you drive (sooner in hot sunny climates). Clean your leather at least ever 6 to 8 months OR as SOON AS it begins to look dull...not dark, blotchy, faded, or (eeeeeouuuch) cracked and peeling. Always condition after you clean. I have seen many cars that needed to be cleaned weekly (messy people!!!!). Oils (hand and body) can be your leathers worst nightmare! Pay special attention to an area your skin or hair touches the leather.
If you have a specific staining issue, they have specialty products for these. HOWEVER, read read read and follow all instructions when using them. If you'd like, feel free to email me and I'll try to help you when I can.
I hope this has been of a little help for you. Feel free to email me if you any questions.
Aaron Steinblock
Triple A Maintenance, Inc.
ps. Yes, I do have a little experience in this: I have been the president of a cleaning firm for over 15 years. We specialize in high-end leather care and are often cleaning $20K and $30K pieces of leather furniture.
Sorry for the repeat, but the first one will likely be deleted since I put my email address in it?!?!
Anybody want to weigh in on using mink oil as a leather conditioner. Works well on boots etc. so it should work well on leather seats. My manual says to not use any "oils" on the leather, but what could mink oil hurt??
Just asking.
I wouldn't experiment on a 35K vehicle interior!
In younger days of playing (ok, showing up on the field), my conplaints of a new glove being too stiff, and taking forever to 'break in' with my low level of playing activity, I was told to use mink oil on it. And also cautioned that if I used too much, I would end up with a 'floppy' glove.
I used it and yes, it did soften up a new, stiff softball glove.
I'm thinking, used on auto seats, they might turn into mush....
BUT.......Okay you might try this but PLEASE try it first on some hidden inconspicuous part of the leather seat.
First take a wringed out cloth dipped in lukewarm water and go over the stain lightly. Then sponge off the excess water and let the whole thing dry.
Then get some Murphy's Oil Soap, apply it lightly, sponge off, then apply again. Don't rub the beejeezus out of it!
Might help.
Never used anything "silicone based" on your leather.
I have a stain on my seat back about belt high seems to be from blue jeans . tried all types of leather cleaner , no luck . called dealer said may need to be redyed. is this my only option? thanks Bo
My wife has a 2004 BMW 3-Series w/ leather interior. This morning as I was getting in my truck I accidentally (and unknowingly) pushed the remote for her car and rolled down all the windows. About 6 hours later my wife discovered this; unfortunately we live in Tokyo and are being hit by a Typhoon today! The car was completely soaked inside (the pockets in the door were filled to the top!
She put towels on the seats and carpets to soak up what she could, but there is still plenty of water absorbed into the leather seats. It is evening now, and by morning the typhoon will pass; which means I can't do anything more until then. Tomorrow will be hot, sunny and humid so I hope to get started on drying out the car as much as possible.
Any suggestions/recommendations/warnings you may have are greatly appreciated!
Thanks.
We can't see the car, so we can't tell you how bad it really is...but if the seat cushions are soaked through, at the very least the seats might have to come out and be exposed to sunlight after being turned upside down. If things in there are just "damp" and don't squish out water when you press on them, maybe you got lucky.
But I agree, I'd have a professional detailer clean the car up.
These past few days I have kept the windows up w/ the car parked in the hot sun and some closet dehumidifiers (pellet type) on the floors. My thought process was it would be best to leave the windows up in this high humidity. At this time the leather looks like it will recover - but I guess only time will tell.
My biggest concern now is mildew under the carpet. I talked to a BMW dealer (not the one I bought from) who recommended pulling the carpets up. I then talked to the detail shop again who said they believe they got all the water, but will pull up the corners of the carpet today to make sure. They suggested I not take it to BMW if at all possible as it would most likely void the warranty on most of my interior parts.
Any continued recommendations/advice are appreciated....
Anyway, if you wind up with mold, it might be worth finding a mold remediation company to see what they could do and what they'd charge.
Lastly, I really appreciate the update, and would very much like to hear how things turn out in the end. Please continue to post.
If anyone has any other suggestions, please let us know.
Also, does anyone have any idea how much it costs to re-dye a portion of a seat?
But there may be several other possible problem areas in the future.
Do you have power seats? If so, there are 2,3, or 4 electric motors under each seat.
A Cadallic has several 'modules' under the seats also. The sensor that 'fires' the side impact air bags. Modules that runs the 'memory' seats and mirrors.
If there are modules, and they are sealed well enough that water did not get into it, there could be various electrical connectors under there that may have future corrision problems.
If you do not have electrical modules under there, and manual seats, if it was my car I would pull the front and rear seats and the carpets. And get them dried out somehow. There is possibly a thick sound deading pad under the carpet. You could still have lots of water in the car.
You said the side pockets filled up with water. That seems like several inches of water. This car is bordering on being a 'flood' car.
It's been 2 humid weeks (and now 2 typhoons) since this has happened. On outward appearances the car interior looks like it has recovered, and when I pulled the sides of the carpets (near the door jams) the padding beneath was dry. The dehumidifying pellets have not picked up very much water (placed in trays under the front seats) so that's encouraging.
That said, I plan to spend some more time on it this weekend - maybe pulling the front seats out. Not sure I want to tackle the carpets if I can avoid it; it's going to be very expensive no matter what they find, and all replacement parts will have to be ordered from Germany (2-3 weeks). BMW is not the most cost-effective car to drive in Japan. Makes me appreciate my Toyota Harrier (Lexus RX-300)!
Thanks again.
We are likely going to buy the car, so if it can’t be cleaned, what other options do we have? Dye? Seat reupholstering or replacement? What would the costs likely be with each of these options?
Thanks in advance,