leather conditioning and cleaning

Hi Marce,

I recommend using something as simple as the Auto Glym leather cleaner spray and the leather conditioner cream.

They must be that good that Bentley use their products and the leather in a Bentley is the top of the line, hence why I started using Autoglym on all of my other cars.

They work best.

 

I used Leatherique on yellow stitching and it worked perfect!

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/360-430/335224-tomorrow-i-pick-up-my-first-horse-project-begins-23.html

 

I've used it on 15 different interiors and it works fine, 5 of those cars are concours cars too.

White leather with white stitching, black leather with green, black leather with white, black with red and black with yellow stitching.

Try it and post your results.

 

Hi guys, I have just bought a 348ts with what is described as 'white' leather but will need a good clean to justify its description. Would the products you suggest be sufficient to get this tidied up? Thanks very much
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I have crema and I found that it was much easier redying the leather the first time out. them I maintain with Zymol Leather Treat. But you could use anything mentioned above.

 

Thanks Vince. I think I'll try the sprays first as the dirt all seems fairly organic so should come off ok.

I assume the leather treatment creams leave the leather with the matt finish and don't turn it shiny? I'm thinking more of the black seats in my 512M.

Cheers

 

Many "quick cleaners" or creams will leave it shiny, which is not the natural state of the leather.

When you use Leatherique, it restores the natural matte finish, and will get you a deeper cleaning and conditioning than any simple, topical solution.

Leatherique Products - Esoteric Car Care

Don't forget to use your F-chat discount code listed in my signature!

 

My Mondial T's leather has a matte finish, and I'd like to maintain it as-is. I read the Leatherique application instructions, and it is very involved (letting it sit for days on the leather, heating up the car in the sun with windows up, applying the cleaner afterward, etc.) Also, a white residue will come to the surface which freaks me out! (what if it won't come off?)

Is there a one-step, spray and wipe product? My leather is in excellent condition with no cracks or fading and I don't want to screw it up or make it shiny. Does 20 year old leather require a different treatment than newer "sealed" leather?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Jonathan

 

I know this sounds weird but I use Mr. Clean sponge. Just add water and it works great. Most of the people in the North Jersey Porsche Club uses it at the recommendation of John Paterek one of the best Porsche restorers. Wipe with a towel and the leather is clean.

 

I have used it on several of my different colored Ferrari interiors over the years, with Perfect results! Excellent!

 

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. To echo Jonathan, something with an easier process than Leatherique would be preferable but ensuring also a matt finish. Any ideas? Perhaps the Mr Clean sponge followed by a conditioner?

Todd, what type of heat does the leather need for the Prestine Clean to work properly? I assume something like an afternoon of 25C/80F would do the job? What would happen if the cabin doesn't heat up enough to generate the white residue? Would there be any negative consequences for the leather?

Many thanks

 

I'll throw in my 2 cents as I have been using Leatherique for years with great success. It is easier to use in practice than it might seem when looking at the directions. Also, it is water-based and much better for the leather in the long run.

I've been using it on my 512TR for over 15 years and the leather remains clean and soft. I am having the side bolster wear touched up and the guy doing the work does many Ferraris in the area and was blown away by the condition of the leather.

The easiest way to handle the rejuvenator oil is to apply it by hand or with a clean sponge and then put big garden leaf bags over the seats. Park in the sun and all you really need is a coupe of hours for the stuff to do it's magic. Then the pristine clean can be used to remove all of the gunk that's floated to the surface of the leather. It is amazing stuff.

Good luck - it is really easy and the results are amazing.
Best,
Will

 

THANKS!!!!!!!

Just tried it on the Sand Beige interior of my 997. Had a few stains that I couldn't get out, and the Magic Eraser sponge just cleaned it right up. Looks great, and so easy. Followed it up with some Lexol conditioner.

I owe you one. If your ever in SoCal, drinks are on me!

 

My pleasure glad I helped. Don't know how it works but most of the Porsche Concourse people use it and it is so cheap and works great. As you did F/U with conditioner and your done.

 

I am also a fan of Leatherique, but find it a pain to use and apply. I use it a couple times a year to deep condition the leather. It has kept my dash and seats from shrinkage, that seems so common on F355s. BUT, for weekly or monthly cleaning or touch ups, I use the following products. Griot's Garage Leather Spray. This works great for general cleaning of leather...it is not really promoted for cleaning, but it works very well, and conditions as well. I use it all the time in my BMW as well (great leather scent to it too). The other nice product is their Griots Garage Leather Care. It is a lotion...not nearly as deep conditioning as Leatherique, but works okay, and is much easier to apply and remove. I have not found either product to cause a glossy finish to the leather, as long as you are not leaving it layered on the leather and properly remove the excess.

 

it's not that involved once you use it. And even if it does require a little more effort, the fact that it far outperforms anything else out there outweighs additional time needed. Keep in mind that the full treatment only needs to be done once per year, then you use the Prestine Clean as your regular maintenance product. I put a spray top on my Prestine Clean and it makes the one-step process much, much easier. As for the possibility of any white residue...you're over-thinking this one. It's no big deal, and there is no such thing as "won't come off". If so, I wouldn't be using it on multi-million dollar old Ferraris to preserve their leather!

As I stated, you should use the Prestine Clean as your one step, or "spray and wipe" product. As for your older leather, it just needs regular and proper maintenance with good products.

Be extremely, extremely, extremely cautious about doing this!!! Think of these sponges (same as Magic Eraser) as sandpaper, and your leather as paint. On coated leather it wouldn't take much for these sponges to remove the coating, or to remove the top dyed part of the leather.

With anything detailing, you want to use the least aggressive method necessary to do the job. Using one of these to do a simple leather cleaning would be equivalant to breaking out sandpaper on the paint when all it needs is a light polish.

If I had leather that was badly soiled, and we were planning to re-dye it, then I would consider using something like this. Otherwise, it's the slower process of Leatherique.

Once again...be very cautious.

Heat is not absolutely necessary. We never put our cars outside...instead we add more time. They sit in our climate controlled shop, with the Rejuvenator on the seats for 24-48 hours. During that time we look to see the areas where it is soaking in rapidly...then we apply more. Once it's done, we use the Prestine Clean to remove it per the instructions. Simple as that!

Then just use your Prestine Clean as a quick and very easy maintenance product.

I'm glad (but not surprised) to hear that it has worked quite well for you too!

 

Another thing to consider is the type of car you are working on. Ferraris, and any other collectable cars will be around for a very long time! Given that, you want to do everything you can to ensure preservation of the vehicle, including the leather. I'm not just talking about the time while you have it, or to aid in resale value down the road...I'm talking about what is right for the future, and history of the car.

I was working on an absolutely stunning 1967 275GTB/4 that looked amazing. The previous owners did a great job of taking care of the body and the motor, but apparently did nothing to preserve the leather. It was literally falling apart and rotting away. We used Leatherique to simply slow down the deterioration, but inevitably the owner had to send the seats to Italy to have them re-done. It was no longer original, and without completely restoring the rest of the inventory, it all didn't match.

Quick, topical solutions and lotions do nothing to get deep into the fibers of the leather to condition and preserve them. A product like Leatherique however, when used on a regular schedule, will help to maintain a high quality interior for many generations to enjoy.

This of course is coming first and foremost as a detailer with a tremendous amount of experience working with the preservation of these cars...not as a reseller trying to push products! I used these products and got to know the owners of this well established company long before I started selling them.

 

Todd, thanks for the advice. But which Leatherique product for regular maintenance? They have so many, it's confusing.

l have a 246GT and a new Italia.

Andy

 

I've used leatherique for a long time with good results, but I've not been good about using rejuvenator oil, just regularly using pristine clean. I understand pc has some conditioner in it.

I normally spray bottle pristine clean on the seats, and wipe it in/buff with a blue towel. How would you recommend application to GT3 seats that have leather borders and alcantara inserts? I've been using pristine clean, spraying it onto a microfiber cloth, and then wipe. It's hard to keep from touching the alcantara, so I stop short of it.

I've tried griots leather care, and didn't care for it; it left a shiny greasy finish, and attracted more dust. I use and like a lot of their stuff though.

David

 

I will be getting a new California in a few months. I have heard/seen a couple of horror stories on the state of the leather in Fchat, and heard many praises too. When do you start the cleaning process? Or rather, what advice do you have for a new car owner?

 

Hi Todd... Lots of useful info. Thanks. So, to make sure I got this clear. Rejuvenator once a year, Prestine maybe two or three times per year? Would you use more often in a hot climate like Texas, especially as my car is not garaged? Any special precautions using Leatherique on perforated, ventilated seats?
T

 

I would buy Bella Clean and Charisma from Polish Angel. Used it on my light gray interior (my daily Driver is an Infiniti with the Tuxedo interior) and the seats are light gray (dove gray) Worked fast and easy. Much less work and mess than leatherique which I have also used.

Its great on super trashed seats but the Polish Angel is super effective and easy.

BTW I don't sell either, just a guy loving his own rides.