Caring for leather seats...my personal experiences!

This is really interesting. I have just yesterday ordered some Leatherique oil and cleaner, because I have always been told leather needs it.
So the claims these companies are making, and been making for years and years are false?
Why would Rolls Royce use it?

 

Leatherique works great. Many others uses it also and it works well. It's just the process takes a little while unlike other products that u wipe on wipe off. I also use chemical guys leather cleaner + conditioner. Works great and smells good. A

 

This is really interesting, though I can't say I agree with it. Caution: I didn't watch the video. Not saying I dispute your method, I just can't bring myself to NOT clean/condition the seats. It's like "conditioned" behavior for me. If my professional detailer came to me and said stop conditioning your seats, I'd think he was calling me a chump.

For my German cars, my professional detailer has always used Lexol products with great results. I've never seen any film on the inside of my windows. I have noticed that the leather seems softer, at the cost of it being just a shade brighter. My leather is never greasy - that's Pep Boys stuff for kids.

When I get the Ferrari, I'll probably defer to the detailer, who will probably use Leatherique, as it seems to be a step up from Lexol. And, FWIW, the Owner's Manual says to use "cleaner" and "creme" on page 5.28, I think.

 

I'm not sure what product you're using, or what the application method might be.... but a film on the windows from evaporation certainly doesn't sound good.

I use this product, and have never had a problem:

http://www.detailersdomain.com/1Z-einszett-Leather-Care-Lederpflege_p_500.html

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I agree that any conditioner will not penetrate the coating on the leather. However, I still use Leatherique oil once/year. The reason being is that the company told me that the oil will still penetrate at perforations and stitching points. It also seems to lift off any deep contaminants and brightens the stitching.

Overkill? Likely, but I figure once a year can't hurt it and it may be doing some help. I do use the Prestine Clean weekly as a cleaner. Supposedly, pH balanced with no silicone added and it leaves a nice matte finish.

 

This may be true for your Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford, etc. but on your Ferrari you are looking at real leather. On an Infiniti it was clearly lots of vinyl as you could feel the difference between areas when applying the conditioner, but this has been known for years. On past cars, I have always applied a leather cleaner and conditioner once a year, and comparing my seats to other identical vehicles of same age and mileage the difference can be staggering: Looking almost new vs junk.
Jes

 

Zymol Leather Cleaner and Conditioner.... awesome stuff and leaves the interior smelling like a fresh pair of italian shoes.... belisimo

 

The guy in the vid raises some good points, BUT ....

How do I prevent my leather from getting dry which eventually results in leather cracks?

Especially with spiders in hot weather I think conditioning the leather is essential.

Some company's have a leather sealer (similar to clear coats used on paint) which seems to prevent the natural oil in the leather (or moist) from evaporating over time, not sure how good these work but they are out there.

I used Zymol and it smells real good, on the other hand Leatherique seemed to condition much much better. Now after 3 months since I my last treatment the leather is rock hard again. I would have used Leatherique every month if the application was easier.

 

I've tried almost every leather conditioner from Armorall, Maguire's, Zymol, Connolly and Leatherique. Leatherique is by far my favorite product followed by Connolly. Connolly Hide Food shows great results but very messy to apply and remove.

 

+1; Leatherique. Try it, follow directions, then report back if you do not have noticeably softer and better smelling leather. *the Leatherique does not smell good by itself, but it seems to bring out the natural leather smell.

 

for Leatherique, do you use the rejuvenator or only apply the "prestine clean" bottle?

William

 

I've been using both, once a year on my 1995 F355 Spider. For such a small car there is a ridiculous amount of leather in there! Takes a long time to do it right. Last time I pulled the seats and center console, so I could really soak the leather without oiling up the carpets. Pulling the seats is really pretty quick, but they are shockingly heavy.

 

Most modern car leather has either been treated in the dye process or been sprayed with clear lacquer after dying to make it impervious to moisture. The manufacturers do this because it protects the leather from stains and spills. Water will bead on this stuff. It feels artificial. Difficult to tell it form vinyl. Virtually no leather smell. The owner's manual will tell you to only wipe it with water to clean it. This system works well for 'normal' cars because the protection layer is good for about 5 years - after that the manufacturer doesn't care any more and the original owner has likely sold the car, so he doesn't care either. It works well because people eat and drink and maybe - well you know - get it on is the 60s term - in these cars and protection and durability is more important than beauty, feel, and smell. Once the protective layer wears off, the leather will deteriorate quite fast unless something is done to save it.

Higher grade cars use higher grade, or at least different type, leather. It has not been sealed up like the stuff above. The pores are open. This leather needs to be fed. It will stain a lot easier because it will absorb whatever is spilled on it. But, it smells and feels grand. This is the stuff Ferrari uses. If you treat it well - it will last a lifetime.

JRR

 

Just watched the video.

Quite informative.

It tells you how to take care of the sealed leather I talked about first in previous post. Very good explanation of the coatings they use and how the coating seals the leather and how the coating should be protected.

Just understand, Ferrari uses the OTHER type of leather mentioned at the beginning of the video and then tossed aside because it is not used (well, there ARE exectptions) on car seats.

 

Leatherique doesn't really seem to clean that well but it does really make the leather super soft. My seats were not really that stiff to begin with but after several application it is glove soft. I don't think I've actually felt any leather seat this soft. Will continue to use it every month or so.

Have not noticed fogging after Leatherique but I do get it on the windows when I apply it to dash and such. It cleans up easily with window cleaner.

 

For what it is worth, I have put Leatherique products on the leather in my 360, and the sky hasn't fallen down yet

Worst case, they can be reupholstered, but I hear you in taking good care of them.

Jes

 

I did mine this morning with leatherique. I used my hand to masage it into the seats and dash top. My seats are not really hard at all, but I figure this cant hurt.

It's messy stuff to use.

 

I've done Leatherique treatment 3 times on my 03 360 and the leather is significantly softer. It was in good shape to begin with but now is as supple as my other cars. It does not seem to clean the cream colored seats very well. The dash is also much much softer. It does not seem to stretch or shrink the leather but it is very very soft now and feels much better. I've left it on for 1-2 days before removing it with Pristine clean.

 

Interesting. Other than cleaning dirty spots with soap, I have never put any kind of leather conditioner on any of my cars with leather seats, which include mostly Porsches and BMWs. I have never had a problem with leather degeneration, cracking, etc. This wasn't a conscious decision -- it's just a function of me being lazy. I was curious as to whether Ferrari leather needed greater care, but the OP's post gives me some comfort that I can continue to be my lazy self.

 

Good point about cleaning. The last time I owned a 10 year old car was in college and it was beater. Now I have a 10 year old Ferrari that I want to look new which is unrealistic but keep trying with all kinds of products...

 

I'm a Lexol guy myself (but have never tried Leatherique).

The 360 too has SO much leather - they had to use a whole herd!