Cleaning leather interior

worried_jim

After cleaning the leather with the Vanish i use the Gliptone leather conditioner. This is not my regular cleaning method, the car was filthy when I first got it so it needed a very through deep clean, I just use the Gliptone stuff for regular cleaning.

judyb

Conditioners will do nothing for this type of leather as all they do is sit on the surface as they cannot reach the leather itself. Anything with oils that sits on the surface will simply attract more dirt which is counter productive as it is dirt that damages the top finishes that are applied to the leather. Conditioners are a big waste of money - far better to use a ptprotectir which will actually prolong the life of the leather - more expensive but at least it is doing something.
Artificial leather can be cleaned in the same way as leather although often the results are not as good because once dirt becomes ingrained into the surface it is very difficult to get it clean. There are specific vinyl cleaners which may help.
Hope this helps
Judyb

muddyl

Thanks Judy that's some great information there.
Is there any particular products you would recommend from your experience?

atrixblue.-MFR-.

conditioners have their place, theyre not a fat waste of time, i have had really good results with the maguirs gold class, have you used any of the products to call them, useless and have you done extensive testing to prove your claims they do not work? i appreciate your working status, i do, no matter how you try and prevent it dirt will always be a factor to a leather, to say a conditioner wax or oil or silicone will attract it more than the average is a bold statement.

judyb

Conditioners only have their place on unfinished leather which we are not dealing with here. I have worked closely with tanners, leather technologists and scientists for many years so do know and understand leather and the finishing processes that are used. I also teach leather care and repair to the industry.
'Conditioning' to a tanner is the moisture content of the leather and not to do with oils etc except when you are deling with saddle leather which is treated differently.
Because of the finishes used on Auto leather the only thing that is absorbed is moisture as the particles are much smaller and the finishes have to allow transpiration which is important to keep the leather in good condition. Conditioners that contain oils or waxes cannot be absorbed through the finish so sit on the surface. Oils do not fully evaporate as with water so they sit on the surface and do not fully 'dry'. These in turn attract more dirt which then with abrasion attack the finish on the leather causing it to deteriorate.
I have tried most products on the market.
Understanding the theory behind why and how leather is produced and how leather finishes are preserved helps me to share my knowledge on why some products are pointless.
Dirt is the biggest factor in the deterioration of leather which is why protectors are far more effective than conditioners as these enable the dirt to sit on the surface where it can be more easily cleaned off.
The biggest problem we are now faced with is that many suppliers of 'conditioners' are renaming their products protectors without changing the formulation - always read the label and avoid any that contain any oils.
Silicones should never be used in cleaners or conditioners as this will seal the leather completely and not allow any moisture to penetrate so will deteriorate the leather faster - they also make restoration work impossible as they will inhibit new pigments and finishes from being applied. Oils in conditioners can also be detrimental to any refinishing work.

Hope this helps
Judyb

daveyjp

Start with a packet of baby wipes. Great for cleaning and keeping leather clean.

judyb

Baby wipes are just about the worst thing to use on leather - particularly finished leather. Over time the finish will peel off as baby wipes are a very strong alkaline cleaner designed to neutralise the acid in urine.
We have refinished more leather damaged by baby wipes than anything else.
Hope this helps
Judyb

bigjl

As atrix has said DetailingWorld is a more relevant forum.

For automotive products the following link may also help.

http://www.lttsolutions.co.uk/auto.html

They have products meant for the cars which work much better than creams and suchlike.

Some extra info here.

http://www.lttsolutions.co.uk/index.php/pigment_coated_leather/

daveyjp

judyb wrote: »

Baby wipes are just about the worst thing to use on leather - particularly finished leather. Over time the finish will peel off as baby wipes are a very strong alkaline cleaner designed to neutralise the acid in urine.
We have refinished more leather damaged by baby wipes than anything else.
Hope this helps
Judyb

I doubt you could get approval to use VERY strong alkaline on babies skin.

A quick wipe over once a month was more than enough to keep the Barley leather on my Jaguar looking good as new.

Gloomendoom

As far as I am aware, for the last few years, the leather used in automotive applications has been coated in polyurethane. The only 'treatment' it benefits from is a regular wipe over with a damp cloth.