NEW - SONAX Leather Cleaner and SONAX Leather Care Cream - Review and How-To Article

[Mike Phillips]

NEW - SONAX Leather Cleaner and SONAX Leather Care Cream - Review and How-To Article



A few weeks ago Nick, Yancy and I went to Germany and had the honor of taking a tour of the SONAX Corporate Office, Research & Development, the manufacturing plant and also their Training Garage.


Nick, Yancy and I standing outside the corporate office of SONAX in Neuburg, Germany




Behind the scenes SONAX has been developing a new leather cleaner and a new leather protectant as companion product to their very popular Upholstery & Alcantara Cleaner. At the time of our visit they had product products available and gave us a chance to test them out on a brand new Audi A4 with seats that are made from both leather and Alcantara.


Review

The SONAX mission is to introduce best of class products that provide the best in both performance and results. When it comes to vehicles with leather interiors, these types of cars cost more and as such the leather interior should be maintained with products that are both safe and effective.

Enter SONAX Leather Cleaner and SONAX Leather Care Cream
The SONAX Leather Cleaner and Leather Care Cream are formulated to be safe for use on any smooth leather surface. So whether it's coated, uncoated you can use these two products on either and that's good news because the average person doesn't even know there are multiple types of leather used in the automotive industry. So by making these two products safe for use on ANY smooth leather surface they have set up a scenario where you're guaranteed success without any risk.

SONAX Leather Cleaner
The leather cleaner comes in a rich, foam with a pleasant scent. The reason this product comes in a foam consistency instead of a water liquid spray is because foam offers dwell time since it will sit on top of the leather surface giving you adequate time to work the product over the surface to remove body oils, sweat, dirt and grime. You can apply this product with a medium bristle cleaning brush like the SONAX Textile and Leather Brush or with either a microfiber applicator pad or a microfiber towel.

My experience
Even though this is a brand new SUV the seats have already have dirt and grime built-up and the SONAX Leather Cleaner easily emulsified and loosened the dirt and grime making it easy to wipe the leather portions of the seat flawlessly clean.


SONAX Leather Care Cream
After cleaning the leather surfaces I then applied the SONAX Leather Care Cream. This is a rich, thick cream with a pleasant fresh fragrance, not a fake or artificial leather odor. The rich lotion spreads out over the leather surface with ease and restores a natural appearance with a rich sheen but no gloss or shine.


My experience
Even though this is a brand new SUV the seats have already have dirt and grime built-up and the SONAX Leather Cleaner easily emulsified and loosened the dirt and grime making it easy to wipe the leather portions of the seat flawlessly clean. After working the Leather Care Cream over the leather I waited about a minute and then gave the leather a final wipe using a clean, dry microfiber towel. The results create a factory new appearance, which is exactly what SONAX is aiming for with this new duo and also exactly what you should be looking for when selecting premium product to maintain leather seats and other leather surfaces in high-end vehicles.


SONAX Upholstery & Alcantara Cleaner
Off hand I cannot think of another trusted brand for a product designed and formulated for cleaning automotive Alcantara. SONAX is the leader when it comes to cleaning this type of temperamental and delicate material. While the focus of this review and how-to is on the two new leather products being introduced by SONAX because this Audi and a LOT of other car companies are now including Alcantara in their upscale automotive offerings I wanted to include it in this review also because I know from experience that MOST people

A: Don't know what Alcantara is?
B: Don't recognize Alcantara surfaces in their own cars?
C: Because they don't know what Alcantara is or the fact that they have it in their car they also don't know how to clean it.


So if the above describes you don't feel bad because you're not alone but do pay attention as the below information will help you clean the Alcantara surfaces in your car and also help you from making mistakes.

What is Alcantara?

Alcantara is a brand name for a synthetic material that provides the look and the feel of suede at a fraction of the cost. This artificial or fake suede looks cool and feels even better to the touch, but like the real deal it is delicate and can be harmed easily. The challenge is to find products, which tend to be liquid in nature that will clean this type of material without changing the look or feel of the original material or stain it.

How should you clean Alcantara?
When cleaning Alcantara you should only use a product that is formulated specifically for use on Alcantara and only trust a reputable brand name product.


How should you protect Alcantara?
At this time neither SONAX nor any other company I know of offers a dedicated protection product for Alcantara materials. The best plan of action is to use the SONAX Upholstery & Alcantara Cleaner to regularly clean any Alcantara surfaces in your vehicles and then allow the Alcantara to fully dry before putting the vehicle back into service.


My experience
I'm very apprehensive to use any product on Alcantara for fear of causing irreversible damage to the material or just as bad, altering the look and feel of Alcantara. I'm not just happy to say but elated to say that you can trust the SONAX name and use the SONAX Upholstery & Alcantara Cleaner without fear or risk on all of the Alcantara surfaces in your car. It functions exactly as the manufacturer claims. This means it cleans without changing the factory look or feel of Alcantara. And because the suede-like material can be a real dirt trapper it's important to periodically clean any Alcantara surfaces inside your car.





How to directions

Here's our test car, a 2016 Audi A4 with multi-material seats and interior.





Here's the two new leather products, SONAX Leather Cleaner and Leather Care Cream along with the phenomenal existing product, SONAX Upholstery & Alcantara Cleaner.





Step 1: Always start any interior detailing work with dry extraction or vacuuming to remove loose dirt and soil from the surface.
Be sure to use your hand to press against areas with seams, cracks and crevices as dirt and debris accumulate in these areas and cannot typically be seen without separating the side bolsters away from the face of the seat.





IMPORTANT: Before starting shake the SONAX Leather Cleaner well before use and during use.



Step 2: Clean the smooth leather surfaces first
Inspect the leather and then determine based upon the dirt and grime level whether to use a brush for extra agitation or to simply spray and wipe the surface with a microfiber applicator and a microfiber towel.





Step 3: Apply the thick, rich foam directly to the bristles of a leather cleaning brush or directly to the face of a microfiber applicator pad or microfiber towel.





Step 4: Work the SONAX Leather Cleaner over any leather surfaces for a few seconds up to a minute.





Step 5: Wipe off the excess cleaner and all the dirt and grime it has loosened with a clean, dry microfiber towel.







These seats are not exceedingly dirty but it's definitely time for a thorough cleaning.





Step 6: Apply the SONAX Leather Care Cream to a clean microfiber applicator pad or clean microfiber towel.







Step 7: Apply and work the SONAX Leather Care Cream to all the cleaned leather surfaces in the vehicle.









Step 8: After application - wait about a minute and then wipe all treated leather surfaces with a clean, dry microfiber towel to remove any excess product so the surface is left dry to the touch.






Optional - Clean Alcantara

If you vehicle has any Alcantara surfaces like this Audi, then after cleaning and protecting any leather or vinyl surfaces clean the Alcantara surfaces.


IMPORTANT: Before starting shake the SONAX Upholstery & Alcantara Cleaner well before use and during use.


Many seats are make up of multiple panels using various materials. When cleaning these various panels, clean one panel at time.


Step 1: Spray the SONAX Upholstery & Alcantara directly onto a microfiber towel or onto the surface itself.





Step 2: Work the foam over the Alcantara surface.







Tip: Have plenty of clean, dry microfiber towels on hand and switch to a clean, fresh towel often.





Continue working each individual panel that makes up a seat.







After applying and removing the SONAX Upholstery & Alcantara Cleaner to the surface allow some time for the surface to fully dry before putting the vehicle back into service.



Dirt, grime, body oils and spills

As you can see, the SONAX Upholstery & Alcantara Cleaner is pulling out ground in dirt and grime.







Step 3: Allow the Alcantara to dry before putting the vehicle back into service.

The surface should be almost dry after wiping off the excess cleaner. You can speed the drying process by leaving the windows down and/or door open for good air flow.






The end results look factory new!





Maintaining the interior as well as the exterior preserves the value of your vehicle as well as providing you with the enjoyment that comes with owning and driving your favorite ride.






On Autogeek.com


SONAX Leather Cleaner

SONAX Leather Care Cream

SONAX Premium Class Leather Care Kit

SONAX Upholstery & Alcantara Cleaner

SONAX Textile and Leather Brush

[Mike Phillips]

***Update***


The new SONAX Leather Cleaner and Leather Care Cream are now available on the Autogeek.com store


Wha'ts New on Autogeek.com!

[ViperGuy21]

That leather cream is good stuff! I've enjoyed using it ever since you sent me some for helping you pick the winners of a product-selection-giveaway a while back.

[FUNX650]

How should you protect Alcantara?

At this time neither SONAX nor any other
company I know of offers a dedicated
protection product for Alcantara materials.

The best plan of action is to use the
SONAX Upholstery & Alcantara Cleaner
to regularly clean any Alcantara surfaces
in your vehicles

and then allow the Alcantara to
fully dry before putting the vehicle
back into service.

•After the cleaning is completed:
-I use a Leather Master product that,
for all of my intents-and-purposes, is
just what the doctor ordered to protect
Alcantara, Ultrasuede, Ecsaine, Nubuck,
and Microsuede materials.



Bob

[GSKR]

Looks like a winner.Im running out of room in my van loaded with products.Everytime I open the door products fall out.I may have to wait.

[Klasse Act]

I need leather seats in my car...BADLY!