Coated leather care

[Skoob]

I am working on a 1998 Chrysler Concorde LXI. The seats appear to be coated. I purchased lexol leather cleaner and conditioner, I cannot tell if the conditioner has done anything this is why I think he seats are coated. I read somewhere coated seats will not take in the conditioner.
Instead of conditioner I need to get a protectant.
What kind of protectants are available for leather?

Any steps on how to make the leather last would be appreciated. The seats are in good shape right now, but my experience watching other cars leather from these model years the leather will eventually crack and split.


Thanks guys.

[Dadillac]

The seats in my Cadillac are coated. I just picked up some Meguiars leather cleaner/conditioner. It is a one step product. It did a great job of cleaning the leather. Since the leather is coated conditioners really don't soak in. They just sit on the top. The Meguiars did not leave any trace of dampness behind. I was pleased at how quick it went and how nice the seats came out.
http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotive/products/g7214-gold-class-rich-leather-cleanerconditioner/

Don

[Pureshine]

My go to product is Sonax leather cleaner and conditioner.

[PiPUK]

You are right that conditioners are of much less use on sealed and coated leather. In practice, the conditioning element can cause more harm than good here because it is not absorbed and thus the only place it goes is onto your clothing because it will just sit on the surface. For the most part, assuming you use an appropriate cleaner, you should not need to worry much beyond that. Reprotecting the leather is going to be more of an issue if you use strongly alkaline and caustic products or those with certain solvents. This is the reason one should not use most standard APCs for this function. I realise well that APC suppliers often state otherwise but the fact is that, yes, most will clean well but they will also degrade the finish (not necessarily visible) and will increase the need for reprotecting. In some regards it is akin to using LSP safe products on paint work.

[Pureshine]

You are right that conditioners are of much less use on sealed and coated leather. In practice, the conditioning element can cause more harm than good here because it is not absorbed and thus the only place it goes is onto your clothing because it will just sit on the surface. For the most part, assuming you use an appropriate cleaner, you should not need to worry much beyond that. Reprotecting the leather is going to be more of an issue if you use strongly alkaline and caustic products or those with certain solvents. This is the reason one should not use most standard APCs for this function. I realise well that APC suppliers often state otherwise but the fact is that, yes, most will clean well but they will also degrade the finish (not necessarily visible) and will increase the need for reprotecting. In some regards it is akin to using LSP safe products on paint work.

So what your saying is leather conditioners useless at all cause all leather now days in new cars is treat leather so its pointless to even by and leather conditioner all? I Think you might want to ask all the companies why they even make it then.

[T3 AutoDetails]

You are right that conditioners are of much less use on sealed and coated leather. In practice, the conditioning element can cause more harm than good here because it is not absorbed and thus the only place it goes is onto your clothing because it will just sit on the surface. For the most part, assuming you use an appropriate cleaner, you should not need to worry much beyond that. Reprotecting the leather is going to be more of an issue if you use strongly alkaline and caustic products or those with certain solvents. This is the reason one should not use most standard APCs for this function. I realise well that APC suppliers often state otherwise but the fact is that, yes, most will clean well but they will also degrade the finish (not necessarily visible) and will increase the need for reprotecting. In some regards it is akin to using LSP safe products on paint work.

Sorry I had to post but this. I use APC on leather without any degrading of leather what so ever. APC is safe on leather without degrading leather as long as it is diluted correctly.

I have seen some instances of what I think your talking about but i'm almost positive that's when you try to make your APC too strong and it leaves run marks which is still not degrading. Can you give an example of what your talking about?

[PiPUK]

So what your saying is leather conditioners useless at all cause all leather now days in new cars is treat leather so its pointless to even by and leather conditioner all? I Think you might want to ask all the companies why they even make it then.

I would not need to ask anyone anything, I am responsible for formulation and manufacture of several such products. What I am saying is that there is more to it than first meets the eye. Some of the manufacturers of leather care products will actually say exactly what you have supposed, I will not go just that far. What I will say is that a lot of products market all manner of things which simply are not correct. You cannot 'feed' any old leather and many coated products are simply 'sealed' - short of stripping the coating, there is no feeding that leather! That is not to say that there is no way of producing leather maintenance products. However the effects are often not as you might expect. If you have an interest in this area, I suggest you read elsewhere but be warned that it is a can of worms.


Sorry I had to post but this. I use APC on leather without any degrading of leather what so ever. APC is safe on leather without degrading leather as long as it is diluted correctly.

I have seen some instances of what I think your talking about but i'm almost positive that's when you try to make your APC too strong and it leaves run marks which is still not degrading. Can you give an example of what your talking about?

The effects will manifest exactly like ageing and this is probably why people do not realise it is occurring. To produce it on a single application would be something I would never wish to show because the leather could well be beyond repair to show so significantly. It would be worth reading up on the effects of alkalinity on fabrics. Notable would be rot - most fabrics are quite pH sensitive and will begin to rot when the pH is incorrect. This is important beyond leather - for instance, anyone cleaning fabric sofas or carpets would always neutralise any alkalinity for fear of damage. Also you should consider the potential for loss of colour fastness - elevated pH is very well known to accelerate colour degradation.

[T3 AutoDetails]

I would not need to ask anyone anything, I am responsible for formulation and manufacture of several such products. What I am saying is that there is more to it than first meets the eye. Some of the manufacturers of leather care products will actually say exactly what you have supposed, I will not go just that far. What I will say is that a lot of products market all manner of things which simply are not correct. You cannot 'feed' any old leather and many coated products are simply 'sealed' - short of stripping the coating, there is no feeding that leather! That is not to say that there is no way of producing leather maintenance products. However the effects are often not as you might expect. If you have an interest in this area, I suggest you read elsewhere but be warned that it is a can of worms.



The effects will manifest exactly like ageing and this is probably why people do not realise it is occurring. To produce it on a single application would be something I would never wish to show because the leather could well be beyond repair to show so significantly. It would be worth reading up on the effects of alkalinity on fabrics. Notable would be rot - most fabrics are quite pH sensitive and will begin to rot when the pH is incorrect. This is important beyond leather - for instance, anyone cleaning fabric sofas or carpets would always neutralise any alkalinity for fear of damage. Also you should consider the potential for loss of colour fastness - elevated pH is very well known to accelerate colour degradation.

Well you learn something new everyday. I'm going to check in on this one though and get some more knowledge on the info provided thanks man.

[PiPUK]

Well you learn something new everyday. I'm going to check in on this one though and get some more knowledge on the info provided thanks man.

No bother. It really is a can of worms and there have been public slanging matches on some forums from claimed industry experts. At the end of the day, my view is that there is little point taking any risks, so stick with the mildest product which will do the job - if a product can strip 20 years of dirt in 30 seconds, chances are it is considerably stronger than you a 2 year old vehicle!

[RTexasF]

Old detailer tip: On coated leather clean with a Woolite and water mixture.
6 parts water to 1 Woolite for filthy, 8 to 1 for dirty, 10 to 1 for light cleaning. Use a VINYL product like Aerospace 303 afterwards following the directions. Forget the high dollar leather conditioner/dressings for coated leather.


So what your saying is leather conditioners useless at all cause all leather now days in new cars is treat leather so its pointless to even by and leather conditioner all? I Think you might want to ask all the companies why they even make it then.

They sell it because people that don't know any better will buy it, it's called business.

[Pureshine]

So your saying all the companies selling leather products they are useless really.So we shouldn't buy then since most new cars leather is treated there is no use for them.
Sonax
Meg's
Leather master
Many others

[thebamboo23]

sub

[swanicyouth]

You are right that conditioners are of much less use on sealed and coated leather. In practice, the conditioning element can cause more harm than good here because it is not absorbed and thus the only place it goes is onto your clothing because it will just sit on the surface. For the most part, assuming you use an appropriate cleaner, you should not need to worry much beyond that. Reprotecting the leather is going to be more of an issue if you use strongly alkaline and caustic products or those with certain solvents. This is the reason one should not use most standard APCs for this function. I realise well that APC suppliers often state otherwise but the fact is that, yes, most will clean well but they will also degrade the finish (not necessarily visible) and will increase the need for reprotecting. In some regards it is akin to using LSP safe products on paint work.

This is right on the money. I delved into this "can of worms" a while ago and this is what I came up with:

1. Use a quality product designed for leather cleaning to clean leather. I use Leather Masters Soft Cleaner.

2. Use a leather protectant or coating to protect leather. I use CarPro F & L.

3. Between major cleanings, wipe down the leather with DI water and a clean towel. Do not soak the leather.

That's all you can do. Conditioning leather has little to no value, and can accelerate wear by attracting dirt and dust causing friction between your clothes.

[RaskyR1]

No bother. It really is a can of worms and there have been public slanging matches on some forums from claimed industry experts. At the end of the day, my view is that there is little point taking any risks, so stick with the mildest product which will do the job - if a product can strip 20 years of dirt in 30 seconds, chances are it is considerably stronger than you a 2 year old vehicle!


Very True. Thanks for the posts though.:props:

I'll be sticking to Leather Masters and LTT for my leather care for all the reasons you posted above. Judy B with LTT has posted lots of great info over the years to support what you are saying and has always come across as very genuine to me. :)

[judyb]

For cleaning please see the guidelines below to give professional results and prolong the life of the leather.

CLEANING PROCESS
Keep your leather clean by protecting it with a leather protector and then regular cleaning.
Adding 'conditioners' which generally contain oils and waxes will change the appearance of your leather over time as dirt will build up on the surface and cause a sheen.

Using the correct care methods and products will not alter the factory finish
'Coated' leather is essentially a 'painted' leather with a clear coat finish over the top. The leather may or may not be dyed through with
aniline dyes prior to the finish coating.

Essentially it is this top coating that needs looking after.
Cleaning is vitally important as the top coat will wear away if allowed to become dirty.
Dirt on the surface will also become ground into the finish by constant abrassion.

'Conditioners', balms, feeds etc (traditionally oil and wax based) cannot penetrate this finish so are not worth applying - they can also leave behind residues on the finish which will only attract more dirt if allowed to remain. 'Conditioners' will not do any protecting on leather even if they say they do as there will not be enough active ingredient in them to do anything.

A protector will make the finish easier to clean and also inhibit dye transfer etc on pale coloured leathers.

Leather however finished has to remain breathable and it will allow the movement of moisture back and forth (transpiration) so the use of water based cleaners and protectors will keep the leather correctly hydrated which is essentail to keeping it in good condition.

Leather needs a little regular care and attention and this can be done with a maintenance product rather than a deep clean which you would then only need to do once or twice a year depending on usage and colour.
You will find that detergent style cleaners will remove the protection applied so you would need to reprotect each time you clean.
A maintenance product helps to retain the protection rather than remove it so a reapplication of protector is only required after a deep clean.
Whilst individual products may be effective if they have not been tested together you may find they are counter productive

The routine for correct care should be

Protect from new
Maintain with a regular clean or maintenance product
Deep clean with a foam cleaner once or twice a year

Simple steps of cleaning & protecting will prolong the life of the finish on the leather

Hope this helps
Judyb