flycaster
08-08-2013, 08:05 AM
Not sure this is the right place for this post...
These days with the quality of materials/processes used, it is often very difficult to tell leather from vinyl. I'd like to detail my car's interior, but no one (not even those in the Caddy dealership) has yet to definitively tell me which is leather and which is vinyl. All I have been getting is vague answers, like "...seat tops are leather." Well, what about the seat sides, the head rests, door panels, etc? You get the idea, I need to know which parts of the interior are specifically leather and which are specifically vinyl.
To further complicate the leather aspect of this detail, it is my understanding that probably 95+% of the car leathers today are treated leathers. That is, the leathers are coated with some kind of sealant and thus using leather conditioners is a waste of time and effort as they won't penetrate. And the test is seeing if a drop of water is absorbed. If absorbed=glove leather (untreated, uncoated). If the water beads=coated leather. For treated/coated leather, one only needs mild soap and water to do the job. And then, maybe, followed by Aerospace Protectant 303.
So, if there is agreement that the ATS' leather is coated, then the detailing is simple: Soap and water, followed (perhaps) by 303 for everything as there would be no need to condition anything...just treat all surfaces as if they were vinyl???
These days with the quality of materials/processes used, it is often very difficult to tell leather from vinyl. I'd like to detail my car's interior, but no one (not even those in the Caddy dealership) has yet to definitively tell me which is leather and which is vinyl. All I have been getting is vague answers, like "...seat tops are leather." Well, what about the seat sides, the head rests, door panels, etc? You get the idea, I need to know which parts of the interior are specifically leather and which are specifically vinyl.
To further complicate the leather aspect of this detail, it is my understanding that probably 95+% of the car leathers today are treated leathers. That is, the leathers are coated with some kind of sealant and thus using leather conditioners is a waste of time and effort as they won't penetrate. And the test is seeing if a drop of water is absorbed. If absorbed=glove leather (untreated, uncoated). If the water beads=coated leather. For treated/coated leather, one only needs mild soap and water to do the job. And then, maybe, followed by Aerospace Protectant 303.
So, if there is agreement that the ATS' leather is coated, then the detailing is simple: Soap and water, followed (perhaps) by 303 for everything as there would be no need to condition anything...just treat all surfaces as if they were vinyl???