Expert Leather Cleaning Tips

[Nick McKees37]

I'd like to share a couple of leather cleaning tips that I've picked up through the years from various detailing experts including Mike Phillips, Todd Helme and Jason. There is a lot to cover when it comes to car care and detailing and no matter how long you've been doing it, whether as a career or hobby, there is always more to learn.

I detailed a Mercedes-Benz E350 Saturday night and if you've ever set foot in an E350, you know that most of its interior surfaces are swathed in leather. When I clean delicate leather surfaces I take every precaution necessary to avoid inflicting any damage. That means I use the highest quality cleaners, conditioners, brushes, microfiber towels and so forth. This ensures that when the detail is finished, the owner is paying me, rather than me paying the owner.

To deeply cleanse the leather surfaces of built-up bod oils, dirt and grime, Wolfgang's Leather Care Cleaner was the obvious choice. This leather cleaner packs quite the punch because its formula is citrus based. This enables Wolfgang Leather Care Cleaner to deep clean delicate leather surfaces without drying them out.

The first tip is all about the steering wheel, a part of the interior that's always being touched. As you drive your vehicle day in and day out, the steering wheel accumulates dirt and body oils more so than any other surface. Pair our versatile Microfiber Gloves with Wolfgang's Leather Care Cleaner and you'll be cleaning soiled steering wheels faster than ever.

Start by spraying a liberal amount of cleaner onto the gloves. Then, grab a firm hold of the steering wheel just like I did the first time I drove Max's Corvette.

Massage the cleaner into the steering wheel by twisting your hand and moving it side to side. Divide the rim of the steering wheel into four sections and reapply cleaner after each section. Once you're satisfied, pat the steering wheel dry with a microfiber towel. One of the benefits of using a high quality leather cleaner instead of an APC is the fact that the steering wheel won't be sticky after being cleaned.

This is what the microfiber glove looked like after cleaning a quarter of the steering wheel!

The next tip pertains to cleaning all interior surfaces, but works especially well on leather. Professional detailers know that on heavily soiled leather surfaces terry cloth provides superior agitation compared to microfiber. Terry cloth has a more aggressive nap that pulls dirt out of leather when used in conjunction with a high quality leather cleaner.

An excellent alternative to a large, cumbersome terry cloth towel is one of our 6" Terry Cloth Bonnets. These work great because you can fit most of your hand inside, making an easy to hold scrubber. Because they're not dyed, you don't have to worry about any artificial color bleeding out of them, potentially staining the leather.

Spray a liberal amount of cleaner onto the terry cloth bonnet and vigorously scrub the leather. The elastic band ensures the bonnet doesn't fall off your hand easily.

It's always best to do a test spot first on a small, inconspicuous area to ensure compatibility with your chosen cleaner.

This is what the bonnet looked like after cleaning the lower seat cushion on the driver seat. As you can see, the terry cloth bonnet paired with Wolfgang's Leather Cleaner pulled everything but the color of the leather itself.

Always follow up with a dedicated leather conditioner after thoroughly cleaning leather surfaces. Both the microfiber gloves and the terry cloth bonnets are washable and reusable.

There you have it, a couple basic tips that will make leather cleaning much easier. With the right products, no surface on your car should go uncleaned or unprotected.

Wolfgang Leather Care Cleaner

Microfiber Gloves

6 Inch Terry Cloth Bonnet

[wgilles]

Nice write up. I never really thought of using gloves for the steering wheel or a bonnet for the seats. Nice top tip!!

[swanicyouth]

Nice write up and tips. I noticed you mentioned a leather conditioner. What's your view on the theory that today's leathers are coated, so "conditioning" the leather is just a waste, because the product sits on the surface?

A lot of guys are saying this or something similar, but a lot of well respected companies are making "conditioner" for modern vehicles. I'm just wondering what your take is. Also, is there any real difference between a "conditioner" or a "protector" for leather, or is it just semantics? Thank you.

[RhetoricMixes]

Nice tips Nick. I have tried various APC's but nothing comes close to cleaning leather like the Wolfgang cleaner does. Really works well when sprayed and agitated with a upholstery brush then wipe the dirt away with a microfiber towel.

[Pats300zx]

Great write up and excellent tips Nick...

[Twister]

Great tips Nick. When I work on really soiled leather I use the Autoglym HiTech pad that I have. It's amazing at pulling out all kinds of dirt even from the grain of leather. I'll have to try the bonnet next time. I never thought of that

[Nick McKees37]

Nice write up and tips. I noticed you mentioned a leather conditioner. What's your view on the theory that today's leathers are coated, so "conditioning" the leather is just a waste, because the product sits on the surface?

A lot of guys are saying this or something similar, but a lot of well respected companies are making "conditioner" for modern vehicles. I'm just wondering what your take is. Also, is there any real difference between a "conditioner" or a "protector" for leather, or is it just semantics? Thank you.

I think sometimes people have unrealistic expectations when they condition their (coated) leather seats. If your Malibu is ten years old and has 210,000 miles on it, a leather conditioner isn't going to restore the seats to like-new condition. The before and after isn't as obvious as say, removing swirls, so people think the product they applied isn't benefiting the surface at all.

While not as beneficial when compared un-coated leather, leather conditioners contain a host of different ingredients that do benefit coated leather too. Unless it's a product for a specific material (ie: nubuck or suede) leather care products are formulated to benefit the various types of leather available, from coated to un-coated. The latter is far more prevalent in cars manufactured today, so it would seem obvious that the chemists who make leather care products take this into consideration when formulating a product that will be used on a various types of the same material.

[swanicyouth]

I think sometimes people have unrealistic expectations when they condition their (coated) leather seats. If your Malibu is ten years old and has 210,000 miles on it, a leather conditioner isn't going to restore the seats to like-new condition. The before and after isn't as obvious as say, removing swirls, so people think the product they applied isn't benefiting the surface at all.

While not as beneficial when compared un-coated leather, leather conditioners contain a host of different ingredients that do benefit coated leather too. Unless it's a product for a specific material (ie: nubuck or suede) leather care products are formulated to benefit the various types of leather available, from coated to un-coated. The latter is far more prevalent in cars manufactured today, so it would seem obvious that the chemists who make leather care products take this into consideration when formulating a product that will be used on a various types of the same material.

Thanks. This is good information and makes sense. Do you (or anyone else) no anyway to "touch up" scuffs on leather in otherwise good condition. Everything I see is a seat that is trashed getting the whole surface re-dyed. But is there anything out there to touch up like bolsters or edges that are a little worn, but the rest of the leather is in relatively good shape?

[oldgeek]

Nick, I saw in another thread that you alluded to the fact that Leather Masters products would be a good choice for coated leather. After reading the descriptions of their products, they specifically state that they are good for: "aniline and protected leathers." I'm assuming that the term "protected" leathers in this sense is the same as the term "coated" leathers as used in this thread?

[Nick McKees37]

Nick, I saw in another thread that you alluded to the fact that Leather Masters products would be a good choice for coated leather. After reading the descriptions of their products, they specifically state that they are good for: "aniline and protected leathers." I'm assuming that the term "protected" leathers in this sense is the same as the term "coated" leathers as used in this thread?

My earlier response covers that question too.

While not as beneficial when compared un-coated leather, leather conditioners contain a host of different ingredients that do benefit coated leather too. Unless it's a product for a specific material (ie: nubuck or suede) leather care products are formulated to benefit the various types of leather available, from coated to un-coated. The latter is far more prevalent in cars manufactured today, so it would seem obvious that the chemists who make leather care products take this into consideration when formulating a product that will be used on a various types of the same material.

Technically, 99% of leather found in new vehicles is some way "protected" but generally the term "coated" refers to leather found in less expensive vehicles.