How do I take care of new car leather interior?

[David Fermani]

Yeah, but the OP was talking about a brand new car, and right away was encouraged to "maintain his investment" by buying a leather kit for it. Wouldn't a damp towel be all that's needed for a new car?

Yes. If you give your leather a damp towel wipe down when you're doing your regular washes (weekly or every other) it should only need a period checmical cleaning perhaps maybe once per year (depending on usage).

[MattPersman]

Such mixed info everywhere on leather care. We just got a new car with leather and I opted to go the Ultima IGP route on this initial wipe down

I was deciding between that, the Griot's 3 n 1 the Mckees UV50, and the Wolfgang interior cockpit sealant. But seeing how the UIGP could do the dash, door panels, plastics. That's what I chose.

I don't think a product on the seats hurts anything. If it really doesn't do anything for the leather at most it will make your wallet a little lighter.

Wish there was a real definitive answer out there.


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[Mike Phillips]

Modern car paints have clearcoat. While it's not actually a coating per say, just a layer of clear paint, it is supposed to provide protection from the sun. Therefor, many people outside of the world of car care will argue that there's no need to wax a clear coated vehicle. That the clear coat provides enough protection.

Now who on this forum agrees with that?

I've been reading and hearing people say that for years, that is,

"This car has a clearcoat... it doesn't need to be waxed"


Total B.S. and my guess is marketing jargon from car salespeople told to the masses when selling a car.

The same logic should apply to leather.
There needs to be some form of protection physically applied to the surface after certain periods of time in order to protect the layer that is supposed to protect the leather.

Agree.

As well as be cleaned with a solution that contains actual cleaning ability in order to break down and lift away dirt, grime,etc... imagine cleaning a dirty car with just water. Scratches and swirls aside, you'll do more spreading of dirt and grime than lifting from the paint.

Agree.


A while back I used, tested and reviewed leather care products from two recognized brands for car care products.

Neither review received a lot of attention.

Thus I'm vindicated in my believe that people, typically guys into car detailing, mostly care about POLISHING PAINT, not detailing interiors.


Regardless, I'm so glad I take pictures and upload them to a place where they never disappear.


A while back I saw someone ask a question about how to clean leather and some nice forum member with great intentions told them to use water and a microfiber towel.

When my hands are dirty, like after working on my truck, I could use water to clean them but I know SOAP with water will do a MUCH BETTER job.


So here' ONE leather care product review and for this review I used a BRAND NEW CAR. I though the make and model might impress some people, you know, if this product is good enough for this car it's good enough for my car. But again, the thread or review didn't get much action.

Here's the car.... just an old 2-door Mercedes-Benz 2017 Mercedes-Benz S 550




Here's the leather interior of Tom's new S 550. Pretty fancy huh?





Me spraying the Tri-Clean directly onto the seats...

Thank you Jesse for helping me to get the "action" shots showing the spray actually coming out of the nozzle.




Dampen fresh, clean dry towels with product
Because my microfiber towel is dry I'm going to dampen it with some of the product. Also note I'm wearing protective gloves? I don't know what's in all the cool products we use in the detailing world now days but I know I don't want them on me or in me.




Next - Apply the Gtechniq L1 Leather Guard







And not much else to show - the car was brand new.... but the leather is now cleaned and protected.


Here's the review with 26 pictures showing the new GTechniq products in action and I think most people would agree GTechniq has on-staff chemists that know what they are doing.

Review: GTechniq Tri-Clean and Leather Guard by Mike Phillips

Being brand new, there was no DRAMATIC dirt-on-towel pictures so nothing to share. BUT following the manufacturers directions, it was stated to CLEAN the coated leather surface first before applying the protection product.




Here's the other review.... since no one was impressed with the high-dollar MB I used a low-dollar 2004 Acura TSX that from what I could tell had NEVER had the interior detailed since it was purchased.

Being a 2004 luxury passenger car, this car would have coated leather.

Review: GYEON Q2M Leather Cleaner and GYEON Q2 Leather Coat by Mike Phillips


Here's before and I dare say, water and a microfiber towel would do SQUAT to clean this chair.






Here's what a cleaner from a reputable brand will do.... note the dirt on the white towel, (white towel chosen by design)








Maintaining and protecting
Next simply mist some product onto a clean microfiber applicator pad and then massage the product over all the cleaned leather surfaces.





Here's a before and after shot - not super dramatic but this isn't a greasy, oily vinyl dressing it's a hi-tech coating that restores a natural sheen and leaves a dry, spill-proof surface.










And here's the final results...




Not only does the leather look good but it feels good. It's dry to the touch and clean feeling as in smooth. The leather seats are no longer grungy looking or grungy feeling.






Water and a microfiber towel would have done nothing for this coated leather.


And I will say, after using both products, the cleaner and the protectant not only did the leather seats look great the surface felt great.


Here's the old 4-door Acura...






Here's my advice....


Companies, that is the companies that you recognize the BRAND NAME of, hire real chemists. It doesn't come to a SURPRISE to the chemist that the leather used in modern cars is coated.

Assuming the are REAL chemists, maybe give them credit that they do what they are paid to do and that is make products that work on coated leather.


If you're reading this and you have a job, don't you do a great job? Don't you do what your employer pays you to do?

Sometimes, instead of trying to become a chemist... keep it simple. Trust in the brand name on the bottle and trust that their chemists do their job. Then just follow the direction on the label.

[joeybsyc]

Makes sense to me! So why do so many people insist that you shouldn't use anything but damp rags on coated leather? They just don't know any better? Just like to repeat something they read or heard someone else say? I always used leather cleaners and conditioners until I joined a few forums and almost everyone acted like anyone who uses anything but water and a damp towel on their leather was a fool and just wasting their time and money.

[Eldorado2k]

A while back I used, tested and reviewed leather care products from two recognized brands for car care products.

Neither review received a lot of attention.

Thus I'm vindicated in my believe that people, typically guys into car detailing, mostly care about POLISHING PAINT, not detailing interiors.

Hey I love detailing interiors! Lol. Just last night I got a head start on the interior of the Kia I'm detailing right now, which meant a full and thorough vacuum. [which is probably my favorite part of detailing a vehicle]

On a car like this, which in my assumption hasn't had its interior cleaned in years I can easily spend about an hour just on that thorough vacuuming. Not only is the interior 100% cleaner once I'm done vacuuming, but I like to pull as much dirt from all areas before I begin the spray/wet/scrubbing stage.

Last night when I finally got done vacuuming the vehicle I noticed the girl next door sitting on her porch and my 1st thought was that she must be thinking why I took so long with the vacuum on... My thought was "you have no idea the level of clean I reach when I fully vacuum a vehicle" lol.

Ordinary people might not even notice when their dark colored carpets are dirty... But I sure can. I'm not even fully done with cleaning the top matts, but they're gettin there

[David Fermani]

So why do so many people insist that you shouldn't use anything but damp rags on coated leather? They just don't know any better?

Unless the car owner is exposed to dirty environments that will lead the interior to rapid soiling, brand new leather doesn’t need a dedicated cleaner on a regular basis. It’s really overkill in my opinion. Remember, water is the base ingredient in most leather cleaners and is a cleaner in and of itself. The surfaces on interiors (coated or not) is pretty delicate so why wouldn’t you opt to use the least aggressive means to tackle cleaning it? And in the scenario where a dedicated leather cleaner is used, lets not forget to mention what should be used to flush the residual chemicals and soiling from the leather surfaces: WATER. It’s similar to using a touches car wash. It does a really great job of cleaning normal soiling, but after you use it a dozen or so times you’ll likely need a more intensive hand wash to loosen up the accumulation of oily soiling. Leather is no different and I’ve been prescribing to this exact workflow for over a decade with the hundreds of cars I’ve maintained without any issues.

[JeffM]

A leather expert on the facebook forums says not to put anything on the leather that will hold onto dirt, and that would include almost all of the moisture type products.

Wipe your seats down with ONR or equiv., the ultima interior guard drys perfect for leather, but who knows if it does anything.

[Eldorado2k]

It’s similar to using a touches car wash. It does a really great job of cleaning normal soiling, but after you use it a dozen or so times you’ll likely need a more intensive hand wash to loosen up the accumulation of oily soiling.

Why go a dozen or so washes allowing that soil to build up? Wouldn't it be much better to nip it in the bud every 10 days or so by vacuuming with a soft dust brush and then following it up with a dedicated leather cleaner such as Meguiars D181 and a clean terry towel? That's the method I use on my daily driver, and even though I keep my vehicle pretty tidy and neat there's still a decent amount of dirt that always cleans up from that wipedown.

I think we can all agree that keeping the surface clean and free of dirt is the top priority to ensure it's longevity. Dirt = abrasion on the surface, so why allow it to slowly build up? Simply because a leather cleaner might be too aggressive?

Maybe times have changed, but last I checked 9 out of 10 leather cleaners [especially OTC] have always been known to be pretty weak in regards to "cleaning"

[David Fermani]

Why go a dozen or so washes allowing that soil to build up? Wouldn't it be much better to nip it in the bud every 10 days or so by vacuuming with a soft dust brush and then following it up with a dedicated leather cleaner such as Meguiars D181 and a clean terry towel? That's the method I use on my daily driver, and even though I keep my vehicle pretty tidy and neat there's still a decent amount of dirt that always cleans up from that wipedown.


I think we can all agree that keeping the surface clean and free of dirt is the top priority to ensure it's longevity. Dirt = abrasion on the surface, so why allow it to slowly build up? Simply because a leather cleaner might be too aggressive?

Because the amount of buildup that *may* accumulate over this time period on your leather is so minuscule that I feel it’s a non-issue. And I’m willing to bet that in your car’s case that the soiling you’re removing will also remove with just a damp towel. I just think it’s in your car’s best interest to avoid using any kind of chemical cleaner unless it’s really needed. Keep in mind the example I gave was with touches washes. The acculated residue it could leave would be a much greater and more noticeable than what would be left after damp towel wiping your leather regularly.

Maybe times have changed, but last I checked 9 out of 10 leather cleaners [especially OTC] have always been known to be pretty weak in regards to "cleaning"

A couple of factors can lead to why OTC leather cleaners aren’t all that great:

Even the safest of leather cleaners can “super clean”(i.e. streak) a light colored soiled surface and leave damage if not used properly. That why the instructing always call for testing in a inconspicuous spot. The last thing a chemical company wants to do is be on the hook for a leather repair so these products are formulated to be as idiot proof as possible. Most people who buy these products are using them on surfaces that are pretty soiled which is out of the range of these “safe” cleaners. And that’s probably why they don’t work all that well.

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