Stu,
What should I use to clean leather car seats, please?
Generally i'm talking about 7 year old beige leather car seats, that are in good nick, but look like they need a good clean.
A secondary point is I mistakenly in the past put a black rubber car mat under a child seat to protect the leather seat and then quite some time later (years), noticed a very dark mark on the beige leather that had obviously transferred from the rubber. It would be nice to get rid of that as well.
Cheers (hoping you don't mind giving away a couple of trade secrets).
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I just bought a spray can of generic leather cleaner from Halfords. Spray, leave for 5 minutes, scrub out with a clean cloth.
Lesson learned - don't wear new jeans on beige leather.
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>>Lesson learned - don't wear new jeans on beige leather.
Many years ago I was hitchhiking from Reading to somewhere or other down the M4. It was absolutely pouring with rain and I was soaked.
Eventually I was picked up by a young chap who apparently was taking his mother's brand new car, a Talbot I think, down to her at Swindon. It had nice beige, velour seats.
He was ever so pleasant, and we chatted all the way. Including how soaking wet I was in my new jeans.
When I got out of the car at the Swindon junction it was suddenly obvious that I had left a detailed and dark blue print of my bum and legs on his mother's brand new seat.
We were both devastated.
If he's reading this, then I'm sorry. I still tell the story and I'm still embarrassed. And I do hope it didn't go too badly with your Mother.
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>> Lesson learned - don't wear new jeans on beige leather.
>>
Another lesson, learned the hard way. Don't wear hiking trousers with zipped back pockets on leather. Dark brown leather in my case, although I think Velcro is the present day choice for the manufacturers.
Ted
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Colourless saddle soap used to be recommended. Avoid anything the same colour as the leather. It will come off on your clothes.
Doubtless there are special products now, but a scrub with a damp not wet slightly soapy cloth, followed by a thorough going over with a dry one, might do the trick.
Our car has leather but with these suede-stuff inserts. Makes cleaning difficult. But the stuff seems hard wearing and doesn't show the dirt really.
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Stu i reckon theres a nice little long weekend break for you and 'er up for grabs in sunny Devon if you play your cards right here, bit of virtual sucking of teeth, best to leave it to the pros or this and that could happen you know the drift...
:-))
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>> Stu i reckon theres a nice little long weekend break for you and 'er up
>> for grabs in sunny Devon if you play your cards right here, bit of virtual
>> sucking of teeth, best to leave it to the pros or this and that could
>> happen you know the drift...
>>
>> :-))
>>
It was tremendously sunny here today you know. One of those glad to be alive days.
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>> What car?
>>
Jag X Type
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>>Jag X Type <<
Shame, the leather can be tough to work on as the colouring is quite fragile.
The vast majority of dirt on leather is oils so essentially what you need is a degreaser but one which is mild. If you are not sure of the toughness of the colouring it is always best to go light and use ever harsher chemicals as you go along although I wouldnt use anything too harsh on Jag leather on the X-Type, it is cheap stuff and if cleaned often the colour simply wears away.
For light cleaning a leather trimmer told me he used Johnsons baby soap and a soft nail brush. If the dirt is mild this should clean it up nicely and it also smells rather nice too, I use Johnsons creme baby wash on my own cars leather.
As for the rubber mark, obviously try the baby soap first, if it doesnt work try some well diluted washing up liquid. The difficulty is that it may not be dirt or rubber sitting on the surface but instead discolouration which is beyond cleaning.
If you really think it is something on the surface ( you can usually tell by how it reacts to initial cleaning as to whether you just need something with more kick or if it makes no difference ) then gentle and targeted use of white spirit can be used, the key is not to use alot and not to rub it very hard - a microfibre cloth around the end of your finger soaked in spirit would be a good solution as the micrfibre cloths have good resistance but dont dig into a surface. I would also wipe it immediately with a damp cloth so the spirit doesnt linger on the leather.
As with anything, always try a test area first ( leading edge of drivers seat usually a good place ) and if you use anything stronger than baby soap do not let it linger on the leather as you will get streaks through the dirt which are a pig to hide once you have them.
Also, when using white spirit I would wipe over the whole section of leather as it will remove any dirt.
Last edited by: FoR on Wed 24 Apr 13 at 00:50
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I use the GT15 cleaner and GT11 conditioner from these folks on an ivory leather interior:
www.liquidleather.com/
They work very well.
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I got some cheap leather wipes from Wilko a few years ago and they were as good, if not better, than other more expensive products available on the high street I had previously used.
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>> I got some cheap leather wipes from Wilko a few years ago and they were
>> as good, if not better, than other more expensive products available on the high street
>> I had previously used.
Similarly cheap wipes in Aldi this week. No good to me as both cars have cloth trim but might help somebody.
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For some extra money one of these may suit
tinyurl.com/csv2axs
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Stu
How much do you charge to clean Zero's leathers?
tinyurl.com/chf898a
Probably just needs a good wipe.
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>Probably just needs a good wipe.
And a Toxic Waste Operator's license.
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He works as a stripogram in Blackpool.
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>> Stu
>>
>> How much do you charge to clean Zero's leathers?
>>
>> tinyurl.com/chf898a
Double mind bleach barman please!!
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Tue 23 Apr 13 at 21:41
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You can clean leather and it seams to work, but I really do wonder if these conditioners that claim to replace lost oils/moisture work, as the leather in cars is corrected grain, sealed.
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Leather is only an animal skin so a cheap moisturiser is all you actually need, the expensive products exist for people with more money than sense.
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I used baby wipes on the Beige leather when I had an Accord. Seemed to work quite well.
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>>Leather is only an animal skin so a cheap moisturiser is all you actually need, the expensive products exist for people with more money than sense.<<
Yeah, I'd go along with that. The shops are full of fancy stuff now that is no more effective than something basic and usually smells like a tart's boudoir.
If I was in the UK I would be looking for Connolly's Hide Food, which is what I have used on Jaguar and other leather for decades. The seats and all the other trim in the XJS is supposed to be Connolly's 'Autolux', allegedly a better quality material (because it's the V12) than that in other Jaguars of the time. It certainly cleans up well and doesn't appear to have lost any dye in 18 years. Between proper cleaning processes I give it a wipe over with 'leather upholstery wipes' that turn up in Lidl from time to time.
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>>The seats and all the other trim in the XJS is supposed to be Connolly's 'Autolux', allegedly a better quality material (because it's the V12) than that in other Jaguars of the time <<
When I was cleaning the filthy cream leather in my old '93 Jag I was able to go at it without fear, the colouring held up brilliantly and the result was a 13 year old interior that looked nearly new, not to mention the 153k the car had covered. Modern BMW leather is pretty tough and easy to clean.
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>You can clean leather and it seams to work, but I really do wonder if these conditioners that
>claim to replace lost oils/moisture work, as the leather in cars is corrected grain, sealed.
The leather in mine is semi-aniline.
Every type of leather needs to be fed now and again or it will turn to cardboard and crack.
For donkey's years now I've worn Timberland deck shoes for work and casual use. I have about six pairs. I used to get P'd off with leather laces snapping but I've never had that problem since I started using a bit of leather cream on them every few months.
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>>every few months.
Sheesh !
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>>every few months.
>Sheesh !
Cream on the laces Humph.
The shoes are rotated every week. Worn ones polished and put on LHS, next pair taken from RHS.
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Rotate every day. Healthier and the shoes will last much longer.
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>> Rotate every day. Healthier and the shoes will last much longer.
>>
More information required please.
clockwise or anticlockwise?
on one foot, or walk around in a tight circle?
rotate on heel or toe?
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>Rotate every day.
That would break my underwear routine.
Last edited by: Kevin on Thu 25 Apr 13 at 23:02
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>> Stu
>>
>> How much do you charge to clean Zero's leathers?
>>
>> tinyurl.com/chf898a
>>
>> Probably just needs a good wipe.
>>
Be careful with the zip on the thongs!
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We weren't intending to touch your thongs, l'Es. Does the slime interfere with the mechanism?
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A leather care kit is available from Volvo dealers tinyurl.com/c62usq7 ~ and Ebay tinyurl.com/bsme5xv
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A clean white rag dipped in meths is very effective at deep cleaning leather. Much less harsh than other spirits but removes grease, dirt and stains. Once clean, the leather would need to be fed again with anything suitable. On beige I'd maybe use a neutral shoe cream type polish. but I'd also make sure I buffed it thoroughly to minimise potential subsequent damage to clothes.
Something like this would work -
tinyurl.com/b6xue5d
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Wed 24 Apr 13 at 22:16
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Thanks for all the advice.
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Hi Westpig,
Have a look at the liquid leather / Gliptone website. Lots of info about how to identify what leather you have (be it for car or house furniture).
I have thought I had cleaned the leather interior of my XJ-S with some Meguirs stuff a year ago until I decided to give it a thorough going-over this year prior to advertising my car, and came across the Gliptone stuff. One of the cleaning fluids made what looked like 'clean' seats into CLEAN seats. Amazing that the shade I had was much lighter under the grime. Recommended.
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Blimey! Meguiars is all I've used on mine so far. Perhaps they're not really supposed to be black.
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>> I have thought I had cleaned the leather interior of my XJ-S with some Meguirs
>> stuff a year ago until I decided to give it a thorough going-over this year
>> prior to advertising my car, and came across the Gliptone stuff. One of the cleaning
>> fluids made what looked like 'clean' seats into CLEAN seats. Amazing that the shade I
>> had was much lighter under the grime. Recommended.
>>
Cheers
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Update,
Thanks. Johnsons soap bar did a splendid job. Well happy with the result, wish I'd done it before.
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Westpig has got his result but I will add that, right now, Aldi have an aerosol of leather cleaner @ about £1.79 and I have just got a copy of Auto Express which has a review of every type of car cleaning gunge, wax, polish, gel or spray. Their order of merit for 14 leather cleaners and treatments is
1 Wonder Wheels Leather Clean and Feed @ £5.9 for 500 ml
2.Armor All Leather Care @ £5.99 for an amount not readable on the label
3.Halfords Leather Valet @ £4.99 for a 500ml aerosol
4. Simoniz Protection Leather Treatment @ £5.99 for 500ml
There has been adverse comment by some here re Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades. They were rated best and Halfords own version was 3rd and £4 more expensive than Bosch
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"£5.99 for an amount not readable on the label"
What lazy journalism. A phone call, two minutes with a measuring jug or even a guess would be preferable.
Edit. Or a quick google. Answer - 18oz ( Approx 500ml )
Last edited by: Crocks on Thu 23 May 13 at 16:51
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Lazy journalism by Autoexpress perhaps. Bottle label, as printed was illegible.
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Sorry Meldrew, not directed at you at all, I assumed you had quoted Autoexpress verbatim.
Although I could have made it clearer.
Maybe the young researcher didn't know what an oz was?
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Oh good -I was so depressed, I had already drunk three G&Ts and I feel much better; now I find I am not a sloppy journo and I feel that the weekend has started already LOL!
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Cleaning leather car seats - Fursty Ferret
