Cleaning leather

Discussion in 'Interior Car Care' started by StiCy, Jun 20, 2009.

  1. agpatel

    agpatel OD On Detailing

    Use the gold part for the leather, i think the gold is for everything but carpets. One thing if you have not bought the brush is get a shoe polish brush for $2-3 one of those small Kwik (sp) ones they are soft enough not to damage anything yet stiff to help get some good rubbing action.

    I hope that spraying it on giving it a bit of a rub, letting it sit, then more of a rub and wiping off will get that stuff off. Probability will take a few passes. I am very surprised that it has not come off so far, again best of luck to you!
     
  2. StiCy

    StiCy Birth of a Detailer

    Yeah, I have the Megs brush already. The thing it when I wipe the APC off its so sticky it sort of grabs the rag. So I think the brush would help out a lot. I will have to try it out.
     
  3. StiCy

    StiCy Birth of a Detailer

    OK got some LA's Awesome apc. Tried different dilutions, starting with 16:1 and working up to 3:1. I would spray it on agitate it, let it sit for 2 minutes, scrub it with the Meguiars brush, and then wipe with a terry towel. After multiple applications it will still not clean off the Meguiars Gold class. Do I need a stronger APC?
     
  4. agpatel

    agpatel OD On Detailing

    Something does not seem right now. After all of this cleaning, using different APC's, scubbing and everything else it has not even put a dent in the shine? This is just two applications of the conditioner? Hmm, I am starting to think there is something else wrong with this now other than the lether conditioner, unless Megs put some kind of coating or "sealnt" type coating on it but it should of come out with all the APC's used. I can get my leather clean with Zymol Leather Cleaner and a brush pretty well.

    CG greenClean is a pretty decent APC using it at the diulution you said should of worked. Maybe the lether there is just like that, just wondering how did that headrest look before the product application? Was it like the second picture or was it more of a sheen than the second but less that the first?
     
  5. Denzil

    Denzil Guest

    I just used the Majestic Solutions Plastic & Leather Cleaner on an interior detail this past week and man this stuff is really awesome! It cleaned so well and I could totally tell that it was working after spraying down the leather, letting it work and then agitating it with a leather brush. Not only that, I was working on a beige/tan interior that originally started out as gray (exaggerating a little here, LoL)!
     
  6. Ch40t1c

    Ch40t1c Obsessive Detailer

    Would you guys say it's necessary to "condition" leather after cleaning?
     
  7. agpatel

    agpatel OD On Detailing

    Most leather now a days is coated leather, like a clear coat. Its not like the higher end leather and leather of the old days were it was un-coated and needed to be conditioned with lotions to keep it soft. Most people now say that leather needs to be cleaned to get rid of oils, and contamination on the surface that would cause wear and possibly breach the coating which would causing issues. I know many people who use a vinyl protection like 303 for UV protection. I like 1Z Leather Care as it is a mild/light cleaner and leaves a nice protective coating down to make later cleaning easier with a nice finish. I do clean using Zymol Leather Cleaner (OTC stuff) then follow up with 1z.
     
  8. krshultz

    krshultz Nuba Guru

    Yes it is. :headbang:

    As JL and I have mentioned, if you don't like the smell - and many folks don't - dump an ounce of one of their fragrances into your bottle of full strength L&PC. My favorite is "Clean Cotton" - smells like a dryer sheet. A nice side effect is that it really helps deodorize a smoker's vehicle. The owner of MS told me it was fine to do this, no ill effects to the cleaner.

    The most "sensitive" leather I've used it on is the stuff in an E39 M5 with the "Nappa Leather" option package. It worked brilliantly.
     
  9. judyb

    judyb Any Rag Vehicle Washer

    Yes it is necessary to 'condition' leather but this can be done by using water based products as the only thing it needs is rehydrating. Uisng 'conditioners' (which are traditionally oil and/or waxed based) will not do anything for your leather and may create a situation where, when left on the surface (as they cannot soak through the finish) they cause damage to the finish by attracting more oils and dirt.

    When leather is tanned all the 'natural oils' are removed and these are replaced during the retanning process with 'fat liquors' which are chemically processed products to soften up the leather. These cannot be removed and do not dry out of the leather during its life (except under very exceptional circumstances). What does dry out is the moisture which then leaves these fat liquors stiffer and less flexible (hence the feeling of dryness or stiff leather). When moisture is replaced the fats will become more flexible again and give the leather a softer feel.

    Use water based products to clean and protect and this will keep your leather in good condition and if done on a regular basis will prolong the life of our leather.

    Products claiming to
    'replace natural oils'; 'open up the pores' ; 'penetrate the leather'; 'extract dirt from the leather';

    or
    'contain special oils'; 'a blend of natural oils' etc.

    are simply using very old fashioned ideas to sell their products which may do more harm than good.

    Hope this helps
     
  10. togwt

    togwt Nuba Guru

    I must say I admire you tenacity, after all the flack you receive for trying to educate detailer’s on the correct methods for caring for the leather upholstery used in automobiles, in a world where the use of oil-based conditioners has been the only accepted method :applause:
     
  11. judyb

    judyb Any Rag Vehicle Washer

    We try
    As a training company we have to do the research and speak to endless people to make sure our information is up to date and correct... It is always very easy to explain to people when you are talking to them face to face and with demonstration samples but on the internet and forums it is hard work!!!!

    Hope you are doing well over there - get in touch if you want a chat sometime.

    Cheers
    Judy
     
  12. Mike Murphy

    Mike Murphy Any Rag Vehicle Washer

    Could that be a silicone sealant on that headrest? If so how would one get that off? I know that APC's won't remove silicone in a paint shop. A specific remover must be used multiple times to completely eliminate it before painting.
     
  13. richy

    richy Guest

    Judy..Thank you so very much for joining this forum!! I have read your posts on Autopia but I rarely spend any time there anymore due to the juvenile antics that go on there. So I was delighted to see someone of your knowledge base chime in here to help out everybody. Thanks again for taking the time!!
     
  14. StiCy

    StiCy Birth of a Detailer

    I hate to go back to this. This stuff just wont come off. Any other suggestions?
     
  15. agpatel

    agpatel OD On Detailing

    :thud:Still that stuff had not budged....wow that is about all I can say. Sorry you are having so much difficulty with it.
     
  16. flash gordon

    flash gordon Banned

    Laquer Thinner....Yes I said Laquer Thinner. I know of a Custom Auto Interior shop here that uses LT to clean all there Leather, when they first told me this I thought they were yanking my chain, but no they were not. It really does work.
     

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