Drop the 'vital' step. I was having the same problem and that solved it. I always wipe the seats down with a damp MF after using Strong Cleaner. Its a good precaution to make sure all the residue is removed... IVe also noticed that Strong Cleaner doesnt clean as well as the name suggests. Recently, I used Strong Cleaner 2 times in a row on a friends car using the DD Uber Blue small pad. The seat still looked a little dirty, so I tried Rejuvinator Oil on half of 1 seat, let it sit for 20 hours, then cleaned with Pristine Clean followed by Strong Cleaner again over the entire seat. The RO side was noticeably cleaner... Maybe a little unseen dirt causes some issues with LM Vital or Pretectant
I have found when cleaning leather (coated ones at least) if you use some products (ones I equate with being alkaline) it gets sticky. I found soapy soaps like 4 Star Leather Cleaner (brags about glycerine) never leaves the surface sticky or tacky.
Issue was solved by letting it sit over night, I think due to the very high humidity it did not dry properly as it should have and what not. It is all well now and will see how it ends up working next time i use it in the fall/winter.
