# Maintaining Leather



## dboy11 (Mar 6, 2006)

Ilovemycar said:


> Sorry to bump an old thread, but after many search function hits, this is what I needed!
> 
> I only got the Prestine, because I figured my leather is in decent condition. I keep my car pretty immaculate, garaged, etc.
> 
> ...


You made the right choice and if you don't understand the process, their web site has a forum or you can call them they are very good with help. I've been using their stuff for years.


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## Ilovemycar (Feb 19, 2010)

dboy11 said:


> You made the right choice and if you don't understand the process, their web site has a forum or you can call them they are very good with help. I've been using their stuff for years.


Thanks! 

But, now you're making me second guess, lol.

Will reread instructions again . . .

_"Apply Prestine Clean by putting it in a Spray Bottle then wipe off with a SOFT lint free cloth. . . Let stand for a few minutes, usually by the time you are done with the next piece, and wipe the surface with a soft, damp cloth Rinse the soft cloth in warm clean water, ring dry, wipe again." _

http://www.leatherique.com/do_it_your_self_instruction/rejuvinator_pc_directions.html

Cheers, and thank you. :thumbup:


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## Got_Leather (Sep 14, 2009)

use this..

Leather How to


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## Ilovemycar (Feb 19, 2010)

Got_Leather said:


> use this..
> 
> Leather How to


Thanks! I don't think I used it so liberally, as it seems in the pic(s) you provided. I pretty much followed those instructions though.

I let the car air out for a decent while, but now the car doors are closed. I think it should be fine, looks dry now. And good. Real test will be in the daylight, I think. 

So, I've been detailing the car the last two nights, and I feel like I might turn into the Toxic Avenger with all of these chemicals. I hope it's not terrible that I've been doing a number of things without gloves or mask on. I'm sure it's fine, but still . . . 

Oh, I forgot to hit the steering wheel and leather around the shift knob (I'm sure there's a proper name for that; skirt?), but I might have gave those a wipe last night with the Protectant +, can't recall. Steering wheel gets damp microfiber wipes with some frequency, so at least dirt/grime should be ok.

I feel dizzy. The microfibers are in the wash right now, and the concentrated stuff I bought to wash them is strong in fumes too. Oi.


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## TOGWT (May 26, 2004)

*Leatherique *

[Leatherique arose from a need to find a product that would restore the leather in his 1939 Bentley. Nothing he tried was adequate for this special car, so he approached Peck about creating something new. After a lot of work, they produced Leatherique***8221;] - Leatherique

This type of top-grain premium leather is mostly used in prestige European automobiles; Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lotus, Lexus and Rolls Royce, US Cadillac and high-end German automobiles such as Mercedes-Benz, Daimler AG and BMW. This is the market sector both Leatherique and Connolly were originally formulated

You should avoid using these types of conditioners for coated leathers; as Leatherique is unlikely to yield any long term results. If you use an oil-based product the problem will be exasperated as the oil will attract dirt/grime to the surface. This product also contains lanolin, waxy cream and white spirit that can react with the coating used on today***8217;s leather. It's a great product for the renovation or restoration of old English leather hides or other uncoated natural leather.

If the seats are plastic coated leather then Leatherique is unlikely to yield any long term results. The oils are unable to permeate and will get wiped away, maybe leaving a little to soften the plastic coating. But you always then get dirt being attracted back by what is left on the plastic coating of the leather.


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## fredderf4444 (Mar 9, 2009)

another tangent....

I'm debating between Leatherique Pristine clean and Griots leather care stuff. 

Can anyone weight in if they have used both. 
Smell?
Feel? etc.

R


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## TOGWT (May 26, 2004)

The first thing you need to establish before you clean or try to maintain leather is to ascertain its finish. 95% of automotive leather has a polyurethane protective covering. If your vehicle has this leather finish there is no need to spend $90 on a cleaning /conditioning product like Leatherequi, which is formulated for uncoated finishes.


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## fredderf4444 (Mar 9, 2009)

So what kind of leather is BMW leather. I have the Dakota leather?


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## user440 (Sep 14, 2009)

I have used Connolly's Hide Food (Jaguar dealers) on past cars with good results, but the seats in the BMW seem more porous. Has anyone tried this product on the newer BMW's?


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## Hooray! (Dec 20, 2009)

captainmp said:


> The stuff BMW dealers sell is just GREAT, thank you.


I have to agree, my 2002 530i has 59,000 miles on it and very little if any use on all but the drivers seat which is still in primo condition. I was reluctant to go with any of the deep cleaners as the stock BMW leather has a "clear coat" of sorts on it with some of these I'm told strip away.

Long story short, I was buying a new key from the dealer and picked up their Leather Care Kit with UV Protection and the "Leather Care Lotion" worked wonders on my steering wheel which was the most worn of anything and brought the drivers seat back to just like the never used rear seats.

Not sure on long term or with worn leather but seems like a pretty good product right from BMW.


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## Hooray! (Dec 20, 2009)

Purchased the Zaino pro kit and just did their Z9 leather cleaner and Z10 leather dressing this weekend... must admit, I like the results better then the BMW kit (or Lexol), never used the Leatherique product which was my other choice. The leather "in a bottle" Z10 smell is crazy good, smells like you expect a leather interior to smell (but never get). 

I noticed that the Z9 cleaner pulled up some white waxy stuff as I hand rubbed it in... suspect this was the BMW treatment which went on white and a little sticky (maybe I put too much on). 

Zaino talks about putting very little of their products on leather or when waxing (they claim 1/2 ounce of their wax will do a corvette)... anyways, very happy with the Z9/Z10 thus far and have read that some of the "restoration" products / oils can remove the new "clear coat" on less used leathers...


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## vull (Apr 2, 2007)

sub


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## djfitter (Sep 12, 2007)

fredderf4444 said:


> *So what kind of leather is BMW leather*. I have the Dakota leather?


COW. 

dj


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## TLO03 (Oct 24, 2009)

In a internet world where everything is subjective sometimes it's hard to get a true feel for what the next person thinks works well. Some leathers have different degrees of wear.So i tried a few products. Lexol cleaner and conditioner, pristine clean and both z-9 z-10. I have cream beige interior that had 19k when i got it, I've watched it get a little darker seems like every time i got in it. I've been very anxious about keeping it clean.

I rank them in this order. pristine clean is #1 with the z-9 a very close 2nd. z-10 works great as well smells good, to boot. lexol is junk compared to the others. side note i use a small soft brush for the cleaners.Dirt juss lifts up to be wiped away. and i bet most of the the recommended products work good as well.. GL


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## TOGWT (May 26, 2004)

TOGWT said:


> The first thing you need to establish before you clean or try to maintain leather is to ascertain its finish. 95% of automotive leather has a polyurethane protective covering. If your vehicle has this leather finish there is no need to spend $90 on a cleaning /conditioning product like Leatherequi, which is formulated for uncoated finishes.


*Leatherique *

_[Leatherique arose from a need to find a product that would restore the leather in his 1939 Bentley. Nothing he tried was adequate for this special car, so he approached Peck about creating something new. After a lot of work, they produced Leatherique***8221;] [Leatherique]_

This type of top-grain premium leather is mostly used in prestige European automobiles; Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lotus, Lexus and Rolls Royce, US Cadillac and high-end German automobiles such as Mercedes-Benz, Daimler AG and BMW. This is the market sector both Leatherique and Connolly were originally formulated

*Leather Upholstery and Trim Surface Identification *

The most important thing to find out before you attempt to clean or care for something is to ascertain what the material is made from. Much the same is true if you***8217;re trying to remove a stain, what caused the stain and what is the material you are trying to remove the stain from. Formulate a detailing plan, then utilize proper detailing techniques, combined with quality products is what makes a details outcome successful. 
It is important to be able to recognise the different materials used for vehicle upholstery as some OEM use different materials for the various surfaces (i.e. perforated leather for the seating areas, PVC bolsters and seat backs) Before choosing a product to clean or maintain interior surfaces you must be certain of the material used and wither it is Urethane covered or pigmented Aniline, as the correct care product requirements are vastly different.

Once you***8217;ve correctly identified the leather and / or the applied finish applicable to your vehicle's upholstery, it***8217;s easier to select suitable products / methods (one size fits all is just a vendor's marketing myth)

To identify the material used; (N-Nubuck / Alcantara®) (A-Aniline / Non-Coated) (P-Protected / Coated) Leather however finished has to allow the movement of moisture back and forth (transpiration) so the use of water- based cleaners and protectors will maintain hydration, which is essential to keeping it in pristine condition.

*(a)	Natural leather *(A-Aniline / Non-Coated) Aniline Leather is coloured all the way through with a transparent dye. The effect is applied by immersing the leather in a dye bath. Because the finish is transparent and shows the natural markings of the leather, only top quality hides can be used. It is absorbent and has a random shade colours and grain pattern; lightly scratch the surface to see if it reveals a lighter colour, water drops will darken its colour (temporarily).(See also King Ranch Leather)

*(b)	Protected leather* (Pigmented) (P-Protected / Coated) - by slightly scratching it with your nail, if it changes to a darker / lighter shade, it is unprotected (i.e. how suede changes colour depending on the fibres' orientation). If this has little effect it***8217;s protected.

*The majority (95% + ) of automotive upholstery is by-cast polyurethane covered leather*, these leathers have aspects of a natural finish, but more uniform in appearance, by-cast will also stretch more than top grain leather and is therefore subject to show creasing.

If water ***8216;beads***8217; on the surface, or if cleaners and conditioners remain on the surface, it***8217;s (urethane) protected leather as liquids other than water (due to the size of its smaller molecules) will not penetrate this type of surface; it will also have an even shine. Remember you are dealing with the finished polyurethane coating on the leather and not with the leather hide itself.

(c)* Nubuck, Alcantara® *(N-Nubuck / Alcantara® ) - are top-grain cattle hide leather that has been sanded or buffed on the grain side, or outside, to give a slight nap of short protein fibres, producing a velvet-like surface. Alcantara® is a non-organic (synthetic) material. Both materials are very soft to the touch and will scratch or scuff very easily; water drops will darken the surface, but it returns to its original colour after drying.

*(d)	Nappa Leather *(A-Aniline // Non-Coated ) ***8211; for leather used in autos, Nappa is a term that is used to denote a high quality leather, it***8217;s a very soft, absorbent full grain (uncoated) and usually tanned with alum and chromium salts and dyed throughout, water drops will darken its colour (temporarily).

*(e)	Vinyl -* is a non-organic (synthetic) material that has an even, almost repeating pattern. The depth of the lines within the grain on vinyl is also consistent, while the same lines on leather will vary; it is also usually smooth and soft to the touch. water drops will remain (unchanged) on its surface
The common denominator for all the above surface finishes is that they all require specific products in accordance with the finish; not forgetting protection from ultra violet (UV) radiation

_An extract from ***8220; Automotive Leather Upholstery Care ***8220;, one of a series of 120 unbiased technical papers ***8220;The Science of Detailing***8221;, a library of educational materials that has become the #1 reference for car care on the Internet

Chances are you'll learn something about detailing if you read any of these; although these articles will not improve your detailing skills, lead to a successful business or change your life. Applying what you learn from it, however, will. That's where your commitment comes in - you need to make a commitment to yourself right now that you will take action on what you learn._

*TOGWT ***8482; Ltd (Established 1980) © Copyright 2002-2010, all rights reserved​*


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## Hooray! (Dec 20, 2009)

TOGWT said:


> _An extract from " Automotive Leather Upholstery Care ", one of a series of 120 unbiased technical papers "The Science of Detailing", a library of educational materials that has become the #1 reference for car care on the Internet
> 
> Chances are you'll learn something about detailing if you read any of these; although these articles will not improve your detailing skills, lead to a successful business or change your life. Applying what you learn from it, however, will. That's where your commitment comes in - you need to make a commitment to yourself right now that you will take action on what you learn._
> 
> *TOGWT ***8482; Ltd (Established 1980) © Copyright 2002-2010, all rights reserved​*


Do you have a link to these technical papers... sounds like they would be a good resource. I'm still amazed that BMW's own leather care product would not be formulated for their own type of leather. Is is possible that all the aftermarket leather products are designed for "broken" plastic coated leather? Hence the oils to penetrate and protect the cracks that we are all dealing with (after 10,000 miles)? Good info.


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