Lexus ISF UltraSonic blue with white interior
03-21-12, 09:11 PM
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Lexus ISF UltraSonic blue with white interior
Hey everyone, I looked around on the forum a few months ago to see what was the best option for the white seats in my ISF and ended up buy leather masters strong cleaner, vial, and protectant. The products do work extremely well and make the leather look and feel brand new, however in longevity the leather seams to crack and deteriorate i use the product every 3 months and for whatever reason the leather just does not hold up well. what is causing the leather to crack? any suggestions on the use of these products or should i move on to something new.
Finally, I need some help on what products to use to detail the ultrasonic blue exterior. Something very good but easy to do, no clay bar since i don't have experience doing that and no crazy steps for instance i was reading on zaino products on the forum and the steps were just too much to follow for me. Thank you guys in advance
Finally, I need some help on what products to use to detail the ultrasonic blue exterior. Something very good but easy to do, no clay bar since i don't have experience doing that and no crazy steps for instance i was reading on zaino products on the forum and the steps were just too much to follow for me. Thank you guys in advance
03-22-12, 02:14 AM
#3
Cracking could be a combination of many factors -- cleaner is too strong since it should probably be diluted, friction from getting in/out the car, hot/cold affects on the coating, etc etc
As for an easy step, there is no easy step to make a car look great. The physical bonding of any wax is often overlooked by not claybarring a car. By claybarring, it ensures much of the surface to be clean enough for the wax to adhere to. Any contaminants will affect the bonding in some way. If you do not have time to do it, send it to a proper professional to get it done right
As for an easy step, there is no easy step to make a car look great. The physical bonding of any wax is often overlooked by not claybarring a car. By claybarring, it ensures much of the surface to be clean enough for the wax to adhere to. Any contaminants will affect the bonding in some way. If you do not have time to do it, send it to a proper professional to get it done right
03-22-12, 05:37 AM
#5
Inspect the cracks with a loupe and insure that they are really cracks and not just creases. If they are really cracks in the topcoat, then you should continue with the LM cleaner and protector. If they are creases, you can probably restore the appearance with proper hydration over time. If they are cracks avoid any leather conditioners as the oils in them will be absorbed into the leather fibers and clause the bond to the painted topcoat to degrade. This will make the cracks expand.
In either case, creases and cracks are the result of a loss of moisture content from the leather fibers. Leather needs regular attention, not just a cleaning every three months. Also when using a cleaner, it is important to remove all traces of the detergent after cleaning. Here again, a wipe-down with a wrung-out cotton towel should remove it.
I'd recommend that you begin wiping down your leather at least weekly with a wrung out microfiber towel. For the next week or two, do this daily or even twice daily if you can. This should cause the leather to re-hydrate. Re-hydration will swell the leather fibers back to their normal size and lessen or even eliminate some creases.
Some other things that will make leather last longer is to keep it cool and out of the direct sun whenever possible. When parked in the sun, the temperature inside a car, even with the windows cracked, can reach over 150 degrees F in as little as an hour. Heat dries the leather and dry leather will tend to shrink, crease and eventually crack. It also will cause hardening which makes cracking more likely. If you can, use a sunshade where possible, keep the windows cracked, park in a parking ramp or other shaded area and keep the leather hydrated. In the heat of summer, I often wipe down my leather with a wrung out white cotton towel and toss the towel under the seats to increase the humidity in the car. The extra humidity is readily absorbed by the leather through the uncoated backside of the leather. Leather also benefits from keeping it clean and this wipe-down will help in that regard as well.
In either case, creases and cracks are the result of a loss of moisture content from the leather fibers. Leather needs regular attention, not just a cleaning every three months. Also when using a cleaner, it is important to remove all traces of the detergent after cleaning. Here again, a wipe-down with a wrung-out cotton towel should remove it.
I'd recommend that you begin wiping down your leather at least weekly with a wrung out microfiber towel. For the next week or two, do this daily or even twice daily if you can. This should cause the leather to re-hydrate. Re-hydration will swell the leather fibers back to their normal size and lessen or even eliminate some creases.
Some other things that will make leather last longer is to keep it cool and out of the direct sun whenever possible. When parked in the sun, the temperature inside a car, even with the windows cracked, can reach over 150 degrees F in as little as an hour. Heat dries the leather and dry leather will tend to shrink, crease and eventually crack. It also will cause hardening which makes cracking more likely. If you can, use a sunshade where possible, keep the windows cracked, park in a parking ramp or other shaded area and keep the leather hydrated. In the heat of summer, I often wipe down my leather with a wrung out white cotton towel and toss the towel under the seats to increase the humidity in the car. The extra humidity is readily absorbed by the leather through the uncoated backside of the leather. Leather also benefits from keeping it clean and this wipe-down will help in that regard as well.
Last edited by jfelbab; 03-22-12 at 05:44 AM.
03-22-12, 07:53 AM
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Thank you guys for the tips. what do you guys think of Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil? In terms of taking it to a detail shop, i would prefer to do it my self due to prior bad experience with my other car. If someone could provide me with some info regarding steps of products to use that would be a good choice for a blue color, something that a beginner could tackle down doing it the first time. Thanks guys
03-22-12, 09:12 AM
#7
For paint care I'd suggest this:
Clay. I know you said you hadn't done this in the past but it is not difficult and it is extremely effective at removing bonded contamination on the paint. This will make your wax or sealant last longer and look better as the surface is clean and smooth. I'd buy a kit from Mothers, Meguiar's or Clay Magic.
2. Evaluate the finish. After claying, if you see a lot of swirls you may want to either polish or use a cleaner/wax type of product to remove some or all of them. Bear in mind that removing swirls by hand is extremely challenging.
Products... If you ask a dozen detailers what products to use you will likely get 30-40 different answers. Best advice here is to find products that you like and do what you want with the least effort and use them often.
Clay. I know you said you hadn't done this in the past but it is not difficult and it is extremely effective at removing bonded contamination on the paint. This will make your wax or sealant last longer and look better as the surface is clean and smooth. I'd buy a kit from Mothers, Meguiar's or Clay Magic.
2. Evaluate the finish. After claying, if you see a lot of swirls you may want to either polish or use a cleaner/wax type of product to remove some or all of them. Bear in mind that removing swirls by hand is extremely challenging.
Products... If you ask a dozen detailers what products to use you will likely get 30-40 different answers. Best advice here is to find products that you like and do what you want with the least effort and use them often.
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