Eolafan

Good day everybody. I am posting to inquire about the best care for the "standard" leather seats on my ES350. The manual says to simply vacuum dirt and dust from the leather seating surfaces regularly and periodically clean them with a mild solution (5%) of warm water and a "wool cleaner" (which I assume is meant to be something like "Woolite" or something similar) and use a damp cloth.
Does anybody have experience or advice that would be different? Thanks much.

bc6152

I use Black Magic leather wipes for conditioning and Ultima Interior Shampoo for cleaning. Another member on here suggested the Ultima for removing dye transfer, e.g. blue jean dye, and other stains, and it works like magic. It is an excellent product available online only. I also have the standard leather upholstery in parchment.

SW17LS

The Ultima was recommended by me, its a great product. Something like that is really all you need...

bc6152

Thanks SW15...

autotech13

I use a small bucket of warm water and a sponge with one side is a little rough and just a dot of woolite on the sponge, then work up a good lather, and wipe off. Does a great job and costs very little. The seats look like new. I've been doing this to both our Lexus cars for years.

Universe93

Just had the opportunity to try out different leather wipes and would definitely recommend Wieman's leather wipes. No greasy feeling and has a uniform even appearance when used. Here is the Amazon link and you can see the reviews there:



But I think you can buy these for a much lower price at Target rather than Amazon.

Merlinii

Here's a little something I thought you might like.
Be Gentle. Strong chemicals or harsh brushing will damage the factory leather "coating".

Vacuum
Thoroughly vacuum the seats before they are cleaned. During the vacuum step, make sure to clean any grit and debris from the seam areas. Spread the bolsters open with your hands and use a crevice tool and a soft nylon brush. Grit left in these areas can cause wear at the seams.

Interior Leather info
Virtually all leather used for automotive purposes is coated with a layer of protection. Leather is “dyed” to give it color. The color coating is typically sprayed onto the leather. This coating allows the vehicle designer to color the leather seat upholstery to compliment the color scheme of the vehicle interior. The factory coating performs a more important benefit of protecting the leather from wear and tear.

The quality and thickness of the coating can vary. it is important to remember that harsh scrubbing techniques are not recommended for any automotive leather. I have witnessed the accidental removal of leather color coating from newer, supposedly high-end vehicles.

Leather Cleaner Rule: Cleaners and conditioners recommended for use on leather are also safe on vinyl. Cleaners used for vinyl are not safe for leather.

The important factor in choosing any chemical for use on leather is that the chemical is close to neutral on the pH scale. Do not use anything that is caustic or acidic.

Cleaning Leather
After the leather has been vacuumed, the typical technique used to clean the leather is to spray the appropriate cleaner onto a section of the seat, then agitate with a soft brush or other scrubbing appliance. A preferred brush bristle is natural hogs-hair or horse-hair. Stiff vinyl bristles are not recommended. Wipe away the remaining cleaner and dirty residue with a clean utility towel. A terry towel works fine.

NOTE: Automotive leather should have a satin matte finish. Shiny leather is usually a sign of dirt, body oils etc.

Conditioning Leather
Once clean, the leather needs to be properly conditioned. Use only leather conditioners designed for use on automotive leather. Apply conditioner liberally, allow it to soak in, then buff off the excess with a clean utility towel. Use a conditioner with ultraviolet blockers. The sun causes the most damage to leather, next to normal use.

NOTE: A solvent base dressing, can actually damage the leather.
Appropriate leather conditioner will not only make the leather look and feel nice, it can actually help to preserve the natural material.

Factory leather is protected with a coating of paint (“dye”). That layer of paint breaks down over time. In fact, there are microscopic cracks in new leather coatings within six months of use.

Leather conditioner will penetrate those cracks and lubricate the collagen that makes up the top layer of the leather that is just underneath the coating. The more lubricated this layer remains, the longer it will take for the leather to break down.

Normal wear-and-tear of leather is unavoidable (unless you never sit on the seat). Microscopic fissures will lead to scuffing, which leads to cracks. It can take months or years for this process to occur, depending on the amount of use the seat gets and the quality of the leather.

I know of a couple of good leather cleaning videos if you'd like.

jfelbab

Did you miss the thread: All about Leather? I've posted the leather care process I use and recommend there.

Briefly the products you mention will work fairly well but I'd add to wipe down the cleaned seats with a wrung-out towel to remove all traces of the detergent after use. Also try not to get the leather overly wet.

Leather is made soft in the manufacturing process. It is dyed and sprayed with a clear coat to protect it from absorbing stains and to make it easier to maintain. This coating is a barrier to most conditioning products that use oils or silicones. What will keep your leather soft and plump is proper hydration. To find out more about this, read some of my posts in the All about Leather thread mentioned.

Finally, if you want to prevent dye transfer I'd recommend the use of a leather protectant.

pampas

I have ivory leather whats is a good product that don't stain this type of leather

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Sticky: All About Lexus Leather
^tons of amazing information here