KawiLex

I decided to try the Meguiars Interior Quick Detailer that contains alcohol because that was one of the recommendations. My LS manual says to not use anything with alcohol in it. I found this out after purchasing the Meguiars. I tried it out anyway on part of the car and it smells great and cleans well BUT I don't like the thought of alcohol and the drying effect. It doesn't seem to me to leave the dash looking healthy.. just absent of dirt.

Should I use some leather conditioner on the dash and doors after cleaning them??

AlexusAnja

Think of leather as skin... would you condition your skin with alcohol? I would clean leather surfaces with a leather conditioner. As for vinyl and plastic surfaces,i think a non alc would be better too.

Jabberwock

Leather typically needs to cleaned and then periodically conditioned. There are combo cleaner/conditioner products for sale but I feel these aren't products that should be combined. Start by gently wiping down with with a barely damp microfiber towel. Then use a gentle ph neutral leather cleaner - several brands available. Dry and buff gently with a clean cotton towel. And then periodically work in a leather conditioner to freshly cleaned leather. Never apply leather conditioner to dirty or dusty leather....turns into hard to remove gunk. BTW this cleaning and conditioning process should be done to room temp leather surface - don't attempt to clean or condition leather if the surface is too hot or too cold. Lots of variablity in auto leather these days - some of it is very fragile and porous and other types have been treated with so much dye and plasticizers that the front surface resembled painted cloth rather than leather.

KawiLex

Well, as my title states, I'm talking about the dash, not the leather surfaces. No offense. I'm new to this car and was wondering if leather conditioner on the dash is ok since in my mind that would rejuvenate most materials. I may end up trying to find a non-alcoholic dash treament that would work for most surfaces in the car, minus the leather surfaces which I will treat with leather cleaner and conditioner.

HDMike

On the dash I have always used, believe it or not, GoJo Hand cleaner, the cream type not the pummice. I was introduced to this by someone who restores vinyl as a profession. The theory behind it is that the Gojo contains lanolin and puts the moisture back in it. When putting it on, do it when the dash is warm and clean. repeat until you see it splotching and then wipe the excess off. Keep applying until it will not absorb any more.

I have been using this on all of my cars now for the past 18 years, as well as the vinyl seat and plastic parts on my bike and all have been looking new. The only down side is, like new vinyl, it will gas off and leave a film on the inside of the window. I'd rather clean the window than have a cracked up dash though.

Jabberwock

Some LS430 trim options included a dash covered in leather. I just made the assumption that you asked about leather cleaner for the dash because you had an LS optioned with leather covered dash.

A leather cleaner and conditioner on vinyl is probably not a good idea. For vinyl you should be using a product specifically formulated for plastics. There are several good quality vinyl cleaners and conditioner products available on the market. Lexal, Aerospace 303, and 3M among others make good vinyl cleaners and protectents.

KawiLex

Thanks for the replies, friends!