Every 3 Months
View Poll Results: How often do you clean/condition your leather seats?
As Needed
75
16.09%
Weekly
50
10.73%
Monthly
114
24.46%
Every 3 Months
93
19.96%
Every 6 Months
59
12.66%
Once a Year
40
8.58%
Never
35
7.51%
Voters: 466. You may not vote on this poll
Cleaning & Conditioning Leather Seats
Thread Starter
Lexus Champion
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,441
Likes: 3
From: North Cackalacky
Leather Seats - Cleaning/Conditioning
How Often?
As needed, I spritz Lexol Conditioner on a terry applicator and then add a Quarter-sized dab of Connolly Hide Food in the center of the applicator for each seat. Let it cook in the sun for a few hours. Ahhh.
I use Lexol cleaner when needed...Usually when the buttbuffing gets too shiny for my taste.
edit 1/2/03-I'm using Pinnacle leather conditioner now. Wow!
edit 7/3/03-I'm using Duragloss 221/222 leather conditioner now. Wow 2X
As needed, I spritz Lexol Conditioner on a terry applicator and then add a Quarter-sized dab of Connolly Hide Food in the center of the applicator for each seat. Let it cook in the sun for a few hours. Ahhh.
I use Lexol cleaner when needed...Usually when the buttbuffing gets too shiny for my taste.
edit 1/2/03-I'm using Pinnacle leather conditioner now. Wow!
edit 7/3/03-I'm using Duragloss 221/222 leather conditioner now. Wow 2X
Last edited by Daddy-O; Jul 5, 2003 at 05:47 PM.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 6,084
Likes: 0
From: California
Lexol leather cleaner if needed. Surflex leather Soffener followed by Griot Leather Care. Gets that buttery softness with no artificial smells. Worse part for me? The wrinkled leather door panels. Seems to be a stiffer, harder leather on my GS than anywhere else. Probably do the doors every two weeks and the rest once a month for the warmer months. Don't bother when it cools off, very little of the treatments soaks in.
Guest
Posts: n/a
I've had a tip from a upholstery shop that the only way to get old leather to feel new again is to clean and condition weekly for several weeks.
The cleaning is of course, needed as neccessary, but the guy at the shop that eventually after weekly conditioning you will notice a difference on old leather.
The cleaning is of course, needed as neccessary, but the guy at the shop that eventually after weekly conditioning you will notice a difference on old leather.
Guest
Posts: n/a
I'm reading allabout this stuff...I guess Lexol is the LEAST effective conditioner. The cleaer does work well though.
Suflex and Griots work better, there is also a product called leatherique which is said to work better than both.
Only thing, coats must be applied continuosly until results are seen. Not a one time deal.
Suflex and Griots work better, there is also a product called leatherique which is said to work better than both.
Only thing, coats must be applied continuosly until results are seen. Not a one time deal.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 6,084
Likes: 0
From: California
Sufflex says that the biggest reason a treatment doesn't work is that it just sits on top of the leather and evaporates off without sinking in. Biggest reason to apply treatments when it is very warm, seems to help them soak in. Sufflex also says that if you want Soffener, which is not water based like most treatments, to really soak in, apply saran wrap over it after you apply, that way the treatment has to go into the leather. Haven't tried it yet but I can vouch for the need for continual treatment to really improve things.
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Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,269
Likes: 0
From: CHICAGO
I actually just got many new products today. Got Vinylex for first time, great stuff.
Got Lexol leather cleaner and conditioner, will do car tomorrow....
I soft scrubbed the door panels, havent got to other things yet. It definately will take the black wear marks off the seats....which is dirt...but at the same time it really dries out your leather and if your leather is really worn anywhere, the soft scrub will really dry it out and make it more noticeable, so be careful. All in all Id rather have wear marks then dirty leather.
Wouldnt recommend soft scrub unless you have an older car, like my 93 where the leather was decent condition but very dirty and having the leather wear a little more as a result of the abasive cleaner is better than it being dirty. I wouldnt use it on a newer car with new leather.
Got Lexol leather cleaner and conditioner, will do car tomorrow....
I soft scrubbed the door panels, havent got to other things yet. It definately will take the black wear marks off the seats....which is dirt...but at the same time it really dries out your leather and if your leather is really worn anywhere, the soft scrub will really dry it out and make it more noticeable, so be careful. All in all Id rather have wear marks then dirty leather.
Wouldnt recommend soft scrub unless you have an older car, like my 93 where the leather was decent condition but very dirty and having the leather wear a little more as a result of the abasive cleaner is better than it being dirty. I wouldnt use it on a newer car with new leather.
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Rookie
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
From: Alabama
Zaino Leather In a Bottle and Leather Cleaner are good. So is griot's conditioners.
Clean your interior as instructed, turn heat to MAX HOT, and turn seat heaters on. Apply your leather conditioner as things warm. This will help it soak in nicely.
Clean your interior as instructed, turn heat to MAX HOT, and turn seat heaters on. Apply your leather conditioner as things warm. This will help it soak in nicely.
Lead Lap
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 519
Likes: 1
From: Minnesota
here ya go....
for your leather, use soft scrub. not the kind with bleach, but with lemon. someone on this site posted that suggestion, and i was very skeptical. saw the pics and decided to give it a try. worked like a charm!!! just use soft scrub and a scrub brush. i bought one from targe that is supposed to be used for dishes, for like 2 bucks. i was very surprised at how much better it worked than ANYTHING else that i have used, and i would consider myself very involved in keeping my car clean. just use a damp towel to wipe off the seat that you have cleaned (i would suggest cleaning one at a time) and a dry one to wipe it dry, and you should be good to go. any questions, let me know.
for your leather, use soft scrub. not the kind with bleach, but with lemon. someone on this site posted that suggestion, and i was very skeptical. saw the pics and decided to give it a try. worked like a charm!!! just use soft scrub and a scrub brush. i bought one from targe that is supposed to be used for dishes, for like 2 bucks. i was very surprised at how much better it worked than ANYTHING else that i have used, and i would consider myself very involved in keeping my car clean. just use a damp towel to wipe off the seat that you have cleaned (i would suggest cleaning one at a time) and a dry one to wipe it dry, and you should be good to go. any questions, let me know.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,472
Likes: 4
From: Ohio, USA
Surflex Question
For those of you who have used Surflex Leather Soffner, have any of you used the technique where you apply it, cover with Saran Wrap, and leave it alone for a few days? Does it work better than Lexol? I've been using Lexol, along with the Zymol Cleaner (orange liquid) and Zymol Conditioner (beige cream). Just wondered if Surflex would rejuvenate the sun-baked leather at the top of the rear bench.
Oh, and to answer the poll:
I condition every other week during the hot summer months, once a month otherwise.
I've actually only had my current upholstery for one week, I bought some Coach Edition seats from a salvage yard that were in much better condition than my old non-Coach ones (previous owner didn't do much to take care of the leather). Paid $152 for the seats, $250 for a shop to pull the leather off the fronts (they weren't heated) and to swap them for the covers on my heated factory seats.
Oh, and to answer the poll:
I condition every other week during the hot summer months, once a month otherwise.
I've actually only had my current upholstery for one week, I bought some Coach Edition seats from a salvage yard that were in much better condition than my old non-Coach ones (previous owner didn't do much to take care of the leather). Paid $152 for the seats, $250 for a shop to pull the leather off the fronts (they weren't heated) and to swap them for the covers on my heated factory seats.
Last edited by squarehat; Jan 4, 2003 at 04:57 PM.
Rookie
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 56
Likes: 1
From: Oregon
I use a citrus spray cleaner (spray and wipe immediately, do NOT leave it on) and Connolly Hide Food. This creates a wonderfully soft supple leather with no slippery feeling like Lexol and most everything else I have seen. This is the way leather should feel!
It is labelled "Hide Food" by Connolly, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Bentley, and Rolls Royce but the product is the same.
It is labelled "Hide Food" by Connolly, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Bentley, and Rolls Royce but the product is the same.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,472
Likes: 4
From: Ohio, USA
I read that Connolly Hide Food's manufacturer had gone out of business, and that the product is in short supply. What are Bentley, Rolls, and Aston owners going to use? I'd like to get some Hide Food if this is my last chance to do so.