All about Lexus leather
 

The basis of this post is to provide the technical information pertaining to the leather in our cars, that has been the subject of much confusion (including some of my own gaps of knowledge on specific Lexus models ) and to educate on it's care. The link here;

http://www.gstautoleather.com/default.asp

is a company that provides Lexus corp. with the hides used in their vehicles. The email I sent asked about uncoated and coated leathers, and what they knew about the Lexus leathers in this regard. Here is the reply I recieved;


So, as stated by Robert, all Lexus leathers are coated, albiet with a polyurethane clearcoat.

This should help you all decide your plan of caring for it. The use of Connolly Hide Food etc. and other conditioners designed strictly for UN-coated leathers is up to you. I have no info stating they will do any harm, and many here report softer leather using them, but clearly they are going on COATED Lexus leathers. I say, if it's working for you, keep doing it.
It may well be that those type of conditioners are also beneficial to polyurethane in general, and will also soften it. Just avoid anything harsh or abrasive for *general* care, and no solvents. Cheers. :)

When you mean no solvents does that mean don't use woolite??I myself use woolite dilluted 10/1 and then conditioner with zaino leather in a bottle..please let me know if I'm doing more harm than good...

In the quoted, is "aniline" equal to "anilin"?
 

AFAIK all US LS-430's with the Ultra Lux trim include a leather upgrade package which includes semi-analin or analin leather. For example, a window sticker entry on my 2001 LS-430 states: "Interior Pkg w/Semi Anilin Leather Trim". Is Lexus' use of the term "anilin" the same term as "aniline" in the quotation? If so, that above quote would appear to be wrong at least with respect to US LS-430's with Ultra Lux trim. Can someone who knows more about leathers further elaborate?

I had read about the LS430s and the use of semi-aniline leather too, on this board. I think the guy that wrote that, Robert, may not be aware of that change, but rather was falling back on info he knew of a few years ago.
That may explain his statement ...he may just be a bit behind the current state of affairs with Lexus leathers. Just a guess on my part though. :)
As far as the spelling goes, I have seen both spellings ( aniline, anilin) referring to the same type of leather, so I don't know if both are correct, or not.

Oh, and Johnee...
 

No, he doesn't mean Woolite. A solvent is a petroleum based product, i.e. mineral spirits, WD40, brake cleaner, lacquer thinner etc.

Woolite is absolutely safe for your leather. :)

Re: Oh, and Johnee...
 

Like I said before, You the man!! :thumbup: Thanks for clearing that up for me...:D

So considering we're cleaning "sealed" leather, what's the best method to clean the leather??

Wow, great info Dan, thanks!

Thanks Dave
 

Blanco, since the leather has a polyurethane coating, you can still clean it with any leather cleaner, or the Woolite. You still have to use gentle cleaners, so as not to break down (or dull) the clear coating.

Ostensibly, anything that cleans vinyl or polyvinyl will work, but some of those type cleaners ( Simple Green , Castrol etc.) are much harsher than I would recommend, unless extreme dirt is the issue, and only use them then by first testing in an inconspicuous area.

Stick with Lexol cleaner (or equivalent) , diluted Woolite and you'll be fine.:)

i use some aloe cleaner product is that safe?

I think we're gonna need a little more to go on in order to say for sure. What is the products called, and who makes it?

Do you know how the Zaino leather treatment and cleaners compare with Lexol's?

I've used Zaino's "Leather In A Bottle" ( Z 10) but not the cleaner. The Z10 conditioner dries to a non-shiny patina, looks natural and smells nice. I would rate it as effective as the Lexol conditioner, which I was never crazy about because it felt greasier unless you really buffed off the residue well.

I give the Zaino Z10 an 8 and the Lexol a 7. Both work. That's just my perspective and experience on the 2 products, others may disagree.

I think I'll purchase some of their Z9 leather cleaner and see how that works though. I generally use Woolite :)

Woolite Concentration
 

Hi Dan,

I just purchased an '04 IS300 two weeks ago, and joined
the forum last night.
So far, I am very pleased, happy, and fortunate to have
found such a marvelous forum where Lexus owners
share ideas and knowledge instead of ridicules.

As for the woolite, what concentration do you find
most efficient for the leather?
Also, my car has a mixture of leather and alcantara (suede-like).
I did not purchase the "Magna Shield" protection plan
from the dealer, so I will need a suggestion on what
products to use to protect both the leather and the alcantara.
Any suggestions by you or any other knowledgeable fellow
enthusiasts will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

Jonathan

Jonathan, welcome to CL, congrats on the IS! :)

You can mix Woolite 6:1 (6 parts water, 1 part Woolite) for general cleaning, and you can go 3:1 for stains and serious dirt if necessary.

I am very familiar with Alcantara, because I see it in a number of modern vehicles in my work. The great thing about it (unlike real suede) is that you can clean it yourself (see link on what to do)

http://www.alcantara.it/istituzional...ne_inglese.pdf

and you should protect it with something like 303 High Tech Fabric Guard, which will be the equivalent of the dealer's "Magna Shield" product.

A good suede brush should also be on your short list to keep it looking good. I use a Woolite dampened white cloth on it when I come across it. You just want to avoid wetting it down completely. Hope this helps, Cheers Jonathan. :)

Thanks a Million Dan!
 

Like I said before, I love this forum! I have even told
fellow co-workers about Clublexus eventhough they
don't own Lexus's. They can still obtain plenty of
useful information in the detai dept.

One more thing, where do I purchase the 303 product?
Is it available at the local auto stores?

Thanks again.

Jonathan

Here ya go...
 

You can buy it here;

http://www.properautocare.com/303-fg.html

Or do a Google search on it and other retailers will show up. Locally it may be harder to find, but check into boating supply places (they usually sell the 303 rubber/vinyl protectant which is also very high-end). I really haven't seen it at Pep Boys or AutoZone etc. It's good stuff and worth ordering though. :)

THANK YOU DAN
 

I couldn't wait for UPS Ground, so I decided to visit
a boat dealer after work yesterday. Luckily, they carried
both the 303 Aerospace and the High Tech protectants.
I bought only the high tech fabric protectant since it's
the only one that can be used on suede.
It will definitely be applied on my Alcantara today.
My wife saw the bottle, read the front and back,
and decided to apply it on her LV handbags. I'm sure
it will also do an efficient on those as well. In fact, I think
she's applying the protectant now as I'm typing.

Again, thank you very much for your proactiveness
and guidance.
Have a wonderful weekend.

Jonathan

I've just bought the new TurtleWax leather cleaner & conditioner in the yellow sprayer bottle sold at Autozone yesterday and got some very good results. I've tried several brands of leather cleaner and was not satisfied with any of them. I could try scrubbing my butt off and still couldn't get the leather clean. The new Turtlewax leather cleaner & conditioner works really well. I didn't have to scrub hard at all. Just spray it on and use a clean cotton rag to buff it off lightly. You can see the leather is cleaned instantly before your eyes. The good thing is this stuff also has the conditioner and UV protectant "built-in." After cleaning, the leather looked and feel very clean and soft with a nice smell. This new Tutlewax leather cleaner & conditioner in the yellow bottle is much more advance than the green one (2000) I've been using for a long time.

Give it a try. Remember to always do a compatibility test on a small hidden part of your leather.

Thank You DMD.
 

Yesterday, I had bought the Meguiar's Leather Cleaner/Conditioner
at Walmart. I have not tried it yet on my new leather.
Have you tried the Meguiar's yet?

I currently use Meguiar's Rich Leather Cleaner/Conditioner, and it does a decent job in keeping my leather seats feeling new, supple and non-greasy.

You pretty much can't go wrong with any Meguiar's product; it's one of the most respected auto detailing brands around :thumbup:

Yes, me too. I bought the Meguiar rich leather cleaner and conditioner and today I tried it, and , besides being a little heavy to rub off the seems, works great and cleans the leather leaving the seats soft, without grease; much better that I expected. You can`t go wrong with Meguiar`s products; they are superb.

I just bought Zymol's Leather Cleaner and Leather Conditioner. I'll try it out next weekend.

Any comments on Zymol's leather care products?

Now, how often do you guys condition your leather? Do you have to use a cleaner before each time you condition it?

For mine, it's a cleaner and conditioner all in one bottle, so I apply it to my seats in one session (wipe on and wipe off). I leather clean/condition my seats once every 2 weeks (more often in the summer). If you bought separate bottles of cleaner and conditioner, do the cleaner first, and then the conditioner.

If you guys get the opportunity, I would recommend using Zaino's leather products. Z-10 "leather in a bottle" smells of natural leather and doesn't leave a shiny finish as many leather products do. It doesn't leave any powdery residue, either. Z-9 leather cleaner is a jewel of a product, as well. It leaves the leather feeling oh so clean, and smells great as well. I've used Meguiar's leather products as well. It seems to work just fine, but I've settled on Zaino, as they have yet to let me down. . .:thumbup: :thumbup: Whatever gets ya goin. . .

man. this clear coat thing makes me confused now. i personally didn't great results from the Meguiars cleaner/conditioner. i was about to buy the Connolly Hide Food b/c ppl on this forum have said good things about it. now after reading this i'm having 2nd thoughts. i've read good things about 303 when i was checking the Maxima forums. i think i'll just go w/ that this time instead then.

many of you may cringe at this, but...

i have a boston terrier that has full run of my gx470, and i've been on the look-out for a leather cleaner that could clean up after his little paw prints all over my ivory leather. we just recently got the mother's leather cleaner spray and the mother's leather conditioner. hands down, the best we've tried! i would recommend it for anyone dealing with difficult cleaning jobs. the combined cleaner/conditioners just don't cut it.

Give Autoglym a shot
 

I purchased some Autoglym cleaner & conditioner from lexuscarcare.com and really do like it. Easy to use & really seems to condition the leather. It also doesn't leave it with a greasy film. I probably won't buy the cleaner again as I like the woolite/water just as much, but the conditioner is really good. I usually just apply it with my fingers....wasts a lot less of the product.

Hi all CL members!!

I have a silly question regarding leathers.
I recently purchased a 04 IS SportCross with a Black interior. Since I like the look of new leather (satiny and flat) How can I keep it from getting all shiny and glossy after a few years of use?

Maybe I should wear gloves when I drive?? :p

Thanks all in advance!!

If you use the Leatherique 2-step system, you condition first with Rejuvinator Oil (which is supposed to bring dirt to the surface) and then follow up with the Pristine Clean (which removes the dirt and excess conditioner), leaving a very nice matte finish.

Alternately, if using store bought products, you could do your normal clean/condition cycle, and then buff the seats down with some Zymol leather cleaner (which is basically a very mild glycerin soap) to return the seats to a more matte look. I've used this process when I've not had Leatherique handy.

This is the finest leather treatment I've found and it is available at your local Lexus dealer. It will keep your leather looking and feeling like new.

http://www.lexus.com/assets/models/a...ather_care.jpg

How much for the Lexus cleaner and conditioner?

Thanks,

<$12 a bottle.

RE:
 

What do you guys think of Lexol Leather cleaner and conditioner? Here's my story...

Last week I heard about it, drove around town, and couldn't find it at Auto Zone, Advance Auto Parts, or O'Rielly's, so I knew it must be some nice, boutique cleaner. I ordered some from www.properautocare.com and spent an hour or more on each driver and passenger seat. My thumbs were sore for two days after but I will say that it works unbelievably well. I couldn't believe the difference afterwards. I have 85,000 on my GS300 and have owned it since 68,000 and there was a lot of dirt embedded in those seats. It shocks me how good they look now. But, it did take a lot of elbow grease to clean them....

What are your thoughts?

http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/image...eds%20pics.gif

:D

RE:
 

Pictures as requested...

Driver's before Lexol
Attachment 441511

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...iverSeat18.jpg

Driver's after Lexol
Attachment 441512

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...DriverZoom.jpg

Attachment 441513

RE:
 

Pictures as requested on passenger side

Passenger before Lexol
Attachment 441505

Attachment 441506

Passenger after Lexol
Attachment 441507

Attachment 441508

Attachment 441509

Attachment 441510

hi guys...

I just recently bought an '02 SC430 blk/blk and I noticed the black leather seats are getting a little shiney. Also, the passenger door arm rest seems like its fading. Is there anything I can do to make the shine go away? Anything I can do for the armrest? Whats good to clean and condition the leather?

thanks
lisalisa

Lisa, if you've read through this and other threads ( you can also try a search on "cleaning leather" ) you'll find various product recommendations, all pretty effective if used as prescribed.

Many here like the Lexol, you can also try a Woolite and water mixture of 6:1 (6 parts water, 1 part Woolite). Woolite is actually recommended in many oem owner's manuals for the leather.

Zaino, Leatherique , Conally , Griots among others are also quality conditioners that should help out.

I'm not sure what is causing the shine you describe, other than maybe your clothes acting as a buffing/polishing agent on the clear polyurtehane coating, as you get in and out. Give it a good cleaning and conditioning and see if that evens things out. If not , get back on here and we'll try to put our heads together to give more assistance. Good luck! :)

Interesting thread!

1. If Lexus leathers have a polyurethane top-coat, shouldn't we be using plastics cleaners rather than traditional leather cleaners?

2. After sliding our butts in and out of the seats, wouldn't the polyurethane top-coat rub off relatively quickly?

3. Which Lexus models use the ultra-soft Regency leather? Is it just the LS430 and ES330?