01-07-15, 04:32 PM
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Old, Dirty, Abused leather cleaned w/Soft Scrub Bathroom/Kitchen Cleaner.. Results!!!
01-09-11, 12:30 AM
#18
I've been repairing and dyeing automotive leather for the past 37 years and I strongly disagree with using this product on your leather seats. If you'll notice the color of your rags,you're taking more than dirt off of your seats. I'm not sure as to whether you intend on keeping the vehicle,but although it looks nice now,I believe you've seriously undermined the factory coating.
You can acheive the same results,especially when it comes to removing the dirt and grime from the crick or creases of the leather by using a mild diluted cleaner like Simple Green with a terry cloth and soft bristle brush.Test the brush on your arm and if feels too rough,than it's too rough for your leather. Scrub the seats with the brush if they're extremely dirty,wipe them with a cloth soaked in the cleaner.Keep checking your rag,when it stops showing dirt,you're done.Finally wipe them down with a clean wet terry cloth towel. Make sure and remove all of the cleaner's residue with the clean wet towel.Don't leave any residue on the seats,that's just a dirt magnet.
Let the seats dry completely,then treat them with Connely's,Lexol or a similar leather "food".
Never ever ever use an Armor All type product that contains silicone on your leather.Silicone permeates the leather,hardens and destroys it. Plus,it voids the lifetime warranty of any and all of the products I use to repair them. I strongly recommend never using a product designed to clean porcelain and tile on your leather seats.
You can acheive the same results,especially when it comes to removing the dirt and grime from the crick or creases of the leather by using a mild diluted cleaner like Simple Green with a terry cloth and soft bristle brush.Test the brush on your arm and if feels too rough,than it's too rough for your leather. Scrub the seats with the brush if they're extremely dirty,wipe them with a cloth soaked in the cleaner.Keep checking your rag,when it stops showing dirt,you're done.Finally wipe them down with a clean wet terry cloth towel. Make sure and remove all of the cleaner's residue with the clean wet towel.Don't leave any residue on the seats,that's just a dirt magnet.
Let the seats dry completely,then treat them with Connely's,Lexol or a similar leather "food".
Never ever ever use an Armor All type product that contains silicone on your leather.Silicone permeates the leather,hardens and destroys it. Plus,it voids the lifetime warranty of any and all of the products I use to repair them. I strongly recommend never using a product designed to clean porcelain and tile on your leather seats.
The OP simply removed the protective clear coat and color from the leather with an abrasive cleaner (with bleach)...is a BIG
01-09-11, 09:03 AM
#19
GS leather sucks. I took the wrong advice on this forum, and my leather looks like crap. I thought I was removing dirt, but was actually removing dye! What sucks is that my seats werent even dirty, I was just bored! This looks to work on older leather.
03-27-11, 08:59 AM
#22
Let's try to keep this thread civil and to the point...
Sure...There are a myriad of products that will clean leather seats MUCH better than a dedicated leather cleaner, problem is, as stated by others in the know, it will clean TOO good, i.e. removing the clear polyurethane protective layer...it will look clean, because the DIRT WAS IN THE CLEAR COATING, which is now GONE... the now unprotected leather will look clean, but duller, and it will get dirty much quicker, and the seats no longer have a protective barrier against stains, sweat (salt which is corrosive) and abrasion. The color will easily come off in certain situations (belts etc.) This isn't conjecture, just the facts.
Would you be willing to remove the clearcoat on the paint of the car in order to take out a scratch or bird dropping, and leave only the basecolor exposed to UV and weathering?
If you're ready to trash the seat cover anyway, well yeah...go for it I guess, no big deal...but if you weren't ready to spend $300- $400 and up on a new leather cover(s), then you've got a problem. That clearcoat that comes from the factory is there for a reason. Anything abrasive or harsh WILL undermine or remove it.
It's simple physics.
On old leather, as a last resort before replacement, that's one thing, ...on newer leather...just understand what you're doing and the cost (shortly) down the road...Be informed.
Sure...There are a myriad of products that will clean leather seats MUCH better than a dedicated leather cleaner, problem is, as stated by others in the know, it will clean TOO good, i.e. removing the clear polyurethane protective layer...it will look clean, because the DIRT WAS IN THE CLEAR COATING, which is now GONE... the now unprotected leather will look clean, but duller, and it will get dirty much quicker, and the seats no longer have a protective barrier against stains, sweat (salt which is corrosive) and abrasion. The color will easily come off in certain situations (belts etc.) This isn't conjecture, just the facts.
Would you be willing to remove the clearcoat on the paint of the car in order to take out a scratch or bird dropping, and leave only the basecolor exposed to UV and weathering?
If you're ready to trash the seat cover anyway, well yeah...go for it I guess, no big deal...but if you weren't ready to spend $300- $400 and up on a new leather cover(s), then you've got a problem. That clearcoat that comes from the factory is there for a reason. Anything abrasive or harsh WILL undermine or remove it.
It's simple physics.
On old leather, as a last resort before replacement, that's one thing, ...on newer leather...just understand what you're doing and the cost (shortly) down the road...Be informed.
03-27-11, 09:37 AM
#23
BTW...As an addendum to this: If you have removed your clear poly coat,you CAN buy a product that will replace it. SEM sells one, I've used it many times, and it comes in a shaker can, available in clear gloss or clear satin...Anyone can spray it with expert results, clean & prep first according to directions.
http://www.yourautotrim.com/semsaglcl.html
http://www.yourautotrim.com/semsaglcl.html
03-28-11, 09:53 AM
#25
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BTW...As an addendum to this: If you have removed your clear poly coat,you CAN buy a product that will replace it. SEM sells one, I've used it many times, and it comes in a shaker can, available in clear gloss or clear satin...Anyone can spray it with expert results, clean & prep first according to directions.
http://www.yourautotrim.com/semsaglcl.html
http://www.yourautotrim.com/semsaglcl.html
Nice post,gm. Make sure the leather has been cleaned with a waterbase and an alcohol based cleaners before and is dry through and through.Whatever gets left behind,including moisture will be trapped under the coating applied to the leather.
Leather that has had it's clear coat removed is very porous and open,unless it's been vat dyed,whcih doesn't really happen anymore.
The SEM Classic Coat line of dyes are unbelievably great products that anyone can use for a professional job. I think it's better than the OEM dye. The other SEM line is good,but it's not as good as the Classic Coat
01-29-23, 09:52 AM
#27
Used Soft Scrub kitchen/bathroom cleaner to clean my 94 LS400 as suggested from an old posting here for deep cleaning leather and wow did it work!
I wanted to share with everyone how amazing this method is... Seems to have reversed years of abuse the previous owners put on the leather. Feels MUCH softer and not as rough, removed 'water stains' from various drinks and cleared up the leather nicely. NO other over the counter leather cleaners could do this much! After scrubbing so hard those leather cleaners didnt do anything for me. Softscrub = WIN
Hope this helps anyone with similar condition leather!
Materials Used:
Softscrub Lemon (Not the one with bleach)
Meguiars Rich Leather Conditioner
Kitchen Sponge with rough and smooth side
Cotton Shirts
Papertowels/wipes to clean off dirt.
Procedure
-Squeezed a quarter sized squirt of softscrub on each section of leather working it in with the rough end of the sponge.
-After cleaning, I wiped it off with a dry cloth to remove the dirt.
-After wiping it off with dry cloth, I used a damp cloth with water to remove residue
-Dried with towel
-Applied Meguiars
Check out the pics..
Half cleaned, half dirty...
All Clean!
Another View of 50/50
Dirty Back Seat
Clean with Meguiars Leather Conditioner
Cleaned arm rest, look at the stitching on the armrest, its clean and no longer brown.
NASTY
I wanted to share with everyone how amazing this method is... Seems to have reversed years of abuse the previous owners put on the leather. Feels MUCH softer and not as rough, removed 'water stains' from various drinks and cleared up the leather nicely. NO other over the counter leather cleaners could do this much! After scrubbing so hard those leather cleaners didnt do anything for me. Softscrub = WIN
Hope this helps anyone with similar condition leather!
Materials Used:
Softscrub Lemon (Not the one with bleach)
Meguiars Rich Leather Conditioner
Kitchen Sponge with rough and smooth side
Cotton Shirts
Papertowels/wipes to clean off dirt.
Procedure
-Squeezed a quarter sized squirt of softscrub on each section of leather working it in with the rough end of the sponge.
-After cleaning, I wiped it off with a dry cloth to remove the dirt.
-After wiping it off with dry cloth, I used a damp cloth with water to remove residue
-Dried with towel
-Applied Meguiars
Check out the pics..
Half cleaned, half dirty...
All Clean!
Another View of 50/50
Dirty Back Seat
Clean with Meguiars Leather Conditioner
Cleaned arm rest, look at the stitching on the armrest, its clean and no longer brown.
NASTY
the Sponge I wiped it with a damp cloth and it came out
cleaner and it was easier but this was amazing on how it was so quick that hard work payed off thanks
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