LeX2K

You can avoid most of those steps and risk of damaging the leather by using the Leatherique twins instead.

canucklehe

my first try was woolite (was quite foamy/soapy) and a nylon brush, then scrubbed off with a microfiber towel and it ended up looking like it does now.

thanks for the info and help.

SC400slide

iTrader: (11)

Woolite didn't work on my seats. There are hopeless...

jfelbab

I'd suggest trying it again with hot water and let the slurry/foam mix dwell for longer this time. You can mix the Woolite /water a bit stronger, say 10:1 (Woolite/water)

The CHAT method is what all leather professionals ascribe to. I wouldn't expect things to clean up in one pass if this dirt has been there for a long time. The CHAT method does work. Emphasize the heat and the dwell time on your next attempt.

Woolite is an ok cleaner but I would again suggest a better cleaner is Leather Masters Strong Leather Cleaner. IMO, it is easily twice as effective as Woolite. Don't give up as that leather doesn't look that bad.

LeX2K

Why do some people refuse to use Leatherique? It will clean those seats without excessive abrasion or soap. Obviously it can't repair any cracks or damage to the leather, but if you apply the rejuvinating oil and let it sit for a day (the warmer the car, the better it works) then finish with Prestine Clean, your seats will look 10 times better.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...l#post7244854l

canucklehe

sc400, do you mean hopeless as in your seats won't respond to anything?

LeX2K

I think he is saying his seats are not responding to any cleaning products. I had the same issue when I bought my ES, scrubbing with various cleaners did little to nothing. I wish I had known about Leatherique BEFORE I wasted my time trying all manner of products.

SC400slide

iTrader: (11)

**They are hopeless

jfelbab

I hear what you are saying but I've also been cleaning leather for some 30+ years and have a good feel for what works. I've seen the photos of his leather and I'm pretty confident that what I've suggested will work pretty well.

I've also have experience with Leatherique and almost every leather cleaner you can name. I prefer Leather Masters from my experience but that doesn't make it the only choice that will work. In my experience LM is among the top two or three cleaners on the market today.

My point is that the leather in question is not hopeless. It can be restored. I prefer water based, non-oily cleaners. Oils can get into the seams and into any cracks or perforations, be absorbed by the leather and degrade the topcoats adhesion to the leather. If you like Leatherique and it works for you thats great. There are a lot of ways to skin a cat.

ecr72

I've read a few threads on leathers now and would like to thank jfelbab for all the advice.

We picked up a 2010 RX with 14K miles on it a few weeks ago. It has the Luxury pkg and has parchment semi-aniline from what I gather. The interior is pristine and we'd like to keep it that way. I purchased some Lexol products without doing much research but have not used them yet, thankfully. I plan on picking up the Leather Master Soft Cleaner and Protection Cream.

I do have one small issue already. My son placed a decorative paper bag on the seat and some of the printing on the bag transferred to the seat. I immediately wiped with a damp cloth and it picked up most of the color but there is still a faint red mark on the seat. Red, it's always red!!! I work in the printing industry and reds are always the worst. Stain the worst and fade the easiest. Anyway, before I place an order, I'm wondering if anyone thinks the LM Soft Cleaner will work on a red water based ink (dye) transfer or will it need something stronger?

Thanks in advance for your help.

jfelbab

Thank you for the complement, and welcome to the CL forum.

The sooner you try to remove that stain the better. Your leather is painted (parchment color) and covered with a urethane clear-coat. The longer a stain resides on the clear-coat the deeper it penetrates and the more difficult it is to remove. I'd suggest three steps.

1. Go buy a bottle of Woolite original and mix it 10:1 with warm/hot water and try to remove the stain using gentle agitation with a foam pad. Let the foam dwell for a minute then wipe up with a white cotton towel. Examine the towel to see if any red dye is coming up. If so, repeat until there is no dye showing on the towel. I suggest Woolite now, as time is important. I'd still order the LM cleaner but I personally prefer the LM Strong Leather Cleaner. You can mix the Strong Cleaner 50/50 with water to come up with the Soft Cleaner making it more versatile.

2. If the stain was not completely removed you can try the LM Strong cleaner.

3. If the Strong Cleaner did not remove the stain you can try LM Ink Lifter.

After you finish cleaning, with any cleaner, wipe the leather down well with a wrung out cotton towel to make sure you have removed all traces of the cleaner.

Once clean and dry, I strongly suggest using the LM Protection Cream. This will prevent future stains from penetrating the clear-coat and make clean-up easy.

ecr72

Thank you for the quick response. I'll try what you suggest tonight.

I can attest to some of the methods you recommend and why I value what you've written. About 10 years ago we moved into a new house and within a few months a visitor spilled some grape juice on our new carpet. Light color carpet. Red stain. Beside blotting right away, we were stumped on how to get rig of the stain. I purchased a product called Juice Out and the directions were to use the product on the stain, let it dwell, then apply heat from a hot iron through a damp cotton cloth. The combination of chemical, dwell, and heat lifted that stain after a couple applications and it never returned. It's not leather but I believe the principles still apply as a cleaning process.

modthispny

great information jfelbab.

i just recently purchased a gs with flaxen interior (brown ish tan)

even though it's just a lease, i'm very **** when it comes to cleanliness and hate when the leather becomes shiny and loses the new matte/dull finish.

what do you recommend as far as taking care of the seats?

how often should i clean with woolite, how often should i wipe it down with a wrung out, and how often should i condition? going to purchase the conditioner that you recommend.

also, what is a good way to keep the steering wheel matte/dull and not get it shiny?

thanks

jfelbab

Much depends on how much dirt, dust and soiling the leather receives. In my case, I do a deep cleaning with Leather Masters Strong Leather Cleaner every two to three months. I follow with Leather Masters Protection Cream. Woolite is also a good gentle alternative cleaner when diluted 10:1 or 20:1 with water. I wipe down the leather to remove all traces of the cleaner when finished.

Weekly, I wipe down the leather, as well as the vinyl, with Meguiar's D149 (a.k.a. Quik Interior Detailer). QID is a gentle cleaner that includes UV protection and it doesn't remove the LM Protection. QID also leaves zero gloss so no glare or shiny leather. This also serves to keep the leather hydrated which reduces creases and wrinkles. You can use a wrung out cotton towel as well but I prefer the QID.

I use soft white cotton towels and not microfibers as cotton is less prone to burnish the leather or vinyl components and make them shiny.

Steering wheels take extra attention as they get hand oils which tend to hold dust and dirt. They also get a lot of physical contact which can burnish the leather coating. I use the same approach, i.e. weekly cleaning with QID and the LM treatment every two-three months.

One last note: Automotive leather is coated leather in most cases. What you see and feel is a painted coating on leather. It is not the actual leather you are cleaning but a painted surface. As with almost any painted surface, excessive rubbing with an abrasive material may cause the surface to become shiny. I don't rely on excessive rubbing/agitation to clean leather. I rely on the chemical cleaner to loosen and dissolve the soil.

modthispny

thank a lot Jim!
appreciate it.