Leather Care

A

avu3

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Seems like this is as controversial as Ice Cream, but I'll stick my nose in...

I've used and found flaws with just about everything:

Eagle One - ok, kinda greasy, hard to apply
Meguaries Gold Class - Spray, my favorite, but nozzles never work on bottles
Meguires gold class paste - utter crap that stinks and won't come out of seams... like using vaseline
Lexol sprays - not greasy, but don't seem to protect either
armor all - utter crap, avoid like the plague. Greasy, non protective.

Today I picked up some new meguries "Aloe" series. comes as a cleaner and conditioner. Not terribly impressed. Not greasy, but doesn't seem to moisturize either. I applied three coats so far, and it's not showing like the gold class.

Just figured I would share my observations. I think Sandy's favorite is furniture polish, and I know many others like Saddle Soap, but I'm not a beliver.

Anyone have anything they like that I haven't tried?
 
RE: Leather Care

Saddle Soap is the worst thing you can use. Pledge is the best, when used on CLEAN leather. To clean takes time. Everyone want zip zap all done 5 minutes. NO! If they are pretty dirty and you don't wanna weaken the stitching, or risk fading the color....you gotta work -SORRY.
Use a regular sponge, hand size and use soap. Plain normal soap. Use circular motion, a small area at a time. Soap & Water. (Easy on the water - no floods). (and) WORK! Round and around and around and around to loosen the dirt. Rinse out sponge often or you're rubbing the dirt back in. When you get it clean and dry. Spray it with PLEDGE (non lemon) lightly from a height of 6 inches or so, and do a small area at a time. Rub & buff off using plenty of soft, 2 ply paper towels. VIVA & Bounty are best. Circular motion again and lift off.
The Pledge puts a thin film of protection on the leather that wards off dirt (like a buffer zone). You'll need to check it in a month to see if there are any stains/dirt, clean it again (easy now) and spray the Pledge.
My 1998 Mark VIII seats were flawless, as was new. No cracks, and not even any crack lines. As New. Kept clean & Pledged.
Sorry it doesn't have a European-sounding name, nor cost Bugoo bucks. Maybe they should take it and call it Sotheyaine from Germany @ $29.95 a can. Sorry....it's just Pledge, and it's the best out there. Never sticky, never tacky, not shiny like akmor all.
 
RE: Leather Care

Sandy - forgive me if you've already answered this question in the past, but why is Saddle Soap bad for conditioning our leather seats? Is it because it removes the dye? Or is there some other reason?

Thanks!

-Scott
 
RE: Leather Care

I wanna try NOT to make this too long, yet cover it all.

Saddle Soap was invented for cleaning & preserving the SADDLE in which the horse's rider sat. Those saddles were very very thick & heavy and made to last a lifetime, maybe two lifetimes. Saddles would be handed down from Father to Son and would show little imperfections for their age or wear. That was the 18th century, and that was great then.
Today's car leathers are thin. Go to the dealer's showroom color & trim book, turn to the leather section and actually feel the sample of the leather. THAT'S NOT A SAMPLE, that is the real thing in your car. Due to our "friends" at the EPA (yes, sarcasim) today's leathers in cars are NOT tanned! Today's leather's are colored (or obtain their color) by the use of huge print machines. Yes, the color pigmentation is PRINTED on the hides. The process of yesteryear to color the hides would send a proper EPAer to an early grave! So.....
in the late 1800s the final tanning of leather required the talents of a "Currier" - a craftsman who took the hides and worked oils into it until the flexibility desired was obtained.
This process (fatiquoring) was an emulsion of oil IN soap. It became known as "Saddle Soap" It was NEVER a cleaner!!!! It was a softening conditioner!!
Saddle Soap is an extrremely POOR cleaner, as it must first desolve its own oils, limiting its ability to dissolve dirt on the leather.

Furthermore, Saddle Soap is also inherently alkaline, and alkalinity is damaging to leather. It will prematurely weaken the leather's stitching, causing rips on seams.
Another problem arises during the application. Most Saddle Soaps instruct the user to work the lather into the leather. Since loosened dirt is suspended in the leather, it's pushed back into the leather's pores. No "lifting motion" is ever mentioned. No rinsing of the applicator is ever mentioned. This is fine, for the 1870's. It's the wrong process for today's car leathers.

Saddle Soap for cleaning is modern folklore. Use it on your horse's saddle where it was made for.
 
RE: Leather Care

Sandy....... My friend..... You know just a little too much about saddles and saddle soap. :) ESPECIALLY being from NJ. Montana I would understand, but, uh, what exactly do you use saddles for in New Jersey? WAIT.... Dont tell me, I dont wanna know after all.
 
RE: Leather Care

My 1998 Mark VIII seats were flawless, as was new. No cracks, and not even any crack lines. As New. Kept clean & Pledged.

That's because you NEVER DROVE IT! ;-)

But seriously, I'd like to know why Pledge is better. You've written some very detailed reasons why the other stuff is bad, but I don't recall you telling us what's so special about Pledge. Is it just something you came up with through trial and error or is there some magic ingredient in it that makes it the perfect leather treatment?
 
RE: Leather Care

18,720 miles at delivery to Dr. Dave. I drove it.

Pledge's formula has been kept secret. I first tried it based upon snowmobilers. They swear by it. They have races. They coat & hand buff their machines with pledge to make them slippery. Slippery = faster. They are also very particular (as we are) with their toys. They want them to look show, yet fly thru the snow. They turned me onto it, as they too use them on their leather seats. One try & I was hooked. It has no silicone in it, but alot of lanolin and creme and it is a unique product. I see the results in my car's leather when compared to other cars with the same mileage. Why don't you just 1/2 believe me & try it?? You'll be convinced. BUT, do not use on DIRTY seats or you'll seal in the dirt. :(
 
RE: Leather Care

18,720 miles at delivery to Dr. Dave. I drove it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, just barely enough to make one oil change per year

I make an oil change on the first of every month......
So basically my seats suck
 
RE: Leather Care

You'll be convinced. BUT, do not use on DIRTY seats or you'll seal in the dirt.

My seats are black. I don't know how I could tell.

Besides, I've got a bigger problem now. I just noticed the other day that there are a series of nasty scratches in the leather on the left side of the seat back, like someone with something sharp on their jacket had gotten in and out of the car several times. There are probably a dozen or more of them, all in the same area, about belt level.

I don't recall seeing them when I bought the car, and there's nothing on my own jacket or pants that would cause them. I have a sneaking suspicion it may have happened during the eight days it was in the shop for my wiper motor "nightmare".

I'm sure there's not a damned thing I can do about it. I guess I'll be in the market for new seat covers in the near future.
 
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