CX-9 Signature Nappa Leather Care Experiences

jefabian

Member
:
2018 CX-9 Signature
I just purchased a 2018 Signature a few weeks ago and Im in love with the Nappa leather interior and I wanted to make sure I do my best to preserve it as best as I can. For those of you who have owned your signatures for a while now, what steps and products did you use to care for your leather and also how well has your leather held up over time? Post pictures if you can. Ive never owned a car with leather and every new crease on the seats kills me a little. Something Ill have to get used to I suppose. Ive only put a few hundred miles on the car and I feel like Ive done more wear and tear on the seats than the last owner who put 4500 miles on the car.
 
I have only had my CX9 for 18 months so I can't talk to long-term wear on the seats. However, over the years I have owned more than eight cars with leather seats, some pretty crude and stiff, two with softer Nappa leather like my CX9, and one, a Maserati, with butter-soft leather as only the Italians can do. What I have found is that the biggest reason for damage to leather seats is too much TLC! Constantly cleaning them and using conditioner on them will actually weaken the leather and start to remove the color. The best thing is to clean them with a damp cloth periodically and remove any stubborn stains using just a tiny bit of dishwashing liquid or good leather cleaner, making sure to wipe away anything you use. (Cheap leather cleaners can contain detergent.) Apply a good leather conditioner no more than once a year, and apply it stingily or you'll block the perforations that allow air to circulate.

In 18 months, I have cleaned my seats twice and have not yet used any conditioner on them. There is no point in showing pictures as the seats look exactly like they did when I drove out of the showroom.
 
Be careful about not getting suntan lotion on your seats or armrests. Our Lexus leather seats are very soft. I've been cleaning them every 6 months for almost 14 years now, using Connolly leather cleaner. I then add Zaino leather-in-a-bottle conditioner which smells exactly like new leather. The seat color is still perfect, although high-use areas tend to have some darker creases that other areas.
 
Thank you for the advice and it sounds like you*ve had a lot of experience in different vehicles. I do like the non intrusive approach. Glad to know your leather is doing great after 18 months. I really wanted to avoid using some products that make the leather look shiny and greasy because I love the matte look. Now I just need to figure out how to not cause so much creasing in the lower side bolsters or just accept it.

I have only had my CX9 for 18 months so I can't talk to long-term wear on the seats. However, over the years I have owned more than eight cars with leather seats, some pretty crude and stiff, two with softer Nappa leather like my CX9, and one, a Maserati, with butter-soft leather as only the Italians can do. What I have found is that the biggest reason for damage to leather seats is too much TLC! Constantly cleaning them and using conditioner on them will actually weaken the leather and start to remove the color. The best thing is to clean them with a damp cloth periodically and remove any stubborn stains using just a tiny bit of dishwashing liquid or good leather cleaner, making sure to wipe away anything you use. (Cheap leather cleaners can contain detergent.) Apply a good leather conditioner no more than once a year, and apply it stingily or you'll block the perforations that allow air to circulate.

In 18 months, I have cleaned my seats twice and have not yet used any conditioner on them. There is no point in showing pictures as the seats look exactly like they did when I drove out of the showroom.
 
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