Keeping the leather clean and good looking
- Thread starter jeremy44
- Start date
Good question. I would like to know.
I have tried Lexol, but no idea if it really works...it does not on beige leather, can't get the black creases out. Then someone told me that all automotive leather these days have a vinyl or plastic coat on it, and that is one reason why. The coating has cracked, and you may be getting surface dirt out, but you cannot get out the dirt in the cracks. Whether true or not, I have been unsuccessful with cleaning lighter leathers. Not true on a leather ottoman we have in the house...definitely different material. All that cleaner and conditioner really seems to soak right in.
My solution, buy a black leather if you are going to get a car with leather, which is what we did. She wanted the heated seats AND lumbar support, not that I can complain....
I have tried Lexol, but no idea if it really works...it does not on beige leather, can't get the black creases out. Then someone told me that all automotive leather these days have a vinyl or plastic coat on it, and that is one reason why. The coating has cracked, and you may be getting surface dirt out, but you cannot get out the dirt in the cracks. Whether true or not, I have been unsuccessful with cleaning lighter leathers. Not true on a leather ottoman we have in the house...definitely different material. All that cleaner and conditioner really seems to soak right in.
My solution, buy a black leather if you are going to get a car with leather, which is what we did. She wanted the heated seats AND lumbar support, not that I can complain....
The leather on the car seats is vinyl coated so I just use 303 on it.
I used to use the conditioners on the car leather but after reading up on the different leathers it just won't penetrate the coating on the CX5 seats to get to the actual leather so it is wasted on it. On uncoated leather like chas's ottoman the conditioners do what they are supposed to do.
Trevor
Mazda CX-5 Accessories
I used to use the conditioners on the car leather but after reading up on the different leathers it just won't penetrate the coating on the CX5 seats to get to the actual leather so it is wasted on it. On uncoated leather like chas's ottoman the conditioners do what they are supposed to do.
Trevor
Mazda CX-5 Accessories
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SayNoToPistons
Wheels, not rims...
- :
- CX-5 GT AWD w/ Tech, RX-8 GT 6spd w/ 'goodies'
Fortunately the CX-5's leather seating surfaces (butt and back) are perforated and does allow penetration of conditioners to seep below the coating and into the leather.
The amount of leather in the CX-5 is rather insignificant. ONLY the surfaces that actually touch you on the seat is leather. The bolsters are partial leather. The rest are (plastic) leatherette, INCLUDING the headrests. With that said, the little leather is indeed coated as opposed to aniline leathers. It will still do the seats good to keep the (perforated) leather and coating conditioned and mostly importantly, PROTECTED. I will get to that later.
Cleaning:
A rather simple step. Not to toot my own horn, but I've been detailing for the past 9 years, only to stop as a side gig recently. I have learned from experience and on www.autopia.org that one should always use as little abrasives and cleaning solution as possible. So, vacuum all debris from the perforations and cracks in the leather seat first. In most situations, the leather seat can be thoroughly cleaned with just a damp microfiber towel. If stain or heavy dirt removal is required, dilute around 1-2oz of Woolite ORIGINAL into a spray bottle with water. Spray on towel, agitate stain/dirt, and wipe off. Woolite is commonly used for professional detailing in interiors because it is by far the easiest solution to obtain and one of the most gentle on leather surfaces.
I can't stress enough how important it is to remove all debris from the seat. These debris will get into the cracks and stitch seams, obviously acting as heavy abrasives, and over time from regular body movements on the seats (think of how many times the surface compresses and decompresses), these abrasives will rub and eventually break down the coating, which ultimately forms cracks in the leather. Removing stains and body oils is essential also, because they are detrimental to the coating of the leather.
Conditioning:
I would say selecting the ideal conditioner is the hardest. There are too many on the market. The crap you find in auto parts stores are.. Well, crap. They include Armor All, Eagle One, Turtle Wax, even Mothers and Meguiars. Lexol cleaner is practically useless, and the conditioner is oil based. NEVER use oil based conditioners on COATED LEATHER.
What you want is a water based conditioner with protective properties. NOT MINERAL CONDITIONERS RICH IN OILS. The best on the market for protecting coated leather and plastics of all kind is 303 AeroSpace Protectant. Very long lasting UV protectant, no greasy gloss, and no smell. Since it works for coated leather and vinyl, it is best to apply on the entire seat and interior plastic panels. Since our seats are perforated, I also apply water based leather conditioners. I use Poorboy's Leather Stuff and Sonus Leather Conditioner. Both smell amazing, have protective properties, no grease/gloss, and can actually seep into the perforations. So what I do is apply these leather conditioners on the leather surfaces, and 303 on the vinyl and plastics. I use Sonus more since I absolutely love the smell. It smells like Porsche leather for those who are familiar with them. Very unique leather smell.
So, yes it is important to keep the seats cleaned and protected. The conditioning/protection also forms a barrier between the leather/coating surface of the seat and debris to lessen the abrasion from dirt. There are many other suitable water based conditioners for coated leathers. You will have to research on your own. A good place to start is www.autopia.org if you really have the time and effort to care.
If anyone needs help separating the leather and vinyl parts of the seat, let me know. As I said before, it is only the butt and back part, and inner parts of the bolsters. The leather surface is no more than 40% of the front seats.
The amount of leather in the CX-5 is rather insignificant. ONLY the surfaces that actually touch you on the seat is leather. The bolsters are partial leather. The rest are (plastic) leatherette, INCLUDING the headrests. With that said, the little leather is indeed coated as opposed to aniline leathers. It will still do the seats good to keep the (perforated) leather and coating conditioned and mostly importantly, PROTECTED. I will get to that later.
Cleaning:
A rather simple step. Not to toot my own horn, but I've been detailing for the past 9 years, only to stop as a side gig recently. I have learned from experience and on www.autopia.org that one should always use as little abrasives and cleaning solution as possible. So, vacuum all debris from the perforations and cracks in the leather seat first. In most situations, the leather seat can be thoroughly cleaned with just a damp microfiber towel. If stain or heavy dirt removal is required, dilute around 1-2oz of Woolite ORIGINAL into a spray bottle with water. Spray on towel, agitate stain/dirt, and wipe off. Woolite is commonly used for professional detailing in interiors because it is by far the easiest solution to obtain and one of the most gentle on leather surfaces.
I can't stress enough how important it is to remove all debris from the seat. These debris will get into the cracks and stitch seams, obviously acting as heavy abrasives, and over time from regular body movements on the seats (think of how many times the surface compresses and decompresses), these abrasives will rub and eventually break down the coating, which ultimately forms cracks in the leather. Removing stains and body oils is essential also, because they are detrimental to the coating of the leather.
Conditioning:
I would say selecting the ideal conditioner is the hardest. There are too many on the market. The crap you find in auto parts stores are.. Well, crap. They include Armor All, Eagle One, Turtle Wax, even Mothers and Meguiars. Lexol cleaner is practically useless, and the conditioner is oil based. NEVER use oil based conditioners on COATED LEATHER.
What you want is a water based conditioner with protective properties. NOT MINERAL CONDITIONERS RICH IN OILS. The best on the market for protecting coated leather and plastics of all kind is 303 AeroSpace Protectant. Very long lasting UV protectant, no greasy gloss, and no smell. Since it works for coated leather and vinyl, it is best to apply on the entire seat and interior plastic panels. Since our seats are perforated, I also apply water based leather conditioners. I use Poorboy's Leather Stuff and Sonus Leather Conditioner. Both smell amazing, have protective properties, no grease/gloss, and can actually seep into the perforations. So what I do is apply these leather conditioners on the leather surfaces, and 303 on the vinyl and plastics. I use Sonus more since I absolutely love the smell. It smells like Porsche leather for those who are familiar with them. Very unique leather smell.
So, yes it is important to keep the seats cleaned and protected. The conditioning/protection also forms a barrier between the leather/coating surface of the seat and debris to lessen the abrasion from dirt. There are many other suitable water based conditioners for coated leathers. You will have to research on your own. A good place to start is www.autopia.org if you really have the time and effort to care.
If anyone needs help separating the leather and vinyl parts of the seat, let me know. As I said before, it is only the butt and back part, and inner parts of the bolsters. The leather surface is no more than 40% of the front seats.
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Interesting point, I wonder how much can soak in from the sides.
I use this. It smells pretty good too. http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/leather+care+16+ounces.do
SayNoToPistons
Wheels, not rims...
- :
- CX-5 GT AWD w/ Tech, RX-8 GT 6spd w/ 'goodies'
From what I read, Griots L.C. is good water based stuff too. Pinnacle also makes an optimal leather conditioner.
Don't bother applying these (quality) leather conditioners on the vinyl door panels and the side/back/headrest of the seats. Oz per $ is much less than a proper plastic/vinyl protectant like 303 and will protect less than 303. From what I can tell, even the center rear seat is ENTIRELY vinyl which includes the butt and back surface, which is shameful...
Don't bother applying these (quality) leather conditioners on the vinyl door panels and the side/back/headrest of the seats. Oz per $ is much less than a proper plastic/vinyl protectant like 303 and will protect less than 303. From what I can tell, even the center rear seat is ENTIRELY vinyl which includes the butt and back surface, which is shameful...
FWIW we purchased new leather couches a while back and needed to have a person come out and do a minor repair. This guy has his own business specializing in repairing leather furniture. He used a separate cleaner and conditioner that is not available at the consumer level but highly recommended Lexol Cleaner followed by Lexol Conditioner, he said not use any product that claims to be both a cleaner and conditioner. I am pretty certain the couches are coated like the leather in our cars. My last car was a VW with leather and I owned it for 11 years. The seats were in perfect condition when I sold it. I always wiped the seats down with either plain water or a very mild detergent and water followed by Meguiars conditioner. So many products and even more personal preferences.
Beware those new expensive dark denim jeans. She may tell you how great you look in them, and of coarse, nothing makes her butt look so youthful and tight. Every light color seating surface you own will be ruined eventually by these dark blue menaces. I learned the hard way with a previous car, current dining room chairs, bar stools, you get the picture. Consider yourself warned.
There must be some cheap new blue jean dyes hitting the market.
Old school blue jeans did not have a reputation for rubbing off on light colored seating surfaces.
PhoenixINX
Member
- :
- 2013 Mazda CX-5 GT
Old school jeans didn't have the deeper and richer blues you tend to now see available in the designer community.
Jeans nowadays aren't your grandpas Levi's.
SayNoToPistons
Wheels, not rims...
- :
- CX-5 GT AWD w/ Tech, RX-8 GT 6spd w/ 'goodies'
Truth. I have Sand Leather, which is practically an off-white. I wear dark jeans often. I wipe down my seats weekly to keep the dye from embedding into the threads of the stitching and the coating of the leather. At times I wish Mazda did a two tone scheme with the seats. Black bolsters and white centers.
Keeping the leather "conditioned" and protected will also work against jean dye rub off.
SayNoToPistons
Wheels, not rims...
- :
- CX-5 GT AWD w/ Tech, RX-8 GT 6spd w/ 'goodies'
SayNo to Pistons, would you happen to know if the leather seats on the 2014 Mazda 6 are the same as the CX5 in terms of amount of actual leather on the seats ? Also is the Sonus leather conditioner water based, as i thought i read it had oil it it. Thanks
- :
- Mazdaspeed6
Any real leather in the back seat (of the GT's)?
