Sunscreen on leather seats

broomco

Member
I was surprised to see some horrible bluish white staining on the black leather seats of the CX9. Was all over the door panels also. Narrowed it down to kids being freshly sunscreened before heading to the pool. It is all over the place. I have been able to use leather wipes and clean it, but everytime they go it gets stained again. Some was on the silver door trim too, and I haven't been able to get it off.

So, anyone else experience this? Never had this on other cars, but they were gray leather. I was also wondering if it may have something to do with the "special interior protection" crap the dealer put on??

Ideas? Thanks.
 
I never thought sunscreen would stain since i'm sure the companies making the stuff probably figure that people would be driving their cars to the beach and put clothes on over the stuff. It doesn't sound like its sunscreen related to me. You could try armorall cleaning wipes, those things work wonders on interiors. You should probably post pics so that we can get a better idea of the situation.
 
i would not go anywhere near anyones leather interior with armorall wipes.

a great OTC leather cleaner is lexol. can be bought at your local autozone or kragen, is relatively cheap, and cleans great.
 
I don't know why there are so many armorall haters on this forum. Their cleaning wipes work very well on just about any surface. I have had very good luck with getting all types of stuff off leather and what not without damaging anything at all. Just make sure you follow up with a good leather conditioner after cleaning any leather surface.
 
they leave a disgusting sticky messy residue. its extremely high shine and is gross to the eyes and the touch.
 
they leave a disgusting sticky messy residue. its extremely high shine and is gross to the eyes and the touch.

I believe he's talking about the ArmorAll cleaning wipes, not the protectant wipes. Big difference. The cleaning wipes don't leave any residue or shine.

I personally use these.
 
well i assumed that the armor all cleaning wipes were probably a 2 in 1 type of deal that would clean and condition... leaving that gross residue
 
We have the same stains on our black leather interior, definitely due to sunscreen on our arms. It comes off with a wet rag, so I haven't had issues with it yet. However, I would be careful with suncreen on some of the plastic parts, since ingredients in sunscreen can attack certain plastics and eventually crack them over time.
 
So, anyone else experience this? Never had this on other cars, but they were gray leather. I was also wondering if it may have something to do with the "special interior protection" crap the dealer put on??

Ideas? Thanks.

Hate to tell you this, but usually the "special interior protection" that dealers apply to the interior is nothing more than a leather conditioner/scotchguard type of application. The same goes for the "paint sealant" on the outside of the vehicle that they try to make you purchase for a few hundred bucks... nothing more than sealant wax. That's how they (idhitit) you over in the wallet when you buy your vehicle.

They probably use quality stuff, but most applications only last at most, about 3 months or less (depending on how quickly/often the material becomes soiled). Like another member mentioned in a previous post, Lexol leather products are highly regarded in the automotive world; especially by car enthusiasts who enter their rides into car shows.

I purchased a interior-care kit that included 4 different Lexol products. One is a leather wash that really gets the dirt and crud out of the leather crevices (as well as the seams); the second solution is a conditioner/sealant that helps keep the leather soft and resistant to cracking; I haven't used the third product yet, which is Neatsfoot. It's the same type of stuff people apply to leather products when they first condition them (like baseball gloves), and they keep using it to maintain the condition of the leather. I think that the Lexol Neatsfoot spray also acts like a Scotchguard application, where it helps to repel liquids and other "crap." I'll be using Neatsfoot to maintain the leather inbetween washings, because scrubbing the leather is a pain in the @ss. The final Lexol spray that came in the kit was all-in-one dressing that you could apply to vinyl, plastic, metal, etc. It gives a nice satin-like shine, and also makes the piano black plastic trim shine like black chrome when you wipe it off.

I've used Lexol products in my CX-9, and I highly recommend them. Be prepared to pay the price though; it's not the cheap stuff that you'd find at your local autoshop or department store. I purchased my kit here:

http://www.autogeek.net/lexoltotalkit.html

I also recommend getting a big bone-sponge to lather the seats with the leather cleaner, and a leather/vinyl scrub brush to get into the crevices after you've built a thick lather with the sponge. They also sell those items on that website. Save the applicators that come with the kit for applying the other Lexol products.

Hope this little bit of info helps out... good luck.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I used Meguire's leather wipes, and it came out, but took quite a bit of work. I may have to try the Lexol. I can tell you that a wet cloth did not remove the stains...
 
if you guys are looking for a high end leather cleaner that works wonders check out leatherique.
its a bit pricey, but the stuff is amazing. it makes the leather feel better than new, and it makes the car smell amazing to boot. it brings out the natural leather smell.
 
I've had these bluish sunscreen smudges on my black leather, too - seats and door panels. I used a Woolite/water mix in a spray bottle. Came right out, no problems. I dilute the water-to-Woolite in a 6:1 mix, in a sprayer bottle from Walmart. Good luck.
 
cloth seats......mmmmm love them

I think by now everyone knows you love anything stock, and are a hater of anything mechanical, electrical, and fully automated. If they had a crank engine model you'd be the 1st in line to buy it. (spin)

Sorry, but leather looks better, smells better, & feels better on my bony ass. They dont absorb left-over odors from the food forgotten in the car from the night before. =)

I have 2 kids, but they are still in convertible car seats so I havent seen this issue yet. I have experienced the new black leather look on my leather seats due to my sons constantly rubbing their dirty shoes on the back of my seat. Easy to clean...no biggy.
 
I think by now everyone knows you love anything stock, and are a hater of anything mechanical, electrical, and fully automated. If they had a crank engine model you'd be the 1st in line to buy it. (spin)

Sorry, but leather looks better, smells better, & feels better on my bony ass. They dont absorb left-over odors from the food forgotten in the car from the night before. =)

I have 2 kids, but they are still in convertible car seats so I havent seen this issue yet. I have experienced the new black leather look on my leather seats due to my sons constantly rubbing their dirty shoes on the back of my seat. Easy to clean...no biggy.

I've also noticed that the leather created a lot less dust inside the car during use.
 
I think by now everyone knows you love anything stock, and are a hater of anything mechanical, electrical, and fully automated. If they had a crank engine model you'd be the 1st in line to buy it. (spin)

Sorry, but leather looks better, smells better, & feels better on my bony ass. They dont absorb left-over odors from the food forgotten in the car from the night before. =)

I have 2 kids, but they are still in convertible car seats so I havent seen this issue yet. I have experienced the new black leather look on my leather seats due to my sons constantly rubbing their dirty shoes on the back of my seat. Easy to clean...no biggy.

No, just don't need to spend more so I can brag that I spent more for crap I don't want or need. All I said was how I love the cloth seats, and you HAD to be a prick and attack me unprovoked. Nice
 
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