Leather Cleaning And Protection.

[wh05apk]

My Is300h has lovely ivory leather which is what sold it to me, I hate dark depressing interiors, but the downside is that it gets grubby quite easily, so far I have just wiped over with a damp cloth which has worked well, but what can I use to clean and keep it soft, I have looked on detailing world, but few if any lexus specific recommendations, generally bmw/Mercedes with their elephant hide type leather as opposed to our lovely soft leather.

[Spacewagon52]

I use Autoglym leather cleaner followed by the leather cream.

[chris_fletcher]

Gliptone products are very good for cleaning and restoring leather http://www.liquidleather.com/

[rayaans]

OK listen carefully -

Ivory seats get grubby but you won't know how bad they actually are until you clean them with some strong stuff. Get yourself the dodo juice leather kit or Dr Leather Advanced Cleaner - they've beaten everything in the comparisons I have done. Their performance is the same but sometimes dodo juice is hard to get hold of but is better value for money.

Now - you can clean the leather and just leave it - modern leather has a protective coating on top which doesnt need conditioning - a conditioner will make the seat softer but will attract more dirt. You want a sealant - like the one in Dodo Juice leather kit which protects the leather, not conditions it.

Gliptone is only good for periodic cleaning ie every 3 months or so. Dodo juice can do this too but you can leave it atleast 6 months before doing it again as they wont get as dirty or will wipe off with a damp cloth due to the sealant

[wh05apk]

Thanks Rayaan,

I had been looking into this, but not sure about the protective coating, my understanding is that with a protective coating then most treatments tend to leave a shiny finish, the dodo one seems to give a matt finish which is better, a sealant will then hopefully keep it cleaner for longer.

[rayaans]

Thanks Rayaan,

I had been looking into this, but not sure about the protective coating, my understanding is that with a protective coating then most treatments tend to leave a shiny finish, the dodo one seems to give a matt finish which is better, a sealant will then hopefully keep it cleaner for longer.

Treatments shouldn't leave a shiny finish at all. However, having said that, valeters at dealers use a sort of dash/leather/all surfaces kind of product so they don't have to keep different products for everything. The problem with these is that it has silicone in it so leaves a shiny and slippery surface on the leather as well as attracting dirt.

Dodo Juice leaves a matt look and their sealant is not overly slippy unlike the stuff valeters use. Im sure you won't be disappointed with it - I think Autoexpress have also rated Dodo Juice leather cleaner their no1 recently, its definitely a great product and as good as Dr Leather. Its much cheaper which I why I bought it.

And yes, the sealant will keep it looking cleaner and a periodic wipedown with a damp cloth will be all thats needed until it wears off

[Spacewagon52]

You have sold it to me! Thanks!

[wh05apk]

...and me.

[chris_fletcher]

This is worth a read

http://southern6er22.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/caring-for-cattle.html

[rayaans]

This is worth a read

http://southern6er22.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/caring-for-cattle.html

few bits and bobs in there which are incorrect. A conditioner does soften leather, however, on a BMW 650i would not benefit from the conditioner. The reason for this is because modern leather is sealed with a coating. Therefore, a conditioner isn't going to penetrate the leather at all, instead sitting on the top of the coating and attracting dirt.

Leather conditioners were originally designed to be used for classic cars, those with no coating. However, having said that, I do have some Gliptone Conditioner and I think its a bit odd as it leaves protection behind, causing water to bead up on the surface.

However, in terms of cleaning power, Dodo Juice is unbeaten as long as its used correctly ie:

1) Warm damp cloth to open leather pores

2) Spray dodo juice leather cleaner on the leather and use a soft bristle brush (natural, not nylon as it damages coatings) to agitate,

3) Use a microfiber to remove

eBay has a Dodo Juice Kit on for £23.99 with free p&p.

[Deadloak]

So is it why modern leather doesn't smell leathery, due to the sealent? The interiors just seem to smell cardboardy now.

David.

[Spacewagon52]

I find the Lexus LS 400 has a very distinctive smell - the MKIV smells the same as my old MKIII.

[rayaans]

So is it why modern leather doesn't smell leathery, due to the sealent? The interiors just seem to smell cardboardy now.

David.

It honestly depends on the leather used. Most are using artificial leather, for example Mercedes Artico. BMW tend to use real leather (dakota) but its not very high quality, its hard and quite rough. Having said that, the nappa leather is very good.

Cheaper leather tends not to have a nice smell, high end cars will always have a nice leather smell due to the leather. However, most of the new car smell comes from adhesives and sealers which release scents into the air. They were thought to be a health risk so I think that may have caused them to crack down on it.

[Spacewagon52]

If you could "bottle" that new smell for older cars there is a fortune to be made out there! The best odour I have used is Autoglym car freshener, though it does not last that long.

[rayaans]

If you could "bottle" that new smell for older cars there is a fortune to be made out there! The best odour I have used is Autoglym car freshener, though it does not last that long.

Already been done buddy - chemical guys new car smell! :D

[Spacewagon52]

Did not know that! I have actually learned a great deal from reading this forum as I am not an expert in car mechanics. It is surprising the expertise on hand for Lexus owners here - 5 star rating IMHO!

[rayaans]

Did not know that! I have actually learned a great deal from reading this forum as I am not an expert in car mechanics. It is surprising the expertise on hand for Lexus owners here - 5 star rating IMHO!

Its not very good though, lasts about 2 weeks. However, if you want a nice smell that lasts a while, try some Autosmart Blast.

It should come with a warning label - squirt only once in your car otherwise it'll put you to sleep! Its really THAT strong