New Car Leather Care

[galaxy]

So I just picked up a '16 Ford Focus ST with the leather Recaro seats and have to say I'm quite impressed. However, I have concerns. On any other car I've ever owned or worked on with leather, the coating or sealant from new on the material was very apparent. Not so much on this car (seats nor the steering wheel). Very very soft, matte finish. When cleaning, the product appears to soak in a bit (for lack of a better description) vs wiping off/across the surface on leather that's coated. It would appear these seats nor the steering wheel are costed and/or sealed. Seems unlikely in a new car, but that's how it seems. Anyone else messed around with one of these that can confirm similar results?

 

Anyways, doing some homework on a bunch of forums pretty much unanimously revealed a recommendation to stay clear of conditioners on coated or sealed materialis as they sit on top and don't do much besides provide a substance for dirt and aggressive particles to stick to, which is the biggest enemy of leather surfaces anyways.

 

The only thing that's has touched my car is Adam's leather cleaner (no conditioner use yet). My top, #1 priority is maintaining that matte finish as long as possible. I want to avoid that shiney polished look you see on surfaces and especially steering wheels. We all know abrasives is what actually polishes something with a matte finish and makes it shiney.. Heck, after only 3,000 miles, I'm already starting to slightly get a polished spot on the outside bottom of the drivers seat from getting in and out...another indicator that's makes me think these surfaces aren't coated.

 

So I guess my questions are these...since I'm bordrline paranoid about keeping it super clean, is the leather cleaner that safe to use full strength all the time (e.g. Weekly), or more intended to clean less occasionally? Should I dilute? And then what's the recommendation on the conditioner if the research is true about staying away from them on coated surfaces? And then anything else generic you guys want to share?

 

Sorry for the novel...

[LFairbanks]

I wouldn't use the leather cleaner full strength weekly.  Use the Total Interior Detailer.  As far as coated surfaces, I would still use the conditioner.  It is just going to take longer to soak in.  

[Rich]

It's brand new!  Why are you cleaning the seats already?  I mean, unless you have kids or are eating in your car and spilling stuff you really shouldn't need anything more than the Leather Conditioner which is what I recommend.  It has mild cleaners in it, plus it has great SPF for sun protection.  It will keep your seats soft and protected.  And you can use it on your dash, doors, shift boot and steering wheel.  

The Leather Cleaner is strong stuff and I never recommend using it without following up with the conditioner immediately after.  And full strength is overkill on a new car.  

Get the conditioner and stick with that for now and save the cleaner for heavy duty cleaning. 

[dancingdan42]

It's brand new!  Why are you cleaning the seats already?  I mean, unless you have kids or are eating in your car and spilling stuff you really shouldn't need anything more than the Leather Conditioner which is what I recommend.  It has mild cleaners in it, plus it has great SPF for sun protection.  It will keep your seats soft and protected.  And you can use it on your dash, doors, shift boot and steering wheel.  

The Leather Cleaner is strong stuff and I never recommend using it without following up with the conditioner immediately after.  And full strength is overkill on a new car.  

Get the conditioner and stick with that for now and save the cleaner for heavy duty cleaning. 

 

iRch,

 

Thank you so much for this post. I also just bought a brand new vehicle with leather interior.  I also just bought the leather interior cleaning kit (conditioner and cleaner).  I was going to hit it this weekend with both, just cuz I feel better cleaning everything since other people had test driven it and such.  But now I'm comfortable just using the conditioner, thanks for keeping us newbies in check.

[TheWolf]

The information that you found in your research on caring for leather, about not using conditioners on coated leather, is misleading and mostly incorrect.

 

The advice and reasons you found for not using conditioners on coated leather are likely from years and years ago, and just keep getting repeated on the internet.  This advice and reasoning was most likely from when coated leathers starting coming into the market, and people were still using old-style conditioners that were made for natural leather, like Bag Balm.  Current products like Adam's Leather Conditioner are designed for use on coated leathers.  As a result, they do not just dry on the surface and collect dirt.

 

In addition, that statement that coated leathers do not need protection from a conditioner is not true.  This is no different than saying that modern paints with clear coats do not need protection from sealants/waxes.  Occasionally, on other forums, people will still post this misinformation, which has its roots in the period when single-stage paints were replaced with two-stage paints that had clear coats. 

 

Adam's Leather Conditioner has SPF 65 to provide protection against UV damage, and will keep coated leather from drying out and cracking.  It also makes it easier to keep the leather clean, since dirt and spills do not soak into the leather like they would if it is untreated.  Which brings up the point that coated leather is not impervious, as spills and even the conditioner soak into it.

 

I will also repeat what Rich said, there is no reason to use Leather & Interior Cleaner weekly.  It is a strong cleaner and should only be used for removing dirt or stains that do not come out with a wipe from a damp towel, or with Leather Conditioner or Interior Detailer.

 

For your seats, I would try using Leather Conditioner on the driver's seat and see how it looks for you.  While it will look shiny when applied, it will dry to a more matte finish.  Check out this post for pics:

 

http://www.adamsforums.com/topic/27009-adamized-the-raptor/?p=441067

[galaxy]

Thanks guys for the info. Why I asked in here in the first place! Like I said, I've been cleaning already mostly out of paranoia. However, the cleaning I've done is just spot touch ups and not a full scrub down of the entire surface. I really want to prevent that shiney appearance as long as physically possible. I'll throttle back on the cleaning. Maybe make a well diluted bottle for the light touch up jobs.

 

Now the next debate would be holding off on using the conditioner until after the new car smell subsides a bit, lol...but the conditioner does smell great.

Edited December 4, 2016 by galaxy

[Rich]

Get the Leather Conditioner and use it.  No worries about losing the new car smell. It smells just like brand new leather.  But you want to get that fabric treated.  The cleaner is drying your leather. You want to keep it soft.  

[galaxy]

I did it, I did it.  A few minutes of bright sunlight and 55 degree weather yesterday.  Made my seats look very rich and dressed.  No streaks or glossiness at all.  Absolutely love it.  And I will also say with all the debate about coated/sealed leather out there, this interior (seats and steering wheel) did not act like it's coated or sealed.  The conditioner soaked in rather well and required very little buffing to knock it down afterwards.  

 

had an '02 Lexus IS (my previous last car with quality leather) that totally did not act this way.  Any conditioner appeared to "sit on the surface" and buffing down to remove that was mandatory.  

 

I adore the smell of this stuff, but adore the new car smell more.  So, I left the doors open all night just to let it air out, lol.  The two aromas go well together I think.  Thanks for pushing me Rich to take the plunge.

[DREWBUSH]

Just because it looks like leather and they sell it as leather, its not. A lot of manufacturers use  a "leatherette" material. Was pretty heavy in the late 90s and early 2000s. I had a '99 Mercedes and it was leatherette. If I used any type of conditioner, it didnt absorb very well, had a long set time, then was a pain to rub off the excess. The seats would have a slick feeling to them. Sometimes these types of materials are coated and resist fluids from absorbing into them. 

[galaxy]

Just because it looks like leather and they sell it as leather, its not. A lot of manufacturers use  a "leatherette" material. Was pretty heavy in the late 90s and early 2000s. I had a '99 Mercedes and it was leatherette. If I used any type of conditioner, it didnt absorb very well, had a long set time, then was a pain to rub off the excess. The seats would have a slick feeling to them. Sometimes these types of materials are coated and resist fluids from absorbing into them. 

 

Yea, I am aware of that, but my interior displayed zero of the characteristics you just described. 

[Rich]

I did it, I did it.  A few minutes of bright sunlight and 55 degree weather yesterday.  Made my seats look very rich and dressed.  No streaks or glossiness at all.  Absolutely love it.  And I will also say with all the debate about coated/sealed leather out there, this interior (seats and steering wheel) did not act like it's coated or sealed.  The conditioner soaked in rather well and required very little buffing to knock it down afterwards.  

 

had an '02 Lexus IS (my previous last car with quality leather) that totally did not act this way.  Any conditioner appeared to "sit on the surface" and buffing down to remove that was mandatory.  

 

I adore the smell of this stuff, but adore the new car smell more.  So, I left the doors open all night just to let it air out, lol.  The two aromas go well together I think.  Thanks for pushing me Rich to take the plunge.

That's great.  Now, if  you notice any streaking or unevenness, just give it another treatment. Sometimes different areas are drier than others and will absorb the product more and will look "streaky".  Another application, sometimes 2, and it will all be evened out.   

And you're welcome. 

[mhsmith0109]

Great info. Will have to get some my new car.