# Help leather recaro seat stain/wear



## Reece_ (Nov 12, 2014)

Hey,

Few issues with my new to me second hand seats.

Does this look like worn leather or is it a bad stain?



















I have bought some dr leather wipes to try and they don't seem to be picking up any dirt at all anywhere on the seat. Surely the leather can not be that clean.

Could it be the seats need a good clean with a brush (agitate not scrub) and some diluted apc before the wipes?

There is also a spot where the leather has worn off










Can anything be done about this?

Any help is really appreciated :thumb:
Thank you every oneeee


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## REVERSiN (Sep 28, 2015)

i have these in my black leather seats too, it the head rest getting body oils get an APC and agetate it.


two passes should do it if it remains then its the clear on the leather that is worn, so better give them a treatment of conditioner. personaly i dilute PERL and use on the seats its fine.


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

Now I seen this before, it could be hair products like hair spray or some sort of hair gel, try some APC and a nail brush give that ago or a light solution of Meguaires degreaser and do the same.


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## camerashy (Feb 9, 2014)

Ask Judy at LTT would be my advice


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

This certailnly looks like grease or head oils - we rarely see this on auto leather
To remove degrease with leather degreaser and then assess to see whether the leather needs refinishing
The scuffed areas can easily be fixed with a leather repair pen 
Hope this helps
Cheers
Judyb


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## James_R (Jun 28, 2007)

^^^

I bought a leather touch up kit form Judyb @ LTT for the black leather on my MINI, and it looked just like your picture

Came up a treat, probably about a year ago now and has held up to the daily grind very well.


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## Reece_ (Nov 12, 2014)

Hey everyone bit of an update. 

I have tried using some diluted auto finesse verso and agitated with a PB cleaing brush but that does not have seem to have done anything. (maybe not a strong enough ratio?)

I have also tried a little bit of Autoglym interior shampoo cleaner (no luck)

During the cleaning process the area seems to turn a little bit white/purple when damp or when there is product on there if this makes sense.Could this be an indication of worn coating etc?

Could I try using some fairy washing up liquid as a degreaser or is that too aggressive?

@judyb is the LTT autofoam a leather degreaser , would it be worth a try? Finally would the leather bolster dabber in black(Matt) be the correct repair kit/pen to get.

Thank you everyone for the advice really appreciate it  :thumb: :thumb:


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

If this is grease that has penetrated the leather it needs to be extracted which cannot be done with 'cleaning' products
The degreaser you need is Leather Degreaser which is an easy to use spray on product that draws the grease out of the leather - happy to supply it if you contact me

The whiteness could be caused by the grease and may be because the fats in the original leather have become unstable due to the extra grease in there.
Once degreased you will be able to assess whether there is more damage but this cannot be done until after the grease has been extracted

The repair pen will be fine for the damaged area
Hope this helps
Judyb


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## Reece_ (Nov 12, 2014)

Hey, bit of an late update on this.

Managed to try out some leather masters degreaser spray (tiny 75ml aerosol but plenty to have a go with)

Applied it over the desired area, and let it sit for a good amount of time. I also repeated the process a fair amount of times but there was no change.

But the past couple of days the car has been parked differently and in boiling direct sunlight and this has happened










Could be nothing but there seems to be some sort of reaction to the heat if that makes sense.

Looks a right mess 

Please help :lol: :lol:

But thanks everyone  :thumb:


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

Reece_ said:


> Hey, bit of an late update on this.
> 
> Managed to try out some leather masters degreaser spray (tiny 75ml aerosol but plenty to have a go with)
> 
> ...


Now this might be a long shot, but it has worked for me removing pen ink from my red leather sofa, Hairspray! Just get a MF towel fold it up so its like a little ping pong ball shape and spray the hairspray on it, and just do a little test spot, just very light pressure and dab, rub, at it and see if that has worked.:thumb:


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

Please do not add hairspray to the mix!! Whilst it very occasionally works on ink without doing any damage it will only add to the problem

What happened when you applied the degreaser - did they fully talk you through the process before selling you the product. 

Cheers
Judyb


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

judyb said:


> Please do not add hairspray to the mix!! Whilst it very occasionally works on ink without doing any damage it will only add to the problem
> 
> What happened when you applied the degreaser - did they fully talk you through the process before selling you the product.
> 
> ...


Hi:wave: why would it add to the problem it works all the time for me and I have used it on marks on my car leather, if nothing else works then what's wrong with trying something else than just a cleaning product for leather. If he just does a tiny little bit and see what the outcome brings.


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

We are dealing with grease and body oils here not simply marks on the surface coatings.
Hairspray and other hair products are often the cause of this problem in the first place - they also often contain silicones which are not good for leather coatings
It's not a case of nothing else working it's a case of using the correct products and processes to resolve the problem 
Hope this helps
Judyb


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

judyb said:


> We are dealing with grease and body oils here not simply marks on the surface coatings.
> Hairspray and other hair products are often the cause of this problem in the first place - they also often contain silicones which are not good for leather coatings
> It's not a case of nothing else working it's a case of using the correct products and processes to resolve the problem
> Hope this helps
> Judyb


So you call black ink a simple mark then so let's just say then that everyone who drives a car with leather seats in is causing damage to their leather coating, because let's face it everyone uses hair products anyway:wall:
He has gone down the route and used the right products anyway with no luck, so what's the harm in trying something different. The problem is the protection that the seat has on it which is causing this not body oils.


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## ianrobbo1 (Feb 13, 2007)

Looks like a target, so I'd be careful!!:lol: 

sorry bad joke, 

I've used Judy's products before, and have taken her advice "she does this leather stuff for a living" and I'm sure if she suggested to me it's possibly a bad thing to do something I certainly wouldn't ignore her advice "she's not gaining from it" 
and the ONLY "hair products" I use are a comb!! so not everyone uses them!!


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

The funny thing is that he has used LTT degreaser and still no outcome, so I don't know why it's such a big problem, just give ago and see. Ok then maybe not all people use hair products.


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

He hasn't used our degreaser that's why I asked what process he used and if he had been talked through it before he bought the product. 
I am simply trying to help him resolve the problem 
Cheers
Judyb


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## Reece_ (Nov 12, 2014)

Sooo update + thanks for your input/advice everyone 

I did try a tiny amount of hair spray and it did seem to go a bit funky but I dont think I used/left it long enough to do anything. So I wiped it off and it looks like theres no change. Is it the alcohol in hairspray which helps or is it really bad for leather? I have some ipa I could dilute and try? or is this a really bad idea :lol:

Anyway I repeated the degrease process today so I could get a picture of what it looks like.










Process I done was:
Made a paper template cut out
Gave the can a good shake
Using the template sprayed the degreaser with a bit of distance back and fourth until completely covered.
The area then turns into a white powder.

I have done this process a few times leaving it for a good amount of time (up to 6 hours etc) and then cleaned the area with dr leather wipes and a microfiber but there is never any change.

The picture doesn't show it correctly (not on mine anyway) but if you can see one of the ring areas does go a really thick white colour like its reacting with something unlike the rest of the area. Although this is strange because in the previous picture there looks like two problematic areas?

Cheers :thumb:


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

Jesus that looks worse, what degreaser did you use?


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## great gonzo (Nov 4, 2010)

That looks a right state, I'm guessing that's the product reacting with the stain?

Gonz.


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

This is exactly as I would expect it to look.
What you can see is the area where there is no grease (this is where the powder has turned white) the area in the middle is where the grease is and this has not turned white because of the grease in the leather. There does seem to be quite a lot. The process us correct but I wonder whether you are applying enough degreaser or whether it is strong enough - I would not expect a 75ml can to last more than 2 goes. 
The degreaser has to be applied very liberally so that the grease has somewhere to move to when it is extracted
The more grease present the longer it will take but I ended whether the degreaser you gave is strong enough.
Cheers
Judyb


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## Reece_ (Nov 12, 2014)

judyb said:


> This is exactly as I would expect it to look.
> What you can see is the area where there is no grease (this is where the powder has turned white) the area in the middle is where the grease is and this has not turned white because of the grease in the leather. There does seem to be quite a lot. The process us correct but I wonder whether you are applying enough degreaser or whether it is strong enough - I would not expect a 75ml can to last more than 2 goes.
> The degreaser has to be applied very liberally so that the grease has somewhere to move to when it is extracted
> The more grease present the longer it will take but I ended whether the degreaser you gave is strong enough.
> ...


So maybe I am not using enough product? I only spray maybe three to four strokes per application and the powder instantly turns white, but this time:

Here is the stain now after a wipe down










This time I have applied a bit more, maybe too much but a generous amount (emptied the can) :lol: :lol:










It actually stayed like a gel for about five minutes before turning to powder again.










Could I have used too much this time or shall I leave it now and overnight and see how it looks tomorrow?

Thanks you  :thumb:


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

If there is still grease in there it should not turn white quickly. You can't really use too much - the crackling effect means it is drawing grease out - can you see grease in your sponge when you wash it off?
Cheers
Judyb


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## Reece_ (Nov 12, 2014)

Just to add whether its of any help the area in the middle does have a different texture unlike the rubbery feel the rest of the leather has.

Oh and the product is called Leather Masters degreaser here is some info 
http://www.autogeek.net/leather-master-aerosol-leather-degreaser.html

The powder is messy but wipes of easily enough

:thumb:


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## Reece_ (Nov 12, 2014)

judyb said:


> If there is still grease in there it should not turn white quickly. You can't really use too much - the crackling effect means it is drawing grease out - can you see grease in your sponge when you wash it off?
> Cheers
> Judyb


Oh so the crackling means it is working or is it over application?

I have only being removing the powder with dr leather wipes and or a clean microfiber cloth, should I try some warm water next time

Thank you


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

You cannot over apply the product. 
I know the LM prducts as we used to run their technical department 
Degreaser should be removed by a damp sponge with warm water (we have found it the best way to get ready of the powder as it dies get everywhere)
Cheers
Judyb


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## Reece_ (Nov 12, 2014)

judyb said:


> You cannot over apply the product.
> I know the LM prducts as we used to run their technical department
> Degreaser should be removed by a damp sponge with warm water (we have found it the best way to get ready of the powder as it dies get everywhere)
> Cheers
> Judyb


Awesome so I guess just leave it now and overnight to give it plenty of time to work ?

Shall use water next time it is well messy :lol:

Thank you


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## Reece_ (Nov 12, 2014)

Hey,

So I cleaned the degreaser off today and no luck, it still looks the same.










The only difference I have noticed but it is quite difficult to tell in the picture, is in the middle towards the bottom the colour has gone a bit darker.

I think the water behaviour is also a bit different on the stain compared to around it almost like it repels the water a bit like wax.

I hope it is just a stain and not a retrim job, oh what to doo :lol:

Thanks


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## Kai96 (Nov 13, 2015)

I'd recommend raceglaze leather cleaner, my steering wheel was so shiny and I'd tried a few other products. One use of the leather cleaner removed all the contaminants leaving it with a matt finish. Worked really well


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

Was there any evidence of grease when you cleaned off the degreaser?
Did the powder all turn to white or was it yellowy?
There are 2 possibilities
There is a lot of grease in there and too much for the degreaser to cope with
The grease has been removed and the area now needs to be restored
Hope this helps
Judyb
P.S. From the photos it actually looks a lot better 
Surface cleaning is not going to resolve this issue


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

To me it doesn't look better, the texture of your leather in the circle, looks like it has blistered and doesn't match the rest, I would just leave it if I was you.


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## Reece_ (Nov 12, 2014)

judyb said:


> Was there any evidence of grease when you cleaned off the degreaser?
> Did the powder all turn to white or was it yellowy?
> There are 2 possibilities
> There is a lot of grease in there and too much for the degreaser to cope with
> ...


Hey,

Nope no grease on the sponge when I removed it.

Powder was just plain white - it does say its meant to turn yellow when it picks up grease but it never has.

Do you reckon this is something I could restore?

Just to note there are a few shiny patches on the seat which turn blue when water hits them until it drys out... not sure if this has any link with the stain

Thank you :thumb:


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## Dr Leather (Sep 8, 2010)

It doesn't look like grease to me. It just looks like a damaged area of the finish (coating) on the leather that is now permanent, unless it is sanded off and repaired professionally. Degreasant left on overnight probably isn't a good idea and rather naive. Even if you did extract some of whatever has caused the issue, you'll still see a 'perimeter' around the affected area.

As for the 'blue' marks, that is typically because the finish is absorbing water, which it shouldn't, giving a milky-midnight look to the affected area. Are these seats genuine, or are they re-finished at some point in their life. It seems as though the coating is not doing its job properly.


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

The degreaser will not have done any damage and all it has proved is that there was either no grease in the leather or it has removed whatever was in there

The leather needs to be recoloured and restored now back to its original colour and finish

Hope this helps
Cheers
Judyb


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## Reece_ (Nov 12, 2014)

Hey,

So like the ring needs recolouring and then the majority of the area topcoat/ recoating. 

Are there any kits available for this sort of repair or is it best left to the professionals. 

Unless its alot harder than it sounds :lol: :lol:

Is it the final coat which gives the leather that fed/rubbery feel?

Thank you


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

We can supply what is needed if you want to have a go yourself
Hope this helps
Judyb


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## Dr Leather (Sep 8, 2010)

We've always found the refinish systems of Furniture Clinic to be the best out there at present.

Rgds

Dr Leather


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## Reece_ (Nov 12, 2014)

Hey,

Been to a few upholstery/ re-trimmer places etc for some advice.

Furniture clinic - Turns out my seats are actually vinyl and not real leather 
So couldn't offer me anything as their repair kits are for leather only 
But they thought it maybe hair gel/ grease etc...

Another place had no idea and wanted to rub silicon spray to blend it in

Final place reckons it could be some sort of heat damage caused maybe by a hair dryer etc

Any last advice before I get it booked in for a retrim??

Thank you :thumb:


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## Dr Leather (Sep 8, 2010)

Reece_ said:


> Hey,
> 
> Been to a few upholstery/ re-trimmer places etc for some advice.
> 
> ...


Now makes more sense if it is synthetic/vinyl.... Save yourself the hassle and just retrim it !!


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## Daytona675 (Apr 13, 2016)

After all the advice Judyb has given, why don't you give some of their products a go rather than taking her advice and then going elsewhere? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

You should have stuck to my advice and you would of been sorted, now being vinyl you've damage the texture. Hope you get it sorted soon.


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