# About the leather scent in cleaners



## Mastiz (Nov 5, 2010)

I'm wondering about the different leather cleaners, especially the one from Autoglym. I've tried a few products based on user feedback, and usually they have been a dissapointment. Not in the sence that they wouldn't do the cleaning well, but the scent is usually not that good - or at least not for my taste. 

I don't feel like spending another 10€ on a leather cleaner without getting a little background info. 

Could you please give me some advice on how the Autoglym leather cleaner smells compared to for example Gliptone (which I think works really well, but smells terrible IMHO, not like new leather, but like old hockey gloves from the 1950's.). 

Thanks!


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## Naddy37 (Oct 27, 2005)

Have you tried the Autoglym Leather Balm with their cleaner?


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## Mastiz (Nov 5, 2010)

No, I haven't, and for the same reason - i don't know what the scent is like. Do you think it would be something worth trying, considering what I'm looking for?


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## iPlod999 (Jun 23, 2012)

Gliptone. Smells like lovely new leather.


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## mirra_finish (Nov 14, 2011)

I hear what you're saying about gliptone.

But.... it's strange. The first time I used it I almost couldn't get into the car for the strength of the leather smell, but after subsequent uses, it's not at all too strong. Is it me, or has anyone else found this too???

Sorry, I didn't answer the first question. I have the Autoglym product and it seems to work fine. I bought the Gliptone from good responses on this forum.


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## Junior Bear (Sep 2, 2008)

I think gliptone is lovely


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

Why not use a neutral smelling cleaner which ensures that it spdoesnt contain any oils and then use Leather Aroma which you can use as often as you like on the interiors as you would an air freshener - guaranteed to smell like new leather.


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## bero1306 (Jan 24, 2011)

Simply Gliptone or Zaino for smell.

Ive used the LTT Aroma but you need too much to get a decent smell. (not cost effective)


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## Naddy37 (Oct 27, 2005)

Mastiz said:


> No, I haven't, and for the same reason - i don't know what the scent is like. Do you think it would be something worth trying, considering what I'm looking for?


I use the cleaner in conjunction with the balm, smells great.....:thumb:

Smell seems to last in my car, but then I do use it several times a week.


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## pxr5 (Feb 13, 2012)

I've not used Gliptone but the AG leather care balm is awful in my opinion. It seems to work OK but the smell is horrible, very unlike a leather smell, and it took a while for it to disperse from my car and I'll not be using it again. I like AG products on the whole, but not the leather balm.


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## gti fly (May 19, 2011)

Gliptone can smell like puke in my experience. I've used it a few times in my car, and omg at first I thought it smelt like leather and puke, but now I just think it smells of puke. 

Personally I wish they'd do one that was unscented


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## DD1 (Apr 25, 2011)

The answer is

Gliptone Leather Under Seat Air Freshener :thumb:

_sorry just re-read your 1st post Gliptone scent not for you _


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

I use Zaino Z10 leather in a bottle just for smell. It's non-greasy, non-shiny too, which is a good thing.


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## traplin (Feb 22, 2012)

Absolutley love the ag cleaner smell. To me it the best leather smell. Hate the zaino z10 smell. Never tried gliptone conditioner


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## Mastiz (Nov 5, 2010)

OP here. Thank you all for your replys so far!

I guess that scent is something very subjective, and it's really hard to find something that would please all. 

I've read on different forums, and it seems that most products; Gliptone, LTT, Autoglym an so on DO smell like leather, just not the NEW leather smell in Mercedes, BMW or Volvo for example. I have yet to find a product that will do that.


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## Mastiz (Nov 5, 2010)

Any thoughts on Chemical Guys Leather Scent? Some people seem to like it a lot.


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## steveturbocal (Apr 18, 2009)

For me it has to be gliptone, granted in the bottle the smell is not to nice but once youve cleaned and than conditioned them the smell in my opion seems to change and is really nice.

The other one ive used and got good feedback for was Autobrite's own leathr cleaner and conditioner


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## Guest (Aug 29, 2012)

The only one for me is the Gliptone, smells like the real leather, and does exactly as directed on the bottle :thumb:


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## Dr Leather (Sep 8, 2010)

The interesting thing here is that real leather smell actually was created in the old days through a veg tanning system and natural fats/oils used in the retanning process. In our leather cleaning product, which has a leather aroma added to it, we scanned many, many different fragrances to get back to the original traditional smell before making a final choice. so much so that we blindfold tested it on 12 of our retired leather colleagues to get the smell just right - and all 12 ex-leather technicians who were involved in the test agreed.

Cheers

Dr Leather


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## Mastiz (Nov 5, 2010)

Dr Leather: would you say that your product has the scent of "traditional, old" leather or modern, like in for example a new Volvo? 

I have heard about the origin of the scent as you state it, and I've also heard that different car manufacturers have some sort of "process" added to their manufacturing process to create a scent unique to a specific make.


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## Tips (Mar 27, 2011)

The Dr Leather aroma is more akin to a clean fresh modern leather smell and the Gliptone Conditioner is like an old traditional musty smell.

I like 'em both


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## Mastiz (Nov 5, 2010)

I guess I'll give Dr Leather a try then, as it could be what I'm looking for.

Thanks!


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## 7MAT (Apr 14, 2006)

Mastiz said:


> I guess I'll give Dr Leather a try then, as it could be what I'm looking for.
> 
> Thanks!


Another option would be Britemax Leather Max which has a great leather scent.

We have a few bottles on special offer (£5.95 for 16oz) - if interested take a look in our specials section.

Matt


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## Mastiz (Nov 5, 2010)

Matt: that's a conditioner, right? I've been told to stay away from conditioners and just use a mild cleaner. 

With that said, if something would smell just right, I might consider using it on a piece of cloth under the seats just to get the scent 

Any experiences from users who have tried it?


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## Mastiz (Nov 5, 2010)

Oh, and mirra_finish: the Autoglym cleaner works for you, but how do you consider the scent?


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## Junior Bear (Sep 2, 2008)

Mastiz said:


> Matt: that's a conditioner, right? I've been told to stay away from conditioners and just use a mild cleaner.
> 
> With that said, if something would smell just right, I might consider using it on a piece of cloth under the seats just to get the scent
> 
> Any experiences from users who have tried it?


Gliptone sell pouches that you can stick under you seat


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## Tips (Mar 27, 2011)

Junior Bear said:


> Gliptone sell pouches that you can stick under you seat


^^ This

I've got one installed under the drivers seat.


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## Dr Leather (Sep 8, 2010)

Mastiz said:


> Dr Leather: would you say that your product has the scent of "traditional, old" leather or modern, like in for example a new Volvo?
> 
> I have heard about the origin of the scent as you state it, and I've also heard that different car manufacturers have some sort of "process" added to their manufacturing process to create a scent unique to a specific make.


Yes - as noted we chose the fragrance on the 'old' style leathers from years ago. The retired technicians who confirmed the scent were from the old corps, those who could taste the veg tan liquor and tell you the strength of the tannin content in it!!!!

Some manufacturers talk about adding scents in the retannage, but that's confidential to their processing I'm afraid.

Thanks,

Dr Leather


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## tzotzo (Nov 15, 2009)

-Raven- said:


> I use Zaino Z10 leather in a bottle just for smell. It's non-greasy, non-shiny too, which is a good thing.


My thoughts too. Excellent dressing.



Mastiz said:


> Any thoughts on Chemical Guys Leather Scent? Some people seem to like it a lot.


in my opinion it just stinks, not in a leather way.



Mastiz said:


> Matt: that's a conditioner, right? I've been told to stay away from conditioners and just use a mild cleaner.
> 
> With that said, if something would smell just right, I might consider using it on a piece of cloth under the seats just to get the scent
> 
> Any experiences from users who have tried it?


who told you to keep away from leather conditioners?

where is that funny guy from gliptone to jump in the convertation?


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## Mastiz (Nov 5, 2010)

tzotzo said:


> who told you to keep away from leather conditioners?


Well, I've searched through a lot of forum posts, talked to leather upholstery professionals and I also got some info from a car leather distributor.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but - as I understand it - for example LTT and Dr Leather do not encourage to use conditioners, as they mainly remain on top of the surface. I've also read somewhere, that some conditioners that make the leather feel softer after applying, could in fact harm the surface.

But what I find confusing in my original subject - the search for the "right" leather scent for my personal taste - is that it's so hard to describe what you are looking for.

In reviews people might be raving about a product that they really like, and might say things like "smells like new leather", which I have often mistakenly interpreted as "modern leather" when in fact they probably mean "when the car was new". I personally find that the leather in a vintage car like a Jaguar smells quite different than a Mercedes from 2005, and it's that more modern scent I'm after.

I just got a sample swatch sent to me by a leather distributor, and it does smell pretty close to what I was expecting.

I'm not keen on trying every product in the world for about 10€ / bottle, which is why I'm trying to gather as much user input as possible to narrow my search down just a bit.


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## cdubu (Aug 9, 2006)

+1 for the zaino


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## Mastiz (Nov 5, 2010)

Update: I had the opportunity to try out the Dr Leather wipes. 

First impression of the scent of the wipes themselves was a bit disappointing, as I was expecting them to smell of wonderful leather. What I got was a familiar smell from my childhood; the smell of small plastic toy figurines like Smurfs or something similar.

But once I had cleaned one seat I was surprised that the scent was actually quite pleasent and a bit addictive. Its definitely the best combination of new car and leather scents I've come across, and I really like it.

As for the cleaning abilities; the seats I thought were as clean as they could get got a lot lighter in colour with nearly no effort at all.

I'm very pleased with the Dr Leather wipes, and will definitely get the big tub now!


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## Bustanut (Jun 11, 2011)

Dr leather all the way for me. I bought some from wax stock after talking to the guys on the envy valeting stall. They knew their stuff and I got the chance to have a go with it and a sniff. I bought it in a spray version and after trying just about every leather product out there found this to be perfect for my 09 Audis interior. Just spray on agitate with a soft brush then wipe the excess off with a clean microfiber. Love the smell too, nice a subtle. Don't think I could live without it now. I also tried the wipes but think you use more product that way, nice to keep some in the car for emergencies though.


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## Samh92 (Aug 30, 2012)

Just order chemical guys leather conditioner, suppose to smell like real leather, will let you know what it's like when I get it


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## Mk3Brick (May 24, 2012)

i think the auto glym leather balm is the cats whiskers, its smells like lovely new leather in my opinion. i had to try a few different ones as i needed to feed my leather steering wheel and didnt want puke smelling hands. you do have to follow the instructions on the bottle though, you cant just smash it on there willy nilly.


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## Dr Leather (Sep 8, 2010)

Mastiz said:


> Update: I had the opportunity to try out the Dr Leather wipes.
> 
> First impression of the scent of the wipes themselves was a bit disappointing, as I was expecting them to smell of wonderful leather. What I got was a familiar smell from my childhood; the smell of small plastic toy figurines like Smurfs or something similar.
> 
> ...


Glad you like the product. Definitely seeming to be the product of choice for many people now judging by the continual increase in sales.

The aroma develops for sure. It's in there all the time, along with the cleaner, etc, but initially it is masked by all the other products in the mix. But once you wipe away the cleaner the fragrance stands out. Again it's a cute bit of chemistry we use that the other brands generally wouldn't even know about. That's the beauty of Dr Leather Ltd working with products that haven't even been used into the car industry yet.

Interestingly enough I got wind the other day of a couple of supposed leather care companies on this forum who supposedly make their own formulations asking for pre-made product they could simply rebadge that were like our products.......:doublesho


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