# magic sponge - ok on leather seats?



## jay_bmw (Jan 28, 2010)

Hi again all sorry for the NOOB questions but here goes again:

I recently used a magic sponge on my steering wheel, to my delight it came out beautifully matte looking like new,

now, my grey leather seats have dirt in the grain, and are the cheaper Montana (not nappa) leather which isn't that soft and looks a bit cack now its all shiny.

i've tried gliptone for ages using a toothbrush on the grain to no avail, but recently used the magic sponge on an inconspicuous area and it seemed to shift the dirt a treat, however i'm not sure if its good for the leather or not.

what are your view on using a magic sponge (obviously a few) to do the whole of all of the seats?

Cheers guys.

Jay


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## nick_mcuk (Jan 4, 2008)

Yeah should be ok aslong as you dont go too mental....they are quite abrasive but if used with care you should be fine.

If you suspect that the leather has been repaired/painted at any point dont do it as it will remove the paint!


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## jay_bmw (Jan 28, 2010)

yeah i've used scuffmaster on the bolsters but they need re doing anyway as they are like nearly white n the leather is dark grey LOL, will give it a go @ the weekend, cheers Nick.


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## dooka (Aug 1, 2006)

Nope, do not use these on leather, they will take some of the top coat of, and over time will ruin your leather. Steam is your friend when cleaning leather..


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## jay_bmw (Jan 28, 2010)

will it not be ok to use gliptone conditioner though after i've been gentle with the sponge?


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

Magic sponges should not be used on coated leather finishes as they wil remove the finish. They are designed to work like very fine sandpaper which removes a fine layer of finish on hard surfaces like paintwork etc. They will always give the appearance of doing a good job because they are removing a fine layer of the finish together with the dirt but as these areas will now be compromised they will get dirty again much quicker and will then not be easy to clean in the future. 
Adding a 'conditioner' to leather will not resolve any problems.


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## nick_mcuk (Jan 4, 2008)

Well I have never had any issues using them and I have for years...as I say I work carfully and lightly with them and they bring back the new like apperance.

If you went in and gave it full scrubbage then yeah they migth damage the surface but the occasional light use is fine.

Use them on the 205 half leather a number of times and no issues.


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## Xabby (Feb 28, 2010)

330ci said:


> will it not be ok to use gliptone conditioner though after i've been gentle with the sponge?


Gliptone conditioner, in my experience, can be a direct way to see your seats shiny. Nowadays I only use its cleaner but I´m going to buy a better cleaner with protection as LTT or Leather Master.

Greetings


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

The problem is that you cannot always see the damage that they are doing with the naked eye and gradually the finish will be worn away even when used lightly. 
Tests have shown that they remove the finish over time and this is the reason that they give such a clean appearance - just our findings thats all.


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## jay_bmw (Jan 28, 2010)

so Judyb, what do you reccomend to get rid of the shininess & ingraned dirt?

Thanks


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## Furniture Clinic (Sep 2, 2010)

Hi,

Leather often becomes shiny with use as it gets dirtier!!!

For best results use a Tampico Brush -

This cleans deep into the grain lifting the dirt quickly and easily without causing damaged. I do agree with JudyB, do not use these sponges on leather, someone gave one to us to test once and when applied to an old piece of leather it stripped the coating off in one sweep. This wouldn't happen on newer leathers, but non the less, it illustrates the damage it could be causing.

We do a really good cleaning product called Leather Ultra Clean - http://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/LeatherCleaner.htm

Use this in conjunction with the tampico brush and you'll get excellent results when cleaning your leather - http://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/Tampico_Brush.htm


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## macmaw (Mar 5, 2007)

Xabby said:


> Gliptone conditioner, in my experience, can be a direct way to see your seats shiny. Nowadays I only use its cleaner but I´m going to buy a better cleaner with protection as LTT or Leather Master.
> 
> Greetings


I haven't had that problem at all with the gliptone conditioner, always leaves a nice matte finish for me


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## Xabby (Feb 28, 2010)

macmaw said:


> I haven't had that problem at all with the gliptone conditioner, always leaves a nice matte finish for me


Gliptone has bee wax and oils in low proportions and is water based. Maybe if you use it sometimes you can´t notice shiny. Even people using Nivea (not recommend, of course) one/two times a year can see seats matte. But in my experience, I applied Gliptone Conditioner several times in a short time and could compare how my new A4 S.Line seats were "less" matte than the same seats in several A4 exposed in the dealer. I´m using only the Gliptone cleaner because finished leather doesn´t need any more and the leather is perfectly after two years. But I´m going to try better products as LTT, Leather Master etc. Nowadays I´m deciding on what to choose.

Greetings
Xabby


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

The build up of shine on leather is generally caused by the build up of dirt together with abrassion. The build up of dirt can be added to by the incorrect use of products - ones that remain on the surface and contain waxes/oils etc will attract more dirt and then this gets buffed by the constant use and causes a sheen.

Using a foam cleaner and a stiff bristled brush (not a tampico - which becomes too soft on the bristles) will give the best results. Try Auto Ultra Foam which enables dwell time but with gentle agitation will remove the sheen and the build up of products on the surface.

When cleaned a matt finsih can be maintained by regular cleaning and the use of a protector which makes cleaning easier the next time. These two steps also hydrate the leather which is all that is needed to 'condition' it.

Hope this helps
Judyb


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## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

Judyb, any views on moderate or careful use of a steam cleaner on leather?


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