# Autoglym Leather Cleaner and Balm?



## A3 Sport

Is it any good? Or are there better products out there? 

My cars only 2 months old and has done less than 2k, so it doesnt really need doing yet, but I just want to keep on top of it!

:thumb:


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## Naddy37

I use the cleaner several times a week, the balm, probably once a week.

Works fine for me, and does the job.


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## judyb

Keep your leather clean by protecting it with a leather protector and then regular cleaning. 
Adding 'conditioners' which generally contain oils and waxes will change the appearance of your leather over time as dirt will build up on the surface and cause a sheen. 

Using the correct care methods and products will not alter the factory finish.

The type of leather you have is 'coated' leather. This is essentially a 'painted' leather 
with a clear coat finish over the top. The leather may or may not be dyed through with 
aniline dyes prior to the finish coating. 

Essentially it is this top coating that needs looking after. 
Cleaning is vitally important as the top coat will wear away if allowed to become dirty. 
Dirt on the surface will also become ground into the finish by constant abrassion.

'Conditioners', balms, feeds etc (traditionally oil and wax based) cannot penetrate this 
finish so are not worth applying - they can also leave behind residues on the finish which will only attract more dirt if allowed to remain. 'Conditioners' will not do any 
protecting on leather even if they say they do as there will not be enough active 
ingredient in them to do anything.

A protector will make the finish easier to clean and also inhibit dye transfer etc 
on pale coloured leathers.

Leather however finished has to remain breathable and it will allow the movement of 
moisture back and forth (transpiration) so the use of water based cleaners and 
protectors will keep the leather correctly hydrated which is essentail to keeping it in 
good condition.

Leather needs a little regular care and attention and this can be done with a maintenance product rather than a deep clean which you would then only need to do once or twice a year depending on usage and colour.
You will find that detergent style cleaners will remove the protection applied so you would need to reprotect each time you clean. A maintenance product like Auto Ultra Maintain helps to retain the protection rather than remove it so a reapplication of protector is only required after a deep clean.
Whilst individual products may be effective if they have not been tested together you may find they are counter productive

The routine for correct care should be 

Protect from new Auto Ultra Protect
Maintain with a regular clean or maintenance product Auto Ultra Maintain
Deep clean with a foam cleaner once or twice a year Auto Ultra Foam

Simple steps of cleaning & protecting will prolong the life of the finish on the leather 

Hope this helps
Judyb


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## G.P

Before leather was protected with a clear-coat/lacquer, you would have to apply conditioner/feed to prevent the leather cracking, especially around the stitching, with new cars which have sealed/coated leather how does this stop the leather cracking? i.e. Swissvax provide Leather milk to preserve leather, they must consider leather is not coated? 

If it's a good idea to lacquer/coat, why is this not done to home sofa's?


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## Bates

Meguiars Gold Class Leather Cleaner & Conditoner :thumb:


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## Bustanut

I am big fan of dr leather after being converted from the AG products, especially for leather in newer cars. It's available form a retailer on here in spray or wipes. It's not cheap but worth every penny in my opinion.


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## Jammy J

You need some Dr Leather 

Personally i clean my seats about twice a week and then use a protector about once a month. I get great results using the products below.

Linky to Dr Leather ( wipes are fantastic ) and L1 Leather Guard.


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## Mk3Brick

i love it. takes good care of my leather steering wheel a treat.:thumb:


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## G.P

g.p said:


> before leather was protected with a clear-coat/lacquer, you would have to apply conditioner/feed to prevent the leather cracking, especially around the stitching, with new cars which have sealed/coated leather how does this stop the leather cracking? I.e. Swissvax provide leather milk to preserve leather, they must consider leather is not coated?
> 
> If it's a good idea to lacquer/coat, why is this not done to home sofa's?


bump. .


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## G.P

G.P said:


> Before leather was protected with a clear-coat/lacquer, you would have to apply conditioner/feed to prevent the leather cracking, especially around the stitching, with new cars which have sealed/coated leather how does this stop the leather cracking? i.e. Swissvax provide Leather milk to preserve leather, they must consider leather is not coated?
> 
> If it's a good idea to lacquer/coat, why is this not done to home sofa's?


I must presume none of the experts know the answer, or the clear coat does not actually exist. .


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## juddzey455

Sofa leather is the most low grade leather you can get some are even pulped leather fibers mashed together like chip board with a finish...

A large quality hide of leather will cost around £200 (you can pay £400-600+) 

for a single seat leather sofa chair your looking at 2-3 hides...

so unless your talking about a 3-4k+ sofas it doesn't really count


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## Radish293

Just used the new version of Autoglyms leather balm. Really pleased with the results. It's easier to apply than the previous version. Goes into the surface easier without drying to a white cream. Less smell which i prefer. Had tried poor boys leather stuff in between but although it left a really nice matt Finnish I found it left the seats a little slippery and the leather smell a bit over powering. Another great improved autoglym product.


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## Dr Leather

G.P said:


> I must presume none of the experts know the answer, or the clear coat does not actually exist. .


Most are..... in fact almost all finished leathers have a clear (or slightly tinted) top coat these days......unless it's a cheap leather sofa, etc.

Rgds

Dr Leather


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## Vex

Did anyone try the Meguiars Leather Sealer in comparisson?


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## todds

I have used Autoglym leather cleaner and leather care balm on my bmw 728i light sand beige seats that i bought 18 years and the seats are still like new. i see no reason to change my routine as it works fine.
best of luck
i have read hundreds of hours debate on pros and cons of using the leather conditioner and to be honest i cant make up my mind which side is right or wrong. All i can say is i have been using the Autoglym care balm (conditioner) and it hasnt done any harm and if its good enough for the likes of rolls royce,jaguar,aston martin etc and by appointment to the royal family it cant be all that bad:thumb:
best of luck


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## Franzpan

Autoglym stuff is good. The cleaner works well, and the balm leaves a nice dull but dressed finish. Leaving the leather undressed leaves it very dry and pasty looking. I know this wont nourish the leather underneath the finish any but it leaves a nice looking finish.

With the balm you need to apply it (microfiber app is good) then let it sit for 15 mins or so until its kind of dried like a wax. Then buff it off with a large plush microfibre or a couple of smaller ones as it does gum them up quite a bit. This will leave a nice finish and not at all greasy. It smells amazing too, gives it a new leather scent again for a few weeks.

Another tip is wash your hands after or bin the gloves you had on. Your hands will be nice and soft after but will leave fingerprints over the rest of the interior!


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## silver sport13

Good advice Franzpan, I will take your advice and get Autoglym cleaner and balm for my Jaguar xf interior [Ivory].


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## X-Type_Bobstar

Another XF owner here Silver Sport. I used Autoglym in my XType and was really pleased with it, smells good too. Currently using Gliptone leather cleaner and conditioner,the smell is great and it seems to do the job really well. I have also been pleased with Zaino Z10 Leather in a bottle. That stuff did a good job too, easy to apply. I am now going to try Gyeon Q2 Leather coat on top of the conditioner and see how well it protects from marks.


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## David C

I think I've tried most over the years including Auto Glym, LTT and Zaino but for me Dr Leather wipes out perform them all.


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## cooperdr

I use the AG stuff too. I have had no problems at all. 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk


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