# Newbie to leather seats!



## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Hi all,

I'm picking up a new (to me) car at the end of the week and for the first time I'll have a leather interior.

It's a Seat Exeo TDI 170 Sport Tech and the leather is black. 

Would any of you kind and knowledgeable folk be able to give me some advice regarding the best way to care for the leather please?

I've heard Gliptone is good - any other thoughts?

Thanks

Cooks


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## Charlie Purvey (Feb 7, 2014)

Right so I'm sure I'm correct in saying that most modern leather come with a clear sealant on top… so generally all you really need is a non aggressive cleaning agent like a foam cleaner, just something to lift the dirt away from the leather for you to wipe clean.. i also purchased the Gliptone products made quite a difference  i posted my application video in another thread but here it is again.


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## SystemClenz (Oct 31, 2008)

I recommend Dr Leather, a tub of wipes is all you need, simple and very effective :thumb:


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## realist (May 11, 2011)

+1 for Dr leather:thumb:


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## Captain Pugwash (Mar 23, 2011)

have used a few of these products over the years, even some stuff for horse tack. After trying Dr Leather cleaner I would not use anything else now 

I often thought the Gliptone was very good, but after using Dr Leather it was clear how well the Dr leather did actually clean the leather over the Gliptone....just don't smell as nice after


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

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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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Gliptone Leather Cleaner and protect with Gtechniq L1 :thumb:


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## Bustanut (Jun 11, 2011)

Dr leather spray/wipes and LTT solutions for any scuff marks or damage repairs.


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## Melkor (Aug 16, 2012)

Another vote for Dr leather wipes, excellent for keeping on top the seat cleaning, also leave a nice matte finish.


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## AndyA4TDI (May 7, 2012)

Just used Angelwax Heaven for leather on my leather sofa which is wiped down once a month with the supplied cleaning and conditioning wipes. The Angelwax product removed an embarrassing amount of dirt and the leather feels nice and soft.


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## Bill58 (Jul 5, 2010)

Another one for Dr Leather. Used it on painted leather seats on my previous car and they kept my seats in great condition.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

DMH-01 said:


> Gliptone Leather Cleaner and protect with Gtechniq L1 :thumb:


I like the sound of this. I'm a big fan of Gtechniq! I might also get a tub of Dr Leather wipes too.

Thanks for the advice everyone, I really appreciate it!

Cooks


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## szladob (Jun 5, 2013)

*pH of leather cleaner foam?*



judyb said:


> 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.
> ...


Dear Judyb,

I am very interested in your product range, and had a couple of questions if you wouldn't mind.

Would you be able to confirm the pH of the leather cleaner foam, please? (I wan't to use it on a Valcona black leather, that supposedly has a very thin coating only). The Autoexpress test a few years ago claimed that it smells a bit like ammonia (hence the pH question) - is this still the case? Lastly, also have a black leather sofa, so if I was trying to combine the two applications, would the sofa cleaners (either of the two) be still OK in the car? 
Many thanks, Balazs


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

The pH of our cleaners is always around neutral and are always tested to be safe for use on finished auto leather (we have specialist cleaners for unfinished). Foam cleaning is much safer than liquid cleaners. Our Auto Foam is fresh smelling and does not smell of ammonia..
It is always safe to use the furniture ckeaning products on the car interior but not the other way around as the auto products are formulated to be slightly stronger and these may be too strong for some modern finishes on furniture.
Hope this helps
Judyb


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

zaino leather twins are brill


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## Drewie (Apr 13, 2013)

I haven't used any other leather cleaners/conditioners...

But I am very happy with the Autofinesse Hide twins. I use the cleaner with a boot brush I got off eBay - really nice and soft, but really dense too. If there's stubborn dirt, I'll use a short pile microfibre. 
I then follow with the Hide conditioner (which smells amazing!!!) with a cleanyourcar blue pearl microfibre applicator. 

I use it on my dad's Porsche seats and it really makes the car smell like quality leather, it's lovely.


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## Scotty Pro (Nov 12, 2008)

@ Judy
your post above no. 6 makes interesting reading. I too have a new car with leather seats (Ford Focus Titanium X) and I assume it is the same type of leather that the OP has in his Seat which is coated. I also have leather panels in the doors so that will be the same kind, or is it?

I looked on your website and have picked out a couple of products. 
1. Auto Leather Guard cleaner.
2. Auto Maintain Leather Wipes.

Would I be correct in choosing those products for my seats and doors or would you suggest something else. Also, excuse my forwardness but is there a discount code for us Detailingworld members


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

Thanks for your post. I would look at the Auto LeatherGuard and Auto LeatherGuard cleaner - there is no need for the wipes and the cleaner as the cleaner is so quick and easy to use.
The discount code is DWMEM10
Hope this helps
Judyb


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## Dazzel81 (Apr 20, 2013)

-Kev- said:


> zaino leather twins are brill


+1 also very impressed with this combo :thumb:


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Here's a little pic of the seats. 









Thanks for all the advice. It's really useful to hear from people who have tried and tested the various products.

Cooks


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

Cleaning and protection from new will prolong the life of the leather. Avoid 'conditioners' which generally contain oils and/or waxes which only attract more dirt and do not protect the leather finish.
Cheers
Judyb


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## F10N47 (Apr 2, 2013)

My BMW 5er is now 12 months old and has covered 12,000 miles. Interior is Dakota leather in Oyster (very light beige). I used LTT Ultra Protect when I first collected the car and I've used a regimen of Ultra Maintain and Ultra Protect on a weekly basis ever since. It's ridiculously easy to apply and smells great.

The seats look the same as the day I collected the car and still have a lovely matt finish. Even more impressive is the steering wheel still has that factory matt finish. The kit I bought seemed quite expensive at the time (£50, I think) but there's still plenty of each product left after one year.

I have no affiliation with LTT but I can thoroughly recommend their products. Worth every penny!


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## isherdholi (Sep 18, 2007)

I have tried Dr Leather Wipes, and while people rave about them, I'm going to be objective here and say, they are probably pretty good at maintaining leather seats which are already pretty clean and well protected. If your seats are fairly dirty, or haven't been cleaned for a while, not protected, or are quite shiney, for me, Dr Leather Wipes did absolutely nothing. 

I diluted Gtechniq W2 down to 1:10 ratio and put it in a spray bottle. Sprayed the seat and agitated with an envy detailing brush. The lather started off white but slowly turned grey/black. I wiped it all off with a microfibre and repeated until the lather remained white, and finally wiped off again. The amount of dirt that came out was pretty shocking. The seats felt lovely afterwards  I'm going to try out Zaino Z9 next. I still have some Dr Leather Wipes and I hope they will come in handy for wiping the seats down as part of a maintenance clean.

As for the whole conditioning Vs protecting debate - my two pence is this. Yes its true that modern car leather is coated. However, once the leather has cracked, so has the coating. In this situation, isolated to this area alone, applying conditioner will help keep the leather soft and stop it cracking further.


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

isherdholi said:


> As for the whole conditioning Vs protecting debate - my two pence is this. Yes its true that modern car leather is coated. However, once the leather has cracked, so has the coating. In this situation, isolated to this area alone, applying conditioner will help keep the leather soft and stop it cracking further.


Modern car leather is coated as you say therefore it is the coating that cracks and not the leather and o this needs replacing. Adding conditioners could make repairs more difficult depending on the chemicals used in the conditioner. It will not stop it cracking further and may make the problem worse. 
This theory is just used by the manufacturers of 'conditioners' to explain their need in the auto market.
Hope this helps
Judyb


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