Leather Treatment

[JoshuaTest]

Does anyone recomend a certain leather treatment? Occasionaly when i really get to cleaning the truck, i will pull the baby seats out of the back seats, and I would like to use something on the leather to keep it looking nice. I have alway's put towels under the actual carseats to keep them from digging in and cracking the leather, but i wanna make sure i do everything possible to keep the black leather looking new.

Also, on the drivers seat, right where the seat meets the back adjustment lever, its starting to wear thin. Its lighter colored there, and just not looking as new as the rest of the truck. What should I do there? Its from getting in and out, if your weight is there, it is pushing against that lever.

Thanks for all the help.

[06FrontierLE]

Well i am a pro. detailer and we use a leather cleaner that works excellent its thick and it also protects the leater. I will have to get the name of the chemical dealer I dont remember it off hand, but yes leather or cloth will wear over time that is normal really no way to stop that.

[Volcano_God]

I wouldn't use cleaner products, unless you need to, as they are often harsh on the leather.

I would go with McGuire's leather care products, or some other good brand.

I've tried Armor All leather wipes when in a rush and they are ok as well and smell pretty good, but prefer McGuire's hands down.

Don't clean, unless it's dirty. Many of the detailer shops use the "industrial" stuff, that I would personally always avoid, since it is often harsh and targeted at leather "bling" factor rather than leather long term care.

[CBDFrontier06]

I detailed professionally for years and found a product I loved...but it's been years since I detailed leather, so not sure if it's still around. Turtle Wax made a cleaning / conditioning spray that worked miracles. I also liked Megires Leather conditioning cream, but I found sprays are easier and actually work better as they don't accumulate in seams and stitching.

Keep in mind that leather seats are often dirtier than they look, especially black. Cleanliness is important for good conditioning. I even found that blue-jeans leave filth behind on leather seats. I detailed a Cadillac for a guy that wore jeans to work every day, and the white buffing towel I used to clean the seats turned blue before I was done with the driver's seat...and the parchment-colored leather ended up a few shades lighter as well (back to it's original color).

Stay away from products that contain heavy amounts of lanolin, or anything else that will seal leather (Armor All protectant, and the like). Sealing leather is not desirable, as it needs to breath throughout the course of its life. NEVER NEVER put Armor All on leather seats.

Pay special attention to the lateral bolsters on both sides of the bottom cushion. This is where most of the wear and wrinkling occur as you enter / exit the vehicle, and wrinkles soon turn to cracks if the leather isn't kept supple. Condition, condition, and condition some more. Don't clean EVERY time, and it's not outrageous to buy a good conditioning cream for use on this area more frequently.

Lastly, if it were my black leather seats suffering abrasion damage from the recline handle, I'd place a small piece of black electrical tape over the affected area to take the abuse. Once a hole develops in the leather, cracks will soon radiate outward and before long, the entire bottom cushion will be ragged. If you continue allowing the handle to rub that spot, you WILL get a hole. Things turn ugly fast after that happens.

People like leather because they think it's so much tougher than cloth, and in some respects it is...but only if its cared for. Black leather needs the most attention, as it suffers the most from sun baking. UV rays and dry heat are the enemies, and condioning is your only defense (besides a good UV rejecting window tint).

[blacktiger]

I used Lexol with good results, you can get it at Pep Boys, and it now not only come in spray bottles but in wipes. They have both a leather cleaner and a leather conditioner. I also like their vinyl protectant which is a cleaner and protectant in one . It's called Vinylex.