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22K views 21 replies 10 participants last post by  elwesso 
#1 ·
i have a 94 sls and it has light grey interior. it is starting to show dark marks in the leather and i just like to know if anyone has any idea's how to take them out. i clean the leather with meguiar's gold class rich leather cleaner conditioner. and it does not remove them. any help will be nice, i like to keep it like new. thanks
 
#2 ·
As recommended by GM I would use Saddle Soap. My leather is light tan & noticed the same problem you have. The soap cleaned it up very nicely. Have been using the stuff for years with good results. It beats anything thing else I have tried.
 
#3 ·
rapid rabbit said:
As recommended by GM I would use Saddle Soap. My leather is light tan & noticed the same problem you have. The soap cleaned it up very nicely. Have been using the stuff for years with good results. It beats anything thing else I have tried.
Saddle soap works great. Even though the mothers is a good cleaner but the soap goes a little further. use the mothers to keep it clean if you know what i mean
 
#4 ·
Kiwi makes a spray-on cleaner for shoes that I've used on spots like yours with much success.

Spray it on, it foams, wipe it off. Of course, afterward you'll want to treat it with the Mother's or Meguiar's stuff. Saddle soap contains lanolin, which may be the best thing you can do for conditioning.
 
#6 ·
in a early link about 6/7 weeks ago, someone suggest woolite/zero
1 part woolite and 6 parts water in a spray bootle
It works well
But on a light colour leather it will take a lot of cleaning
This will the last light interor I buy
It is hard to clean even the seat belts
 
#8 ·
Search the detailing section...... I remember someone posting something odd that works really well for cleaning leather....

Personally, what I do is put cleaner on it, and let it sit for a little, and wipe it off.... Ive also found that windex or a surface cleaner works really good, but Id be sure to follow it up with a good conditioning......
 
#10 ·
Leatherique is the best stuff...... But lexol is good also.......
 
#12 ·
Yes..... If you use a cleaner like that (i wouldnt), make sure you follow with conditioner because that will take out a lot of oils and nutrients out of the leather......
 
#13 · (Edited)
elwesso said:
Leatherique is the best stuff...... But lexol is good also.......
yeap on the Leatherique ...

on the Lexol, armor-all, windex, lemon something, water sprays, shoe cleaners, and the other whatevers, don't think so .. nope!

mayday!
. . . . . . . . . mayday!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mayday!

leather can and will last 50+ years if done right .. avoid those or suffer the cost of recovering ...

here are the facts:
oil, petroleum, water and silicone WILL SEAL the fibers in leather and in the long run, HARDEN AND DESTROY the leather .. AVOID these like the bubonic plague ...

waterproof the leather with the proper conditioner .. YEAP!

lexol, armor-all and others are deadly to leather .. if your leather was exposed to these silcones, there are products that will remove the silicone to some degree ...

==============

Note that the main use of the cleaner is after the conditioner, not before as you may have read in the directions. You only need to clean heavy dirt before conditioning. A good conditioner will help loosen and lift dirt, sweat, and other stuff, making an "after: cleaning easier and more productive.


==========

the "Don'ts"

First, do not use anything with silicones in it. The silicones give the leather a nice finish, but do nothing to "nourish" it and will make any later repairs or recoloring very much more difficult. Armor-all & Lexol are to be avoided when it comes to leather seats or vinyl.

Second, do not use anything with water added to it or with petroleum distillates added. These also don't help the leather and may harm it.

Third, stay away from saddle soap. It does soften and clean the leather, but it is hard on the dye, leading to a premature need to recolor.

Fourth, don't leave exposed leather sitting in the sun year after year. If you must park in the sun more than occasionally, cover the leather, especially the top of the back seats. Towels are cheap. Reupholstery isn't.


harsh cleaners are not great either, but at least may leave the pores and fibers open for re-conditioning .. still, avoid them ...

best, ABSOLUTELY BEST, way to clean/condition leather:
use a mink oil+ sheep's wool fat (lanolin)+ neatfoot oil ... leather conditioners .. YES, clean with the conditioner ...
if your car has COTTON stitching, skip the neatfoot oil ...
Leatherique contain no neetsfoot oil ...
Eagle One contains all three ...

= = = = =

the "Dos"

Use your favorite leather conditioner as often as you like, but try to do it at least once a year. Twice is better. More than about four times is overkill BUT will no do harm.
You might want to do a light cleaning to get really cruddy stuff off the leather before conditioning. Don't feel that you need to get every molecule of dirt off, however.
Now, condition. Rub the conditioner in with your hands. Using a cloth might seem like a good idea, but you'll lose a lot of conditioner that the cloth soaks up. You want it ALL to soak into your seats. If you don't like the greasy feeling, wear gloves. If your seats are really hard, don't try to massage the stuff in as you may cause a crack. If the leather is pretty good, you can be more aggressive.
Now, park the car out in the sun for a while. Let the leather pores open and aborb the conditioner. Heat helps here. Repeat if so inclined, especially if the leather's hard.
Now, wipe any dirt residue off. Clean with a cleaner if it feels a bit sticky.

Note that the main use of the cleaner is after the conditioner, not before as you may have read in the directions. You only need to clean heavy dirt before conditioning. A good conditioner will help loosen and lift dirt, sweat, and other stuff, making an "after: cleaning eaiser and more productive.

need more from the folks that have practiced for the last 100 years?

http://www.seattlejagclub.org/restrep/
 
#14 ·
So eagle one seems to be the best stuff.......???

How is meguires stuff...... It smells really good (so I hear)
 
#15 ·
elwesso said:
So eagle one seems to be the best stuff.......???

How is meguires stuff...... It smells really good (so I hear)
The Meguires stuff IS GREAT. It really cleans the leather up nice and leaving it nice and soft. Very happy with it as a quick clean. nothing else
 
#16 ·
My leather is really clean (except for where its ripped and discolored, getting new leather hopefully for christmas... WOOHOO!!!), so all I want is a good conditioner.....

Meguires says they have aloe, and thats all they mention on the site...... Maybe later today Ill go pick up some.....
 
#17 ·
elwesso said:
My leather is really clean (except for where its ripped and discolored, getting new leather hopefully for christmas... WOOHOO!!!), so all I want is a good conditioner.....

Meguires says they have aloe, and thats all they mention on the site...... Maybe later today Ill go pick up some.....
go and check these guys:
http://www.exoticcarweb.com/CareExterior.asp

as for Meguires, i don't know what the stuff is made of ...

i make it a point to not use a product unless they list the ingredients.
they only say they use Aloe & do not list ingredients, .. i'm pretty sure it is not pure aloe .. they also do not state the use of petrolum or silicone in their creams or lack thereof ... http://www.meguiars.com/product_showroom/showroom_searchResults.cfm

my leather is now `16 yrs old, a convertible, and leather looks like new .. on Eagle One and Bick4 ..

on a hard top car, keeping leather soft and nice should be easier?

i saw this rule somewhere:
- if it shines like glass for more than a few minutes, it is most likely SILICONE or petrolum...

- if it gets mostly absorved, it is most likely mink, lanolin or neatfoot oils ...
 
#18 ·
I was just goin by meguires website..... I dont know if it actually lists it on the bottle....

Did you get that eagle one stuff at an autoparts store, or did you have to order it??

Also, whats that BICK4 you mentioned???
 
#19 · (Edited)
elwesso said:
I was just goin by meguires website..... I dont know if it actually lists it on the bottle....

Did you get that eagle one stuff at an autoparts store, or did you have to order it??

Also, whats that BICK4 you mentioned???

i looked at the bottles of meguire's and i could not find the ingredients .. not sure why such a secret .. someone in one of these threads said 1 part maguire/10 parts water? be adviced, water is an enemy of leather in any form, it promotes rot over a long time!

Eagle One products are found in both auto part stores and general merchandise stores .. they list the ingredients on the bottle.

the Bick4 stuff is lanolin (on this one i have to take the word of someone that should know ) and i get that at a horse & saddle store. i use the Bick4 at the start of summer and soak the leather well then i finish both leather AND vinyl with the Eagle One conditioner. after soaking well, i wipe the "leftover" to remove the greasy feeling .. btw, i also use this combo on the 1987 4X4 that sits on the street 365 days/yr, or out on the sand dunes in Baja in 110F heat .. to this day, no cracks, all vinyl/leather fine, all factory original. same results on the Lincoln's Recaro leather ...

like i said, a sun baked california Allanté car with 16 yr old recaro leather and no rips, no damage, no dryness .. did have to re-color as body perspiration takes out the color over time ...
 

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#20 ·
Hmmm...... I may have to go get some of that stuff....

How does it smell..... I have turtlewax stuff right now, and it makes it smell like lotion/crisco..... Its good stuff, but it smells FUNKY!!!
 
#21 ·
elwesso said:
Hmmm...... I may have to go get some of that stuff....

How does it smell..... I have turtlewax stuff right now, and it makes it smell like lotion/crisco..... Its good stuff, but it smells FUNKY!!!

don't believe there is a scent .. you just get settle into the comfort and so does your passenger .. i don't allow smoking either, so my cars are pretty much scent free .. except for a traces of female perfume now and then ...

you want scent? try this .. a very small amount of "baby lotion" on the passenger's head rest, after the normal leather conditioning .. girls tend to go a bit romantic with that scent .. dahhh, i wonder why .. and they don't even know why ...
 
#22 ·
Hmmm...... that could be useful for other things also..... :D

I just dont want the car to smell like crisco... I have an airfreshener in there now, as I think there is something rancid underneat the seat......
 
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