Go through the interior maintenance sections of www.autogeek.net

In your metro area there must be some good detail shops - ask there.

 

I use 303 products <303 Products: Wheel & Tire Care>.

 

Typically I use the Maguire's leather cleaner/conditioner, keeps them nice and black and I like the so clean it's slippery feel they have for the next week. I've also used a leather conditioner we use on our leather sofas if I run out of the car version. It worked well too. I think as long as you use a good quality brand name it's fine. I never have cracked seats as I use these products about once a month and it's always worked to keep them clean and they don't crack. I actually use the Maguire's on synthetic leather in my wife's XT5. Works well to clean the seats and doesn't leave any residue like vinyl cleaners will.

 

Our interiors are "coated". Leather products do nothing for the leather because products do not penetrate it. Just clean with a 5/1 water/woolite mix and rinse... then just keep it wiped down.

 

Hmm interesting. I'll look into that further for sure, but I asked this question because I read this:

Once your leather seats are clean, apply a Cadillac-approved leather conditioner to your seats, and then carefully work it in using a clean microfiber cloth. Let the conditioner thoroughly dry and buff it in with another clean microfiber rag. Regularly using a leather conditioner will help keep your leather seats soft and supple and help avoid cracking.

I don't know what a "Cadillac-approved" leather conditioner is.

 

Most leather upholstery in American- and Asian-made cars is plastic coated, with a surface layer made of vinyl. If your car is European, on the other hand, it might have “naked” leather, in which case the surface would be that of the original hide with no protective finish.

 

Yeah it's one of the issues confusing me (and I know it's a stupid thing to be confused about). Some Cadillac sites (mostly Cadillac dealer sites so far) say use a mild soap and water solution or a leather cleaner, let it dry, then apply conditioner. Others don't mention conditioner at all, just the cleaning. That one Cadillac site I pulled the quote from says to use a Cadillac-approved conditioner, whatever that is.

 

I use the cleaner and conditioner that is listed in the manual, that being said, I totally agree with what Jimmie Jam said, when I wipe the conditioner on all I see is a little shine, don't think that it penetrates at all..............

Part Number​	Part Name​	Price​	Quantity​	Total​
88861402​	Conditioner​	$7.34​	2​	$14.68​
88861401​	Cleaner​	$5.92​	2​	$11.84​

 

Personally, I use Meguiar's Gold Class Leather Cleaner and Conditioner on the seats, open pore wood, dash, steering wheel, and door panel. It's not stated to be used on wood, but I did and it gave it a nice sheen and brought the deep colour out of the wood. Doesn't matter if it's not leather as it also works great on vinyl too. Leather like vinyl or leatherette needs to be looked after just like leather does esp. if your car sits in the sun for periods of time. What I do is to take a wipe of the Meguiars and liberally apply it to a section, then immediately wipe it down with a clean microfiber cloth, making sure it is evenly applied to the entire surface to avoid streaking. Wiping it down takes away the shinny appearance to leave a nice satin one which I prefer over the shinny one. The only part I applied and left it on was the wood, and as I mentioned it really gave it a nice appearance. I apply it two to three times a year to the seats and dash, but only applied it once to the wood as the wood never looked like it needed it again (my car is garaged). It also has a great fragrance imo. For closed pore wood (gloss appearance) I would just use Meguiars Interior Detailing Wipes, which is what I use on the black piano plastic etc.

 

I use Zaino products because they actually smell like leather. Being that our cars have coated and sealed leather seating surfaces, the cleaning part is good, but the conditioning part is just for show.

 

I agree with Excalibur. Whether the leather is coated or not, it makes a difference. Real leather will crack, particularly along the side seat bottom bolsters cause you squish them so much getting in and out. I've seen plenty of people who don't use leather conditioner and they seats are all cracked. Mine never crack, even after 10 years, they get break in creases but never crack. And even on the fake leather, the leather cleaner works very well. Just a damp cloth wouldn't do nearly as good a job. Another thing, I can noticeably see the real leather soak up the conditioner in my CTS. Whereas on my fake leather XT5 it doesn't soak it up, and I have to be a bit more carful not to apply too much so there isn't a lot of residue. So coated or not, there's no way the leather is not benefiting from the conditioner.

 

And even on the fake leather, the leather cleaner works very well. Just a damp cloth wouldn't do nearly as good a job

Yes to this. I would not use water on leather, leatherette or vinyl or anything else in the interior. There are too many contaminates in water unless one is using distilled water.

 

me i have a 87 brougham i use mothers lvr its pretty good and i use it on my dash

 

Is the dash a fake leather? It doesn't feel like vinyl but can't be real leather. I'm thinking about using 303 aerospace protectant on dash, doors and other non-leather parts and getting a Meguiar's leather cleaner for the seats and leather.

 

On the XTS the lower trim dash is not real leather, but on the Platinum I believe it is. Leather conditioner/cleaner can be used on vinyl and leather, but vinyl cleaner cannot be used on leather - from the Meguiar's site.

 

I was going to use the 303 protectant on the dash for UV protection (until I get the sun shade as the car is parked in the sun at work. Nothing I can about that) but I'm not sure if it's leather or synthetic. I'm leaning toward it being leather actually now that I've examined it further. It's surprisingly difficult to google this info but websites are saying it's leather upholstery on this trim too.

 

Any automotive leather product is fine and safe for vinyl and synthetic leather.

Also keep in mind that modern day vehicles are made with vinyl & plastics that are made to last far longer than they used to. Not to mention UV protection built into the windshields glass. That’s why you no longer see any vehicles plagued with cracking dashboards.

 

Post #2 is as valid today as it was 2.5 years ago

......... but I'll add that Fiebing's Neats Foot Oil and Saddle Soap has kept the STS seat leather as new for over 18 years of ownership.

Late fall 2021 - 67,700 miles.

 

Looks great!

 

It has been a garage queen for the last couple of years - less than 1,000 miles in 2 years. The Fords are the gofers and the STS mostly sits on blocks and a Battery Minder. I have enough new GM spare parts on the shelves in the shop to rebuild almost the entire car - F55 suspension and 17" wheels included.

 

@pete.kadar. I don’t shill for any brand of products, I have several brands on hand and they all have their use depending on the vehicle or situation.
[Blackfire, Meguiars, Britemax, Pinnacle, Mothers, 303 Aerospace, etc]

But if and when I need a leather cleaner to do some serious cleaning, I reach for Meguiars professional line products that are proven to be able to thoroughly clean automotive leather and do it safely. I’m sure there’s other stuff that’s good, but I’ve always been happy with the results & value they provide.

This gallon concentrate of Meguiars can usually be found for around $24 dollars and dilutes @ 10:1 so this gallon will make 11 gallons of product. Works great on leather, carpet, vinyl dashboard/door panels, wheel wells, engine bay, and alot more.

And at that 10:1 dilution it can easily clean up this level of grime with relative ease and do it safely.

On the other hand, you could buy 2 bottles of Chemical Guys RTU leather cleaner & conditioner 16oz. each for $30 dollars and all you get is 32oz.

Regular price for two 8oz. bottles of Leather Honey product is $65 dollars and I’d bet my life it can’t do that level of cleaning. Lol.

11 gallons of professional grade cleaner for only $24 dollars. It’s a no brainer.
Now you see why I like Meguiars products.