leather cleaner
09-05-2003, 01:21 PM
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leather cleaner
I am looking for a leather cleaner for my 2003 ar (burgundy red with ecru/light brown leather interior) that will leave the matte finish on the leather. It seems like so many of the cleaning products leave a shiny finish, which I really do not want. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.
09-05-2003, 06:55 PM
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Re: leather cleaner
Lexol's glycerine will leave a glossy film on the leather that dulls down in a few days. Lexol also makes a low sheen plastic conditioner that is much less glossy than Armor-All on the dash & trim, I forget the name (and am too lazy to go out to the garage) but it comes in a blue spray bottle.
If your light leather is visibly dirty, clean it with a good soft saddle soap and a sponge before treating it with Lexol as its more of a conditioner than a cleaner.
If your light leather is visibly dirty, clean it with a good soft saddle soap and a sponge before treating it with Lexol as its more of a conditioner than a cleaner.
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09-05-2003, 07:28 PM
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No, no, no!!! Do NOT use saddle soap on your seats!!!
Here's what Terry at Classic Motoring Accessories has to say about saddle soap:
<i><U>The Myth Of Saddle Soap</u>
In the late 1800's the final tanning of leather required the talents of a "currier". This craftsman took the tanned but brittle hide and worked oils into it until the desired flexibility was obtained. This process was called fatliquoring. The fatliquor of choice was an emulsion of oil in soap. This "saddle soap" was not used as a cleaner. It was a softening conditioner.
In fact, saddle soap is a very poor cleaner. It must first dissolve its own oils, limiting its capacity to dissolve dirt and oils in the leather. Saddle soap is also inherently alkaline but alkalinity is damaging to leather. Another problem arises during application. Most saddle soaps instruct the user to work the lather into the leather. Since loosened dirt is suspended in the lather, it is pushed back into the leather's pores.
Saddle soaps have long been replaced in tanneries by modern emulsions which penetrate, soften and condition with greater ease and stability. the popular myth of saddle soap as a cleaner however persists as modern folklore."</i>
Instead, use a quality leather cleaner like Lexol leather cleaner followed by a good conditioner, for which I'd recommend the Lexol conditioner as well. Autoglym and Connoly also make good conditioners.
<i><U>The Myth Of Saddle Soap</u>
In the late 1800's the final tanning of leather required the talents of a "currier". This craftsman took the tanned but brittle hide and worked oils into it until the desired flexibility was obtained. This process was called fatliquoring. The fatliquor of choice was an emulsion of oil in soap. This "saddle soap" was not used as a cleaner. It was a softening conditioner.
In fact, saddle soap is a very poor cleaner. It must first dissolve its own oils, limiting its capacity to dissolve dirt and oils in the leather. Saddle soap is also inherently alkaline but alkalinity is damaging to leather. Another problem arises during application. Most saddle soaps instruct the user to work the lather into the leather. Since loosened dirt is suspended in the lather, it is pushed back into the leather's pores.
Saddle soaps have long been replaced in tanneries by modern emulsions which penetrate, soften and condition with greater ease and stability. the popular myth of saddle soap as a cleaner however persists as modern folklore."</i>
Instead, use a quality leather cleaner like Lexol leather cleaner followed by a good conditioner, for which I'd recommend the Lexol conditioner as well. Autoglym and Connoly also make good conditioners.
