Auto Detailers Baffled by Leather Cleaning
26 posts across 2 communities in the last 60 days; 81% from r/AutoDetailing.
“How do i get the dust off the soft interior? Should I just hand clean like usual? Both pairs are leather. Or can someone point me to a different sub?”
“Why are you recommending an extractor on leather? It should never be done”
“Half the conditioner shelf runs on that same premise. Torque Detail's leads on Vitamin E nourishing the leather, which can't reach a coated seat any more than coconut oil can. Turtle Wax's own label calls it sealed leather, which is at least the honest description. There's a…”
Detailers are facing challenges with cleaning leather seats, ranging from ineffective methods to concerns about damage and the cost of professional services. There's a lot of debate around appropriate techniques and product usage.
SOURCES (60)
“How do i get the dust off the soft interior? Should I just hand clean like usual? Both pairs are leather. Or can someone point me to a different sub? submitted by /u/KnowItOrBlowIt [link] [comments]”
“Hi all. I had some leather wipes, but this is not going away. I had someone moving around and having his bare skin touching the seat. I have no idea how I can clean this. That person will never jump in my car again, that’s for sure. Any tips on how to clean and recover nicely this? I don’t mind purchasing special products. I have an easy access to Lowe’s, Home Depot, Walmart, etc… Any advice truly appreciated. Thank you. submitted by /u/mike32659800 [link] [comments]”
“Hey all, I am trying to get these marks out from the back of my leather seats. I have tried dawn dishsoap and a leather cleaner(and conditioner) but none of those worked. Any suggestions on what I should do? Thanks! submitted by /u/Blazymo [link] [comments]”
“hi! my partner’s mom recently gave us her old car and “cleaned” it beforehand. it still has a LOT of dog hair, smells like dog, and the white leather car seats are really dirty. any tips? i already know we’re going to wash the carpets with soap and let an enzyme cleaner sit on them, but i dont know what to do with the vents or seats. thanks!! submitted by /u/boyfeminiser [link] [comments]”
“Hello I am looking for help with removing a tough stain on the oyster (ivory) colored leather seats in my car. I had seats covers on them in attempt to try and keep them clean and nice and of course that bit me in the a**. The seat covers are genuine BMW and they have a rubberized padding in some areas I think this got hot in the sun and melted the dye from the black rubber onto the seat. I have already using a steamer magic eraser which started to do damage so I stopped using it and leatherique”
“It’s sweat soaked into the leather. Start with a few rounds of wiping it down with hot soapy rags. I use woolite or shampoo.”
“Oh man… I had the same thing happen cleaning the 2012 Nissan Versa my wife bought a few years back! I took a Bissel Little Green to the seats, and got that coffee colored gunk as well. Took me about 8 passes on each seat before it started coming out clear!”
“I would use Leatherique Rejuvinator + Pristine clean on the entire seat bottom.”
“Try Leatherique. It works its way into the leather and can bring out dye transfer and similar staining. I used it on a car which had some jeans transfer and the follow up cleaning solution came off blue from all the dye that was pushed out of the leather.”
“semi-analine is fairly common as the most premium leather option on higher end vehicles for example BMW Merino. It still has a coating but thinner and more like a vinyl paint which allows the premium leather to be soft and flexible. Compared to pigmented leather it looks more 'pillowy'. Many models have a mix of both, pigmented leather for high use areas and semi-analine on areas where its decreased durability would not be missed.”
“Half the conditioner shelf runs on that same premise. Torque Detail's leads on Vitamin E nourishing the leather, which can't reach a coated seat any more than coconut oil can. Turtle Wax's own label calls it sealed leather, which is at least the honest description. There's a side by side here of what all four print on the label, and which ones admit the surface is coated. https://realbuyerexperiences.com/best-leather-conditioners/”
“Doesn't anybody get up and look for things? It's not a unique issue, it just needs conditioning”
“Clean it, then get some Leather Masters Leather Vital. Not cheap but it really helps older leather.”
“Picked up this 2021 X5 with Vernasca leather interior. It looks like crap and I can't seem to get it clean. I've tried Gyeon Strong leather cleaner and used a detailing brush to agitate it, and I see no improvement. I don't want to get more aggressive with scrubbing it because I'm already feeling like the color has been scrubbed off. Any advice on how to get this armrest looking good again? submitted by /u/jclucca [link] [comments]”
“I bought an 18 year old Lexus and I want to make the leather seats look better. Any ideas on how to soften dry hard leather? TIA submitted by /u/gsi920 [link] [comments]”
“Just leased a new car with very light gray leatherette seats. What is the best way to protect the seats from my 3 kids - spills and dirt? Don't care about UV protection, the car is garaged and I don't drive a ton. Since this is a lease, I need to protect the seats! I'm reading about Interior Ceramic Coating and the 303 AEROSPACE PROTECTANT spray. Is this a DIY or professional job? I did look at car seat covers but I don't see the same light gray color and I only need to protect t”
“If some panels are vinyl/pleather, I would not chase a deep “rejuvenating” treatment first. Most of that surface is coated, so heavy leather oils/Leatherique may not penetrate evenly and can leave residue on vinyl. Start with a mild leather/vinyl interior cleaner, microfiber, and a soft brush in the grain/seams. Wipe dry, then use a matte vinyl/leather protectant. If the seats still feel stiff after cleaning, that may be aged coating, backing, or foam rather than something a conditioner can real”
“Get a car leather cleaner. Hope that alcohol and paper towel didn't damage the leather.”
“I am a fan of Lexol and it's reasonably priced. They also make a dedicated product for Vinyl as well. virtually all car leather has a plastic coating to it but said coating on your 2012 Mustang seats are definitely long gone.”
“I’d check to see if there’s a filter under the seat. Sometime they get clogged up with dust and hair.”
“Hi all, I have a Nx300 that has very poor ventilated seats which was caused by me using too much leather conditioner on the seats (I think). Does any one have any suggestions on cleaning the pores without individually cleaning them with a pin. I've heard about using a tooth brush at a 45 or maybe even a steam cleaner, but I don't wanna make it worse or damage the leather. Please let me know what you think! submitted by /u/Dramatic_Air6902 [link] [comments]”
“Any advice on how to fix this? The valet dug his finger into the softex leather and left an indent. It looks small in the pictures, but it's incredibly noticeable. Very side because we just got this Sienna, and it happened on my mom's birthday. We usually don't let others drive the car, but it was a special occasion that now haunts us. Any thoughts on what to search to fix it, any kits, or what to google to find a professional who can help is greatly appreciated. submitted by &”
“My grandfather told me to use Paraffin Oil as a tar remover and then wash with dish soap. My dad washed the car and as a final rinse threw the bucket water over the car.”
“Hi!......there's no such thing as "vegan leather". It's vinyl. It's marketing.”
“This morning I picked up a passenger and after she left, there’s a mark on the rear seat, I tried to use white microfibre towel to clean it with the leather cleaner spray but the towel is still white, nothing were cleaned. Anyone knows what this is? I checked with chatGPT and it said it might be the dye transfer. If you know how to fix this please let me know submitted by /u/Significant-Unit-455 [link] [comments]”
“My guy I’m not telling him to scrub like crazy for minutes on end. A couple of light passes will do 0 damage to the leather.”
“Spilled oil onto rental car seat (take out bag leaked) — used Dr Beckman stain remover over it, oil stain is gone but now I have this bigger stain and a demarcation line. I've gone over it with a dry and slightly damp cloth. It still dries with the line. PLEASE HELP! I return the car tomorrow submitted by /u/AlayaLaya [link] [comments]”
As an update to what I did and how it worked for me (as a non detailing guy) - the main perforated surface and actual leather pieces of my seats benefitted from…
I am a big fan of Armour Detail Supply Pilot interior cleaner.
“I have this shoe brush but doesn't get the job done. Is there any way to do it? submitted by /u/doublefluusher [link] [comments]”
“I got this stain on my leather car seat and after finally getting out of a financial hole I decided to take care of it, problem is that I don’t know jack on how to properly take care of this stain and I don’t know if it’s an oil stain or a pen stain. Any tips are welcomed submitted by /u/LetterIndependent502 [link] [comments]”
“they said there's no options that's rediculous...buy a leather color/stain in a similar color and touch up the dark parts with that. might not be perfect but if you don't right you can cover the tire marks with a well matched stain”
“A client of mine purchased a brand new vehicle and the seats are leather… they spilled some type of perfume. Normally, in cloth like seats, I would’ve extracted this out. For leather that’s a no no… how do I go about removing this??? Would p&s, light agitation, and a wipe down with a microfiber be sufficient? submitted by /u/DatboiD-98 [link] [comments]”
“perforated leather letting it into the seat foam is the part that gets me, i always figured perforated was just for airflow/comfort, never thought about ut being a one-way ticket for moisture into the padding where you can't reach it”
“P&s Xpress interior cleaner. It's made things I thought were beyond repair look new again. Shit it works so good I used it in the house lmao”
“You could probably use real sunscreen and get better results than this ancient relic. submitted by /u/malvixi [link] [comments]”
“You need to Leatherique it and then get some dye to touch it up. Try seatdoctors. Those 2 things will get you as far as possible with replacement. Prob 85% better. Putting a cover on will make it worse underneath”
“Keep in mind that using the wheel wears out the leather (makes it shiny/smooth) so if you prefer a certain hand when driving it'll wear unevenly, nothing to be done about that besides being aware of habits and adjusting where you can to even the wear. You can go easy or hard with the cleaning, a basic interior cleaner with a UV protecting element can be a one and done deal for you or you can buy a cleaner and conditioner/protector separate and go through that process. Just make sure you'”
“Check out colourlock, they make a leather restoration kit that is very good albeit I've only used it on seats”
“My leather steering wheel's looking a bit worn. Can I fix it without sanding (I'm scared to sand)? Also, if I put a steering wheel cover on, will it stop it from getting worse or will it still wear out underneath? I want to keep it from getting any worse. submitted by /u/vasanth3029 [link] [comments]”
“I know some folks - maybe most - love it, but I have a full real leather car interior and I hate the smell. It makes me sickly. It is probably coatings/color or whatever on it, IDK. Car is new to me but 10 years old, so I don't think it will air out any more. I had the car professionally detailed and ozon cleaned, with zero improvements. Is there any specific think that can be done? Thanks! submitted by /u/Snaaake-Snaaake [link] [comments]”
“Can confirm it works on gum. I was able to remove gum that was on a seat for at least several months too.”
“Obviously clean and condition the leather. If it's got a smoke smell I'd go for a chlorine dioxide treatment. Also, Obsessed Garage's leather essence air freshener does actually smell like real leather to my nose.”
“I would ozone it and then use a leather cleaner and conditioner to try and draw out the leather scent”
“Hi guys, so since last year I got my first car with a leather interior. A few weeks ago I put some leather care (Swissvax Leather Milk) on the front seats. The car was sitting in an underground garage and the leather care took about 2 days to completely vanish. Last week I did the same to the dashboard which is real leather. I know there is also the plastic and Sensatec option but my car got the leather individual package. After a whole week the dashboard still had many shiny areas and only afte”