[s-cars] Leather Contidioner

[CyberPoet]

Oh, no, not a leather conditioner question... (laughs)

OK. Here goes (another example of Marc's information overkill being
better than leaving people without knowledge):

Leather is skin. Skin desires moisture to prevent drying out and
cracking, and so does leather. Oil is good for this purpose, but oil
transfers to clothing fairly easily (think neetskin oil or mink oil).
Wax is used by a number of products to seal in whatever oil they use,
because wax helps provide a barrier to dirt and simultaneously keeps in
the moisture (Lexol is a perfect example of this -- uses a very hard
bee's wax effectively). After using Lexol or other wax-substrate method
for a year, you need to strip it off (see step #2 below), to remove the
wax build-up, and then re-moisturize before reapplying,

Leather being skin, it is also porous, which permits it to retain dirt,
small garbage, stains. Just as you would wash skin, you can wash
leather, although most leather cleaning products are designed for the
fact that unlike your skin (which is still self-renewing, hopefully),
your leather isn't (candidates: Lexol leather cleaner, or saddle soap,
or in a pinch, even ivory 99.94% pure soap -- I use saddle soap when
needed).

So the question then becomes what kind of conditioning does your
leather need? Is it that it is drying out (such as being rubbed by
clothing, exposed to sunlight, high heat, etc),
discolored/stretch-marks (worn), or that it is dirty (stains, ground in
dirt), or that it is simply dusty (top-coated with a thin layer of
dust)?

1. If it's just a matter of being dusty, wipe it down with a slightly
moist towel or chamois (wet it a little and wring it out well first).
The moisture isn't for the leather -- it's to help the dust stick to
the wipe.

2. If it's a matter of being truly dirty, get a can of saddle soap (or
if you prefer to spend money frivolously, get spray-on leather cleaner
from Lexol or a competitor), use as per directions, and then after it's
dry, go to step 4. Make sure you get it totally dry first.

3. If it's discolored or bearing stretch marks, use saddle soap to
remove the built-up wax/oil/etc, then let dry and use a leather dye
(available in black at most grocery stores) to restain it at the places
it's discolored (works best on black leather, as it's easy to match --
if you have a different colored leather, test on a hidden sample first
or go to Audi and beg for a color-matched dye). When the dye is dry, it
will look pale compared to the rest of the leather, but that's ok; it
will drink up oil & wax afterwards and end up color-matched. Go to step
4 if you have used a dye.

4. If the leather is excessively dry (and doesn't have a wax build-up),
pick a day you won't be driving the car and smear the leather heavily
with minx oil (which contrary to it's name, is a pasty substance), or
if you want your leather to be darker (for tan & light colored
leathers) use neetsfoot oil. Cover every leather surface. If you are
really gung-ho, hit the mink oil after it's applied with a hair dryer
just enough to let it liquify (will penetrate the seams better that
way). Allow to sit for at least four hours (24 hours for any car I just
acquired -- I hate leather cracking, and it does it a lot in the
Florida sun if you're not careful), then come back in and wipe away as
much as you can using dry, clean cloths. Wait an hour and then wipe
again. After you are done, go to step 5. One word of caution: many
forms of minx's oil come with silicone impregnated; try to find one
without.

5. Intermediate conditioning. This isn't the gung-ho conditioning. This
is the weekly or monthly (or whatever) act designed to help provide a
shield on your leather and add just a little bit of moisture. I use
Lexol because it goes on easy, has a hard wax finish (which helps
retain the mink oil that really does the job of moisturizing), and is
fast to use (although expensive). Many people hate Lexol for that first
reason (hard wax = slippery surface). If you can get your hands on it,
bee's wax is about as effective, but harder to apply. Whatever you do,
just make sure that the product does NOT contain any silicone, as it
will not be beneficial for your leather in the long run (displaces
moisturizers that are healthy for the leather). If using Lexol, mist
lightly and the spread around just enough to cover everything. Go to
the next surface and repeat. By the time you get back to the first
chair, it should be dry (about 10 - 15 minutes). Wipe down any
remaining moist spots with a rag and let them dry all the way. If
totally dry, buff a bit (basically, spreading out the wax particles a
bit -- don't try to work it hard, just buff off whatever haze you see).
Repeat in one to eight weeks (depending on your ambient weather, UV
exposure and level of butt rubbing).

Cheers!
=-= Marc

PS - I think Zymol is actually a moisturizer, not a sealer as such...


Mark in UT Wrote:

> Seeing all the talk about waxes reminded me of a question about leather
> conditioner.
>
> My front seats always look great because they get used.  They rear
> seats
> however rarely if ever get used.  What happens is that after
> conditioning
> them about a week later they start to look shabby, like they need to be
> conditioned again.  but the fronts  look great.  My thoughts are
> because I
> use the fronts my clothes act as a type of polisher.  But with no
> "Polishing"
> in the back, the leather doesn't keep it's luster as long as the
> fronts.
>
> Anyone else out there with this same dilemma?
>
> Any thoughts as to how to keep the back seats looking good without
> contitioning them every week?
>
> Mark in UT
> '92 S4

Taka Wrote:

> The cheap Zymol leather conditioner that can be found
> at Target has worked great for me- much more so than
> Lexol. Lexol leaves a very greasy finish that I really
> have to work at buffing off, otherwise my clothes get
> greasy and what isn't buffed really attracts a lot of dust
> and grime.
>
> The Zymol conditioner is easier to apply and really cleans
> up easily, with little buffing after the fact. Also, I've
> noticed that the Zymol stuff leaves my leather much more
> supple and "moisturized" than Lexol ever did. I'm totally sold,
> hope this stuff isn't so strong that it causes the leather to
> fall apart at the seams.
>
> Taka