leather seat care
 

what do u recomend for the seats in cleaner

I use on all my leather surfaces. If you want to do it correctly, you'll need to let the rejuvenator soak into the leather for at least a day before applying the cleaner, but it's very effective in keeping your leather in great condition.

I should have my S2k in about a week, and using this is one of the first things I'll do to it once I get it.

I use Lexol conditioner and preservative. I do the seats 2 or 3 times a year and always make sure to do them before the car will be sitting for a couple of days, this isn’t necessary but I feel it’s better to let it get into the leather.

There are quite a few products out there that are good.

For my regular cleaning I just use a quality interior cleaner like Adam's or my go-go
A couple times a season I'll do a deeper leather treatment:
I've recently switched over to (Leather Master) cleaner and
cream.

Note - only the center part of the seat is leather. The bolsters and upper areas are not leather - so a leather conditioner etc won't do much. I use an interior cleaner on that area then 303 - - this is good on leather as well.

I've also sealed my seats with a leather sealant.

Previously, I used Lexol and it was pretty good. Most recently, I started using Griot's Garage leather rejuvenator and like it even better. It seems to do a better job of penetrating the leather and getting into the material for lasting effect.

I think that the entire "face" of the seats including the top of the bottom bolsters, the front of the upper bolsters and the rest of the front of the upper area is leather.

Regardless, many products including some of the high end stuff are safe for both leather and vinyl. If it gets to the point where you can see that you need to clean the leather then one suggested technique is to use a brush to apply a cleaner in order to create a lather that will raise the dirt out of the leather. Then wipe away the lather before it dries. After that a conditioner can be applied. Regardless of the brand of cleaner and conditioner chosen, using the proper technique to apply them will help to get the most out of them.

I'd advise trying a steam cleaner first since it is the least harmful when trying to release absorbed dirt and oils. It will open the pores and allow a good scrubbing. Secondarily you can try a and all purpose cleaner (Like ). Spray, work it in with the brush and wipe clean. You'll see the results on your towel. It's more of a harsh approach but you can get good results from doing it this way. I'd test in an inconspicuous area first just so you know what you are in for, like the lower portion of the seat where it wraps underneath below your knees.

Here is a video I made on steam cleaning. It is quite boring and amateurish and I also learned that it would have been a good idea to zip tie the bonnet to the wand. :)
Prior to this video I had already repaired and re-dyed the driver's side bolster but the dye was obviously "new red" and not aged red. I did end up following up with the Car Guys cleaner and it lightened the leather more than steam cleaning which was what I was after.

Can some knowledgeable soul explain something to me?
 

It's my understanding that leather car or truck seats have a polyurethane ‘top coat’ specifically designed for automotive applications. If I'm correct, how does "leather conditioning" work? Do some products actually penetrate the factory coating?

Nice video IA-SteveB. Here is a video that compares a variety of cleaning techniques (including steaming) on the same seat allowing you to see the differences.

It is resolene. Resolene is designed as a final coat to seal the leather and shouldn't allow absorption of product. The whole point of the final coat is to prevent the leather from sponging oils and dirt from your skin and clothes. A lot of people will clean and condition leather and then apply resolene after the seats have dried for a while. You don't need to slather on leather conditioner to keep them in good shape.