gehlsurf Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Hi all!! So I have an 07 SEL with light beige leather, and love it. And because of loving it want it to look good and stay that way, haha. I do construction, and am starting to notice a little bit of dirtiness on the driver seat, anybody know of some good conditioner/cleaner for these seats? Thanks a ton!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingo Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrdave Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Because of the way that the leather is treated, your best bet is to just use warm water and maybe a tiny bit of mild soap. You don't really want to use any fancy conditioners, detergents, or leather products since they could actually degrade the protective coating that's on the leather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gehlsurf Posted March 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Ok cool, like something as simple as a little bit of Dawn dish soap? Dingo, are you being sarcastic or for real? Haha, I suppose in reality baby wipes aren't harsh, just like mrdave said! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingo Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Dead serious. Nothing better. I keep them in each car. Think about what they do to babies, and tell me that isn't your goal for your leather. People crack up when they see diaper wipes in a gtr. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gehlsurf Posted March 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 haha, yeah, I suppose it makes sense! Ok, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richy Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 (edited) MrDave is right about the leather being coated. You just need to clean the coating and don't want to put anything on it that will just stick to the coating and attract more dirt. As far as the baby wipes go, I have never tried that. I would assume their cleaning ability is mild, which is good. Edited March 21, 2012 by richy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOEHIO Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 (edited) MrDave is right about the leather being coated. You just need to clean the coating and don't want to put anything on it that will just stick to the coating and attract more dirt. As far as the baby wipes go, I have never tried that. I would assume their cleaning ability is mild, which is good. Yup, nice and mild, and smells good, too. My butt hasn't been so clean and smelt so good in a loooooong time ! (ha-ha). Will have to try them out, my MKX is charcoal black interior, the wife's MKS is Pebble, shows every spot, but I do manage to keep it clean. Edited March 22, 2012 by JOEHIO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gehlsurf Posted March 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 Yeah, come to think of it, it's an even better idea for me, cause I work commercial construction, there's no where to clean my hands, so my steering wheel can get all dirty, but now I can help prevent that by cleaning my hands with these, BRILLIANT!!! thanks guys!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airedale2 Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 My Detailer guy suggested a citrus-based cleaner. He said to try the on at WalMart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOEHIO Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) Did he tell you which one to get?, there are alll kinds out there. Edited March 25, 2012 by JOEHIO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richy Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Did he tell you which one to get?, there are alll kinds out there. I typically use Zep Citrus at 10:1. You can get it by the gallon at HD or Lowes. That's more for deep cleaning. There's a pad that I have that really, really helps with deep cleaning leather too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Depiry Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Murphy's oil soap works great.leave a nice finish,Marty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
us11csalyer Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 I use Lexol - leather conditioner to bring out the new leather smell. From what I am told it puts natural oils back into the leather. I use it once a month to keep the leather smelling good. Anyone have any input on this product? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richy Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 I use Lexol - leather conditioner to bring out the new leather smell. From what I am told it puts natural oils back into the leather. I use it once a month to keep the leather smelling good. Anyone have any input on this product? In the world of car care, there is probably no subject with more false information than caring for leather. Modern day vehicles' leather is coated, like a clear coat paint job on top of your leather. You need to just clean that coating. Dirt wears it down when ground into it. A mild cleaner wiped dry with a micro fiber is all you need. You can't feed the coating. That's just slick marketing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Outrage Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Per the manual: LEATHER SEATS (IF EQUIPPED) • Remove dust and loose dirt with a vacuum cleaner. • Clean spills and stains as quickly as possible. • For routine cleaning, wipe the surface with a soft, damp cloth. For more thorough cleaning, wipe the surface with a mild soap and water solution. In Canada, use Motorcraft Vinyl Cleaner (CXC-93). Dry the area with a soft cloth. • If the leather cannot be completely cleaned using a mild soap and water solution, the leather may be cleaned using a commercially available leather cleaning product designed for automotive interiors. • To check for compatibility, first test any cleaner or stain remover on an inconspicuous part of the leather. • Do not use household cleaning products, alcohol solutions, solvents or cleaners intended for rubber, vinyl and plastics, or oil/petroleum-based leather conditioners. These products may cause premature wearing or damage to the leather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon McGirt Posted May 18, 2012 Report Share Posted May 18, 2012 i'd hold off on the baby wipes. They contain oils and soaps that are designed to interact with urine and feces. If your seats are covered in urine and feces. . .by all means, start with a baby wipe. If they aren't, you're just degrading the leather. The rationale of, "they are gentle enough to use on a baby" doesn't hold water for this simple reason: our skin constantly regenerates--when the oils and soaps in baby wipes remove skin cells, it isn't a big deal because your body naturally replaces them constantly--unless you have a leather seat that i'm unaware of, your leather is not going to regenerate. a quick internet search will tell you to stay away from baby wipes. for every one person that uses them, 20 tell you not to. http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-You-Should-Never-Clean-Leather-Using-Baby-Wipes&id=1227548 if it's working for you Dingo, stick with it. . .but I've seen it ruin seats in a BMW. You need to find a pH balanced cleaner to clean them first. In the past, I've used (and been happy with) Pinnacle cleaner. It doesn't have a perfume scent like a lot of "cleaners" do. Apply with a Cobra brand pad, a cotton rag, or a leather brush and wipe away the excess when you're finished. The second step is to re-condition the leather. Since it isn't growing like skin, you have to care for it a little differently. The best I've used for the price is Lexol (and it maintains/renews) the leather "smell." I'm going to pick some up today for my week old 2012 Edge. O'Reilly's auto-parts carries it in all of their stores (I had to search for it this morning), and it's about $10/bottle. hope this helps--not trying to start anything with Dingo, it's just fact that baby wipes do more harm than good. just look at the science behind what's in them. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrinzII Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 I have used Lexol's leather cleaner and conditioner and find it to be good for leather interiors. In fact, now that I have a leather interior, I need to get some ASAP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
factor99 Posted May 22, 2012 Report Share Posted May 22, 2012 When i got my Edge I asked at the parts counter for the cleaner in the manual. He said they didn't have it and went to the garage to ask what they used....Lexol. I've researched it a bit and it seems it is good for coated leather and ok for vinyl. That's good news since the "leather trimmed" seats are actually mostly vinyl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DXNJ Posted May 28, 2012 Report Share Posted May 28, 2012 Leatherique works great. It can be a tedious process if your seats are really dirty. However, its fairly simple if you apply the protection part of it from day one. http://www.leatherique.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cozzy Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 I have always used Lexol leather cleaner and Lexol leather conditioner on my 2004 Honda Accord leather car seats. The seats still look and smell like new leather after 8 years. I also have a new 2013 Ford Edge Limited Ecoboost and I won't hesitate to use these products when the time comes to clean and condition the seats in the Edge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sophiered267745 Posted June 28, 2020 Report Share Posted June 28, 2020 Hi, I tried washing my car seats with swater, soap and fab con also wiping it but still I am not satisfied however, after bumping in with this product it solved my problem it is actually from Brisbane a leather guard you can check it via online if you like leather cleaning brisbane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enigma-2 Posted September 7, 2020 Report Share Posted September 7, 2020 "Do not use saddle soap or baby wipes as they contain materials that dry out leather seats. Try to avoid materials that contain acids and salts too, as they will destroy the leather seats and make them rough. Use leather cleaners and conditioners that are specifically formulated for use with leather seats." https://www.autos.com/car-maintenance/how-to-clean-leather-car-seats-without-ruining-them Baby wipes contain: water, aloe vera juice, caprylyl glycol, malic acid, sodium benzoate, sodium citrate, coco-betaine & polysorbate 20 (dissolve oils and fats into water). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marythomas Posted November 20, 2020 Report Share Posted November 20, 2020 On 5/28/2012 at 7:08 PM, DXNJ said: Leatherique works great. It can be a tedious process if your seats are really dirty. However, its fairly simple if you apply the protection part of it from day one. http://www.leatherique.com/ Bissel carpet cleaner i recommend for cleaning seats and carpets else if anyone is using they can recommend me for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd92 Posted November 20, 2020 Report Share Posted November 20, 2020 The leather on car seats is sealed with a coating, so you aren't ever cleaning or touching the leather. No need for products that 'nourish' the leather ?. I use Pledge for the entire interior of the car, excpet the glass. For dirt, like dirty dog paws, a wet towel works fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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