Conditioning Your Leather Seats
 

I'm using McGuires leather conditioner on my seats. When I get out of the car and I know that I won't be using it for the rest of the night I spray the seats down with the conditioner. I don't rub it in I just leave it sprayed on over night. The next day I wipe the excess with a dry cloth. Leaving the seats "soaking" in conditioner over night leaves the seats feeling as smooth as a baby's but and super conditioned.

This is just a little trick I started trying recently and it works absolutely great, it leaves the seats like new and leaves them smelling like coconut. As a matter of fact it works better than spraying and immediately wiping them down. Try it...:)

cool, does the shine last long? I will have to give this a try....after I wipe down my seats and sit on them, the shine goes away and looks dull

nope, it last a while...it works wonders. I was surprised myself because like you whenever I sprayed and immediately wiped down it looked dull again.

First it depends on where you car is located, in a garage or outside. Second, temperature is a key factor here as warmer leather will absorb faster.

I personally use Poorboys Leather Stuff. With the seats clean I dab small amounts into the palms of my hands and rub the conditioner into the leather. This method is far better than just a spraying (could leave spots or worse have overspray elsewhere) as you spread the chemicals and help the leather absorb the product evenly. Then depending on how hot/cold it is and location (est. 30 minutes) I remove the excess with a soft cotton cloth. Been doing this method on many cars for many years and has not failed me yet, or others.

I use Connolly leather cleaner + conditioner. With my car parked in the garage every night and the so cal weather, I clean and condition it once a month.

i use Turtle wax ICE ..i just used karate kid method

^ On leather?

I think he is talking about that all in one new product from the Turtle Wax Ice collection.

yeah. its the interior care.lol camon. im 18 not retarded hahahahha....well.. i lets hope so at least.

I've tried using my hand to rub the conditioner on the leather but leaving it sprayed on overnight worked best for me.

is it a spray bottle?

Yes it is...

You guys are aware that your "leather" seats are actually vinyl coated?

Exactly, A Interior cleaner for vinyl is a better choice and last longer.

My Shinka seats are real leather. No "pleather" for me. ;)

I use Meguiar's leather treatment.

My seats are aftermarket leather and I use Zymol's two step process cleaner and conditioner, followed by 303 protectant applied with a foam pad. I also use a leather brush with the cleaner to remove all the dirt. A brush is key because it allows you to agitate the spots and throughly remove them. After cleaning them, I warmed the leather and then applied the conditioner foam pad and waited about 10 minutes for it to soak in. Then I buffed it off and applied 303 with a foam pad, waited 10 min for it to soak in, and then buffed it off. When I finished, I was amazed at how clean and soft the leather felt. It was also not greasy whatsoever. My seats have never looked better.

so what would be best for stock leather seats...interior cleaner...or leather conditioner.

i just don't want dried out wrinkly seats.

It puts the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose!

^This man right here likes his seats clean!

LOL! :lol: Thanks. Seriously though, you should try this method. I guranatee that you will be amazed with the outcome.

zymol FTW... but since im a meguiars whore I agree with you on their product too lol

I don't let mine get dirty to begin with. Spots? How does that happen???

Since non-Shinka seats are actually vinyl, what would be a good vinyl product? I'm just about to get my '8 and I want to clean and condition every single possible area as soon as I get it home.

You know, I feel really stupid saying this, but I never really thought that my GT "leather" seats might actually be vinyl, even though I can remember on many occasions thinking, "Wow, this sure doesn't look too much like real leather".

I just tried some Meguiar's Gold Class Leather Cleaner and Conditioner yesterday and was really disappointed with it, especially because every other Meguiar's product I have used has been spectacular. I guess maybe I need to get some vinyl protectant, and maybe go sucker punch the guy who let these seats be passed off as leather!

Yeah I hear ya... I thought up until now the GT seats were truly leather!

Just because one uninformed dude says that the leather seat is "vinyl coated," everyone automatically believes him...ROFLMAO. No, the whole seat is not leather, but it ain't leatherette/pleather/vinyl, either. To use my red/black seat as an example, the red seating surfaces where my butt and back touch are real leather. The black side bolsters where my thighs and backsides touch are leatherette. Sure, some of the cleaners/conditioners are formulated specifically for either leatherette/vinyl or leather. But some leather conditioners/cleaners may be used on leatherette as well. Just read the label on the container. I personally use Meguiar's leather cleaner/conditioner on the whole seat and have had no problem.

Before someone complains that Mazda cuts corner and puts cheap leatherette in their cars, just know that it's actually a standard practice. Even high-end brands like MB, BMW, etc., do this--unless you go for the full leather option, which will also give you real leather on the door panels. Heck, Audi and BMW even give full leatherette interior instead of cloth on their A3/4 and 3-series respectively.

^I was told by a guy who works in upholstery repair (had my drivers seat fixed) that this is standard practice as well.. often used for the bolsters since it is more durable than leather

Heck, even the S2000 has ALL leatherette seats

I use Four Star conditioner... it is a bit pricey, but it does a good job and does not leave the seats all shiny and slippery like some others do

Same here, I use Meguair's Leather Conditioner on my 8's and wife's is250 leather seats and my daughter's Mazda6 pleather seats. The Jeep doesn't get anything; don't want to spoil it. ;)

That's a good point - now that you mention it that way, it was always those ribbed (for her pleasure!) sections along the sides that made me think that the seats were not leather. Perhaps maybe the real problem is that I didn't really give the leather product enough time to do its thing. I will say it worked way better than Black Magic leather wipes, but just didn't blow me away like other Meguiar's stuff did. I think it's time for round two.

Of course, I just laid out the $140 for the Mazda seat covers because I dislike leather, but that is neither here nor there...

I think the meguiars leather wipes/goop/sprays suck. I hate the shiny look to the leather. It doesn't come shiny from the factory, so why would I want it shiny? I just got some Zaino leather in a bottle for my birthday, and it is GREAT. It smells like leather, softens the seat and smooths out the wrinkles, and it doesn't look shiny at all. It looks like a clean matte black, which is what I want. And it's safe for vinyl. Give that stuff a shot sometime if you're not in the mood for shiny, slippery, greasy seats like you get with the Meguiars

But my seats are Parchment leather. I don't want them matte black. ;)

Mink Oil

The zaino stuff isn't black. it just doesn't leave the seats shiny and greasy. Also, Zymol stuff is very nice too. No greasiness there either. I think I'm giving up on the "Major" brands. I've heard very good things about Lexol, too, but I've never tried it.

This stuff performs miracles.
http://www.leatherique.com/

Almost all products will leave the seats with a shine. It's how much you wipe down after you let the product permeate that you will have a matte look.

4star really doesn't leave a shiny finish, from what I have seen, as long as it is applied correctly.

WTF.....it's not leather?????? :uhh: :) Actually, I really did think it was leather...cheap leather but leather...so it's really "naugahide" damn... :squint:

I'm pretty sure only the ribbed portion isn't leather. It's pretty obvious which parts aren't leather.

Why do people keep insisting the seats are vinyl or leatherette? Its leather people! At least the parts that touch your back, butt and thighs. The sides are probably vinyl and so are the door inserts.
Mazda would probably be sued if they were advertising that their seats were leather trimmed and were actually made of vinyl.
btw Griots leather conditioner works really well and leaves the seats matt. I use to use on my MX5 GTs leather seats. There is no sticky residue too.

I've just started using Griot's Garage leather conditioner on mine and there's no shine. Great product!

^ link? i need some of this stuff

Here you go.
http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/...C+16+ounces.do
expensive, but well worth it.

I used that before and found it to be completely useless and much too thick to apply. Switched to Leatherique and will never look back even though leatherique is a few times more expensive. I gave my bottle of Meguiar's away :rofl:

Meguiar's was ok (the pre-wetted wipes), and still decent in a pinch, but Griot's Garage is now my go-to.

thanks you get what you pay for so im gonna try this one

^^anytime. Tell me what you think after you try it out. Just follow the instructions and it works great. Just apply it lightly-don't soak the seats with it- just a moist layer and let it sit and buff it out in a little while.

Meguairs Gold Class leather cleaner leaves a lot of shine. You really have to do some fierce wiping to get the shiny-ness to fade a bit. I don't like the product, but with enough elbow grease it comes off. Definitely not one of their best products.

A bit expensive, but as all Griot's products a little goes a long way.

Lexol works fine for me. Doesn't get shiny either.