Leather Seat Cleaning??

My leather is starting to get quite dirty and this is the first time I have ever owned leather so haven't the foggiest on how to look after it.

I have been told you need to get some hyde food or something?? To protect it from cracks etc.... Can someone tell me the best stuff for cleaning and the best food (Obviously not beans on toast that could be messy).

I use the AutoGlym cleaner and then the cream to feed the leather. It gives good results and smells great too!

AutoGlym or Meguiars Cleaner-Conditioner. The Meguiars is an all in one cleaner and feeds the leather.

I've got the Autoglym leather cleaner spray and cream feed, but I've heard very good things about Gliptone. Try here Liquid Leather

My brother used Gliptone on his E-Type, miraculous stuff.

Originally Posted by Jim145

I use the AutoGlym cleaner and then the cream to feed the leather. It gives good results and smells great too!

Totally agree Nowt better IMHO

Gliptone - best by a country mile

Depending on how dirty it is, be careful of just wacking a whole load of conditioning cream onto the seats as this can just cause a sticky mess and you end up rubbing the dirt into the leather.

Meguiars make a very good aerosol spray foam cleaner which lifts the dirt off and leave the leather clean. You can either leave it at that, as it also contains conditioners, or you can follow it up with a leather conditioner like gliptone.

I used a Dove soap bar as recommended by a leather specialist to lift out the dirt from light coloured leather...and it works...I used it on my GT's Sahara Beige leather and the dirt really lifted out. You need to add a tiny amount of water and work the soap in with a small brush, then when it dries just brush it off. It's way cheaper than all the products out there on the market!

Baby Wipes !!! great for cleaning ... although I do think you need to also use a product for "feeding" the leather ...

Dedicated water based foam leather cleaners should always be used because they should have been tested on leathers not to damage the finish. Dirt and body oils will damage the finish on leather and therefore need cleaning off. You are never cleaning the leather itself only the surface finish (even on aniline style leathers which these days nearly always have some form of finish on them). You cannot clean dirt out of leather only from off the surface.

Some things do penetrate the finish (dye as in dye transfer) and these need careful removal otherwise the finish will be damaged. Dirt will penetrate the finish if left on there for a length of time and this is why we need to clean little and often. Anything left on the surface of the leather will eventually soak through the finish (given time) and this is the reason that conditioners containing waxes and oils should not be used as they cannot penetrate unless left on for a very long time and in the meantime they attract more dirt and oils to the surface which will damage the finish.

The absorbency rate will differ between the vast array of finishes on the market (more so in the furniture industry) but most auto leather is so well finished that products cannot get to the leather itself.

It is best not to use leather feeds as these will only sit on the surface creating more problems.

DO NOT use baby wipes to clean leather as these will damage the finish on the leather (this has been proved) and will cause problems that require restoration

Originally Posted by leatherpro

It is best not to use leather feeds as these will only sit on the surface creating more problems.

So the Meguiars Cleaner-Conditioner I use is not recommended then? I was never really keen on the the smell of it!

What water based cleaner would you recommend?

I bought my leather seats second hand which were quite filthy, looking at the dirt the Meguiars lifted off but they're still not perfect. I'm just hoping I haven't sealed any dirt in with the Meguiars!

Originally Posted by Chill

Gliptone - best by a country mile

It's funny how we all have differing ideas of what's best but such competition keeps the likes of Megs & AG in business

I always found gliptone greasy.....

I think Gliptone is best for when your leather is marked and needs a refurb but I like the Autoglym as a regular cleaner on undamaged leather. Smells nice and lemony and keeps it sniffing like new......

Well I used Halford's Leather Cleaner and Conditioner last time and was actually impressed!

Dove sensitive soap with water,have used it for years on my leather sofas and my 147 damn site cheaper than these other products too!

poorboys world leather cleaner..

Sold on crystalclear.com or something like that!

Originally Posted by