leather maintenance

[kemicala]

hey ladies and gents. Im not sure if this would be the rights section to post but im looking for some opinions or ideas about leather seats. ive noticed my driver seat is starting to look like its really wearing out and going to start having rips in it soon. i was wondering what you guess suggest can be done to maintain the leather seats. for example, is there some kind of leather treatment i can apply to keep it durable or would a seat cover help reduce signs of wear and prevents cracks and tears?

thanks for any and all input.

[1oldman]

willwren post:
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=25434&p=259417&hilit=lexol#p259417


I haven't have the experience with leather Bill has so I posted a link to what he does. - BC

[LeSabreUltra]

Lexol or Zaino works great. I use Lexol the most because it's easier, but every now and then I'll treat my truck's leather to a nice dosing of Zaino conditioner. I feel the Zaino makes it softer, protects better, and smells better. But Lexol is great stuff too, especially the cleaner.
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[BonneMe]

Lexol or Zymol. My new car has some significant amounts of deposits in the "grain" of the leather, a soft bristle brush (soft basic toothbrushes are good for small spots) + lexol PH balanced cleaner is doing well so far. It does seem to leave a slightly sticky residue, so they need a little water + wipe down afterwards.

Condition once a month or two and you wont dry out.

[LeSabreUltra]

By the way: If your leather is looking worn don't use a magic eraser on it. Some (including myself) will advocate using a magic eraser on very dirty leather to remove stubborn dirt, but I wouldn't use it on worn leather because it is abrasive. Just use the Lexol cleaner and a brush like mentioned above and scrub it well.
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[Skippy1827]

dont use a seat cover... YUK. Clean it real well and protect it. It can be repaired if it is torn.

[WhiteArrow3800]

x2 on the Lexol products. After sandrock broke it out during SEBF a few years ago to work on LeSabreUltra's seats I've been a fan!

[kemicala]

thanks for all the replies. so what im getting here is magic eraser is no good. and lexol products for cleaning. my seats actually aren't dirty though. im worried about the areas that seem to be wearing out and showing signs of impending rips and tears. i want to prevent rips and tears. will the lexol products help me accomplish this with regular use. the areas im referring to are the shoulder (side bolster?) areas and the outer side areas of the bottom seat. im guessing these areas are wearing out from frequent entering and exiting the car. i try to be careful of how i get in and get out and not sitting on the edge of the seat.

and if i was to get rips how would i go about fixing them, short of replacing the whole cover?

[Skippy1827]

There are places that do leather repair.
Example: http://www.leathervinylmd.com/home.html

[kemicala]

ok, so i think i get the idea. lexol products for care and maintenance and if or when it comes down to it and i get the tears, ill either have to just replace the leather or enlist the service of a place similar to the link skippy posted. thanks everyone.

[00Beast]

There is nothing that can prevent tears at this stage. Cleaning and regular conditioning may slow it down, but you can't rebuild leather. You're going to have to replace the leather covers once they rip, or get them repaired.

[Skippy1827]

I didn't post the do-it-youself kits available because it sounds like your leather is at end-of-life. A kit would be for a puncture or cut and even then I don't think they can match well

[kemicala]

i wouldnt consider my seats end of life. actually only the drivers even shows actual sign of use. ill post a few pictures soon so you guys can see. maybe those do it yourself kits might be useful to me...actually if you think it might not match well, thats a no go. everything has to look like it belongs in the car. im anal like that. but ill post some pictures soon.

[95SLE]

i wouldnt consider my seats end of life. actually only the drivers even shows actual sign of use. ill post a few pictures soon so you guys can see. maybe those do it yourself kits might be useful to me...actually if you think it might not match well, thats a no go. everything has to look like it belongs in the car. im anal like that. but ill post some pictures soon.

Post up pics.

If you need repairs this is the place to go. Chester is a stand up guy.


Chester's Auto Upholstery
2405 Crain Hwy , Bowie , MD 20716 | 301-249-2121


Let me know if you would like to try some Leatherique. Stuff works well at keeping my 04 in tip top shape.

http://www.leatherique.com/

[LeSabreUltra]

Leatherique is fantastic stuff at restoring old leather. It won't fix cracks or tears, but it's amazing at making dirty old leather look, feel, and smell new again. Only reason I didn't mention it originally is because it is pricey.
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[BonneMe]

There is nothing that can prevent tears at this stage. Cleaning and regular conditioning may slow it down, but you can't rebuild leather. You're going to have to replace the leather covers once they rip, or get them repaired.

Keeping it conditioned and not dry will make it last longer, especially if the car is in the sun a lot. Window tint that blocks UV can help too.

[kemicala]

im no having luck getting a decent picture for you guys, but the condition is pretty good for a 18 year old car, i think. but yea, i've been intending to get some tints as well. i know that will definitely help. im sure if i start proper maintenance now with the products you guys suggested i should be able to get a lot more life out of them without rips. thanks for all the replies.

[kemicala]

ok so i was able to get better pictures today. here they are:



next 2 are the shoulder area:







i think the 3rd and 4th picture show the areas of most concern. i already went and bought the lexol products and will be applying it tomorrow. tints will follow soon.