I installed new leather covers on my 73, what is the best way to keep them soft?
I also have a new Yukon Denali that I would like to condition also.
They are new, so I don't think I need a cleaner at this point.
Thanks in advance.
Terry

 

In a few words, 'Lemon Pledge,


if you dont believe me, look at a can and see what it services.....'Leather' .........

 

I've used Meguiar's leather care. It's cheap and seems to do a fine job.

Tried a similar Armor All branded product & hated it.

 

I use the conditioner I use for my tack and it works great. http://www.amazon.com/Leather-Cleane...8536410&sr=8-3

It goes on and absorbs easily and doesn't leave the seats looking glossy and greasy.

 

Most non-automotive sites that do a deep-dive into leather conditioners indicate to stay away from silicon-based compounds. Guess what? That turns out to be what you find in most conditioners I see in the automotive section. There are claims of UV resistant that seem to be hype to me.

Most sites I've read indicate natural oils are the best, like lanolin oil found in saddle/horse type products. Natural products happen to be cheaper generally. In my research, Lexol seems to have the top end product. Their conditioner is run through dies that produce the smallest particle size which they say claim penetrate leather fibers better than other conditioners. They seem to be the most open about the science behind their product. I use it, but what I do is rub it on with my fingers (not the spray) which coats it a little thicker, then let it sit for several hours, or overnight (maybe apply another coat before going to bed). Wipe off in the morning. It really does make leather more supple. Makes the hands feel good too. You can buy it from their website and that's a better deal than trying to hunt down a dealer. I also use saddle soap as well and that feels good. Come to think of it, my DD is due for a re-conditioning of the seats. Thanks for the reminder!

Mark G

 

Griots leather care for really dried out leather. Lexol for good condition seats

 

I use both the Lexol Leather Cleaner and the Conditioner a couple of times a year. In between, I use 303 as a protectant.

DC

 

Hot dang, another use for my favorite, 303!!

 

Zaino hands down the best.

 

I've used a lot of brands and this is the best on the market.
http://compare.ebay.com/like/3603649...=sbar&_lwgsi=y

 

Just curious what the main ingredient is and what makes it the 'best' from your experience?

Thanks,

Mark G

 

Yup. Zaino "Z-10 Leather In A Bottle".

 

I'm not sure what the active ingredient is but it well make your leather soft and supple.

 

thanks for the opinions.
I think I will try the Lexol, because of ease to obtain.
Terry

 

I would seriously consider buying the 1 liter size containers from Ebay or their website. The spray jug doesn't go very far and you'll spend a lot more money in the long run buying spray containers. With the spray container you have to really pump a lot. I just use my bare hands to spread it on. It's faster and I can get it a little thicker and let it soak. Just a thought.

Mark G

 

I have found Leatherique's products to be very good. They are best known for products used to restore older leather interiors. The other nice thing is they have a ton of helpful information on their website. http://www.leatherique.com/

 

the main ingredient comes from the person that has made more leather interiors than the rest combined and should with 40 plus years making them knows what works on leather...I have 2 Vettes and 2 early Camaros with leather interiors from him and 'Al knows leather, and recommends 'Lemon Pledge'..... and I see no reason to use something else as he`s the expert....... and it works on dining room tables too.....!

 

I wish I could find it, but years ago during some research, I came across an interesting paper about leather conditioners. Basically, the science behind it is that the protein strands that make up the 'grains' of leather have a certain space between them which is microscopic in size. Natural oils in the leather act as a lubricant as the strands move during the animals motion ...or motion of the leather product once it is no longer part of the animal. But, of course, over time, the oils dry out and evaporate leaving the leather hard and more brittle. At the same time, small grit gets into the leather which creates an abrasion and exaserbates leather wear. This is particularly worse in items like Tack and boots which are exposed to more dust/dirt.

Anyway, to extend the life of the leather, oils need to be maintained and even replenished over years. The products need to match the pH of the leather, or that can also damage the leather and accelerate degradation, fairly dramatically it turns out. That's one area where I would be concerned about lemon oil or Pleadge. Animal oils work particularly well, and you find it in many (perhaps most) leather conditioners. That's also why you find conditioners that supposedly "balance" a leathers' pH. The issue of absorption is that the particle size of Lanolin and other traditional oils turns out to be larger than the space between the grains of leather which makes absorbing into the conditioner difficult. In such a case it becomes merely a topical agent, and doesn't really get absorbed into the leather where you need/want it. It helps preserve the resident oils, but doesn't do a good job replenishing evaporated or dried up oils. The response by many companies is to add a thinning agent like alcohol but that can cause problems with leather as well and even upset the pH and from what I remember reading, it can even lead to damaging the natural oils in the leather. But even so, according to the article, it still doesn't address the particle size of the lubricant (oil) that needs to get into the leather in order to keep it supple.

What makes Lexol different, and somewhat revolutionary, according to what I recall reading, is that they have incorporated a process that forces the conditioning agent through microscopic dies and produces an oil that is of a molecular size that is smaller than the space between the leather grains so it CAN more easily work into the leather and not simply remain on the surface. So, over time, the oils become worked deeper into the leather than natural products can. The idea is that it produces a superior conditioning agent and keeps leather's more supple. That's the claim anyway. At the same time, the article indicated that products that contain Silicon do not match the leather pH and I recall there were some other downfalls of silicon-based conditioners, but I don't recall what they were.

Leather conditioners seem to be very anticdotal, like waxes: everyone has his or her favorite that is 'the best'. It seems like just about anyone can put some wax or leather conditioner in a unique container of some sort and call it 'the best' and make this claim or that and people get very emotional about it. What I like about Lexol is there is actually some science behind it's development that seems to make a cogent argument. It's an interesting concept anyway. Personally, my vette has vinyl so I just stick to vinyl products but I use it on my DD.

 

I recall reading something similar which is how I learned about Lexol and then made the switch. The fact that it is sold at tack shops helped reinforce the decision.

DC

 

I like Lexol leather and vinyl products.