Since Pics are worth thousands of words...if you guys are about to clean your leathers and plan on recommending what cleaners to use....could you please post Before and After pics, if you guys have a digital camera....plus have web links or tell us where you purchase the products. I am new on here and been reading the threads and don't want to try every product available.
I use Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Wipes. I wipe down the leather once a month. Also , they are great for that unexpected spill.
If you use the Leatherique 2-step system, you condition first with Rejuvinator Oil (which is supposed to bring dirt to the surface) and then follow up with the Pristine Clean (which removes the dirt and excess conditioner), leaving a very nice matte finish.
Alternately, if using store bought products, you could do your normal clean/condition cycle, and then buff the seats down with some Zymol leather cleaner (which is basically a very mild glycerin soap) to return the seats to a more matte look. I've used this process when I've not had Leatherique handy.
i recently order the leatherique over the phone. got both rejuvenator and prestine clean. both 16oz. and let me tell ya they are EXPENSIVE!!!! 45bucks . . wow.. i try that Meguiar's stuff, it didn't do anything.. so i hope since these leatherique cost 10Times more than the reguilar stuff form Wal mart.. they BETTER WORK!!!..
Last edited by 1993ES300x; 03-25-05 at 11:04 PM.
I just ordered LEXOL leather cleaner & LEXOL leather conditioner from (properautocare.com). I should get it by end of next week. If I get it before the weakend I'll work on my car wright away. I'll do before and after pictures. Just to tell ya my seats are DIRTY. Wish me well.
how do you clean suede?
the previous owner burned the driver seat...can that be repaired?
"The Rejuvenator will work just fine on your Lexus leather. All the new finishes are a water based product, and the Rejuvenator and Prestine are very compatible. The finish is water proof, not completely sealed, so it will absorb through the finish, and also through the stitch holes and migrate laterally into the fibers of the leather.
i did get my Lexol cleaner & conditioner. Did one seat and noyhing happend. (Lexol cleaner) did not not worked on my seats. My seats are still dirty. I only used a little bit of the cleaner and nothing of the conditioner. I'm going to call properautocare.com and ask them if I could get my money back because there product didn't work. Anybody knows want to use on dirty seats. Heeeeeeeeeellllllllp!
It depends on the type of the stain. If no household or other cleaner works, then paint thinner / nail polish remover could be used as the last resort. Note this is like the "nuclear" option so use at your own risk. It could remove the painted-on leather color in low-end Lexus.
In my opinion, leather cleaners work as well as plain water.
Well here's what I don't get... Leatherique specifically addresses the issue of leathers with vinyl topcoats, and claims to still soften it. It claims that most of the softening is done by leatherique that is absorbed through the seems inbetween the leather, though.
I guess it just seems like I should be using 303 or the equivalent and not much else, really. But I'm positive that my leather has gotten noticably softer since the time I bought my car with 30k miles on it, and now with 71k miles on it... over the course of time I've applied leatherique 3 times and Zaino 4-5 times.
So are you saying the leatherique did infact soften the leather? I'm a bit confused.
I think what Threxx is saying is true of what many have experienced, and can be attributed to the ingredients in the Leatherique having a positive softening effect on the clear poly topcoat as well as permeating through the micro pores in the polyurethane as well as the seam areas.
Bottom line, if it works and does no harm, why worry what the technical aspects of it are. The end result is what matters.
That said, I think using 303 is fine, perfect even, for clearcoated leathers (of which most all are these days) and the occasional use of something like the Leatherique on leather that needs softening is also fine. The 303 has UV 40, so they both have a symbiotic relationship in keeping leather soft and protected.
I bought my car 3 years ago with 30k miles on it. It's now 3 years later and it has 71k or so miles on it and the leahter is DEFINITELY softer than it was before. I've used a combination of leatherique and Zaino Z10 every so often. I guess what I'm saying is it definitely has improved, but I don't understand how if the leather is completely sealed with a top-coat.
The improvement was definitely not one of those drastic turnarounds... it just improved slightly after every application.
I still wish I could figure out how to keep leather truely new. You know... like that ultra-soft almost creamy/powdery smooth feel that new lexus leather has? It seems to get much more 'plasticky' in almost any car as time goes on without or without leather car products.
Great products if you want to put the time and effort into restoration.
if your car is relatively new and your leather is in good shape, my advice is to stick to the Lexus brand leather cleaner and use only in moderation when needed. less is more.