Another great video Jon. I know this one has a little age on it from a couple of years ago but it's a great tutorial on how to clean and maintain leather. That's exactly how I like to keep my own leather. MATTE and the new appearance. With frequent cleaning, it will stay "as new" for a very long time. My car is 7 years old now. It looks (and smells) brand new inside. When I took it for it's service a few months ago, the mechanics at the dealership service dept couldn't believe the vehicle was 7 years old. It looked better than the day it rolled out of the showroom. I lot of people don't do the 'routine' or 'recommended' service at the proper intervals. I'm guilty of it myself with my daily drivers. But on my sports car, it goes for every recommended service interval including frequent oil and fluid changes. Car looks and runs like it's brand new still.
Just bought some of this stuff from watching the video and it's really given my leather that new look again. The steering wheel has a lovely clean Matte look to it. Great product , review and video as usual dude. 💪
this came up literally 3hrs after i had cleaned and protected the leather seats in 2 cars! I used APC reduced 10:1 give or take and a soft detailing brush, plus coated in C-Quartz Leather. Worked well to be fair, i did make the mistake of doing the car with cream interior before the black one, i realised when doing the black interior that you need a LOT more of the coating to go on, so i now have a little more work to do on the Land Rover, but it is only 3 weeks old so not a massive requirement to do it right away, just want to protect from denim dye transfer. Cheers for the video as ever.
My favorite leather cleaning/protection is Angel Bliss Heaven for Leather and Gyeon Q2 Leather Shield. I use several brushes and scrubbers depending on the amount of dirt and condition of the leather. Biggest problem I run into is transfer from jeans. The cleaner is gentle but effective; if I need more I adjust using special scrub pads. You make a vital point about ensuring that all of the leather cleaner is removed from the seat before going further. Thank you for this vid; some great tips we can forget when trying to work fast.
Thanks Jon for another great how to video. Learning so much the people I'm following and like other people have said my interior does get neglected. Until I get my new one (it will have leather inside)then it will be done properly on a schedule. Keep up the great work 👏👏
I’ve used Gyeon leather cleaner, Colourlock cleaner, and Gtechnic and my preference is Colourlock and Gyeon. As for protection, GTechnic and colourlock and Gyeon are again in my experience amongst the best. A little tip John, if you have baggy leather in places, if you go crazy with water after cleaning in the area you wish to target and don’t be scared to really drench it, then let it dry (best on a warm day) the leather will shrink back to a great smooth finish. I’ve done this on 3 BMW leathers and Range Rover and it’s worked a treat. 👍🏼👌🏼. Again, as always, great watching the videos as you learn something new every time, no matter how experienced you are. Keep em coming. But keep the meat and veg off the leather 😂
I personally use Gliptone leather cleaner and conditioner. Does an amazing job and the conditioner smells amazing !!. Plus its recommended by leather restorers, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin. Back in the days of Saab, they even used to give you bottles of the stuff in the showrooms.
Underrated products it seems. I've been using the Gliptone Twins on my S2000 and I can't believe the results either. The Cleaner was used for the 1st time I detailed the seats when I first got the car. The seats changed from slippery and shiny (covered in layers of cheap silicone spray on top of 8 years of patchy stains and everyday filth - not nice!!!) to very matt and soft with very little effort, with the Valetpro Long Life brush. Then I applied the Conditioner with a microfibre polishing pad, left it to haze over and removed it using a dry clean microfibre cloth to protect the seats. Nowadays, I just use the Cleaner for spot-cleaning my seats but use the Conditioner to top up the protection monthly and the seats always look like new. It gave the interior the 'new leather smell' as well like you say. Highly recommended.
Cheers Jon, I just placed an order, and on your recommendation, I went for the ‘mild’ for my old Passat. The passenger and rear seats look great after using Koch Chemie LS. But the drivers seat is shiny and needs something with more oomph! I’ve heard that shiny leather is dirty leather so hoping to sort this…
shiny leather is not always dirty leather mate. The gloss on the leather comes from the type of top coat used. Some automotive leathers have a gloss finish... some matt. And some satin in between. But when matt leather gets greasy it adds shine.
Love your channel man! I use this product called Tanner's Leather Preserve mainly because the smell is best of all products I've tried. Keep the great info coming, my cars get cleaner with every video you put out!
I started out with the ColourLock smooth leather kit on my 2013 Skoda Superb when it had already a fair amount of mileage... and what a turnaround it was 😱 The ColourLock was recommended to me by a colleague actually and I haven’t regretted buying this product! Since then, I bought the Gyeon leather cleaner and their leather Coat (which is more or less the same product as the CL shield). These Gyeon products were bought, while on sale, so I got them at a decent price. I must say both products are equally easy in terms of application and I do believe they are comparable in terms of cleaning and durability as well. The Gyeon smells nicer, whereas the CL has a neutral scent to it. Some people like the smelling agents in the products and some don’t. Some people want that genuine leather smell, you get with some products. I have tested the Autoglym leather products once, but I wasn’t convinced of their performance, so I guess I’ll stick to what I have.
Ive heard good things about the gyeon leather products. Im a fan of gyeon, its a really hot range with good products. may well try them when I run out of colorlock stuff.
Do recommend colourlock. i have a 2006 fiesta zetec s with part leather seats and their products did make a difference when i first cleaned it. I bought their kit which includes the mild leather cleaner, conditioner and white towel. Bought the sealant and a shoe brush separately. Firstly id put double a pea size amount of the cleaner on the brush and add more when i need it. The cleaner will last a long time as its foam. Scrub it in using circler light pressure then buff off with a microfiber. Id then use the white towel to apply a light layer of the conditioner then sealant. Be careful with the conditioner as too much could change the colour slightly of the leather. The sealant is easy to apply. In the end the leather will feel clean and smooth. With the leather steering wheel id use the cleaner then sealant. I'd reclean every 3 months and recondition every 6 months
My favorite interior detail combo is CarPro Inside followed by Gyeon Leather Coat Q2, which I use about every 4 months. After I wash my car and use Wolfgang Uber as a drying aid, I will often use that same damp drying towel for quick interior maintenance wipe down. I find the more often I wipe the dust off the interior, the less deep cleaning I need to do throughout the year.
My combo is Carpro Inside +Gyeon Leather Shield. And every month, or month and a half, a wipe down with Carpro Inside diluted 1/1 with destiled water. After the wipe down I usually apply Meguiars Conditioner. It leaves a smooth to the touch feeling
Great video. I did a bit of leather cleaning on Friday but only on the steering wheel and gear knob. Then had to clean the inside of the windscreen as the brush sprayed cleaner everywhere when I did the wheel! My favourite leather products are Dr Leather wipes and the Gyeon leather cleaner and coating. I went with Gyeon as at the time Polished Bliss were doing a 3 for 2 offer on Gyeon. Got quite a few bits. I still have Gliptone cleaner and conditioner in the garage but don’t often use anymore after learning (on this channel) that conditioners on new leather is pointless as it never going to absorb though the coating modern leather has.
I really enjoy your videos,very normal bloke that loves cars,I have a question I have an r230 Mercedes that has perforated leather,it’s got a lot miles than your bmw, would you still recommend the same stuff as you use in this video?
Excellent video Jon. I used the same brush (although under the guise of Swiss Vax as well as their leather cleaner) it worked really well on cleaning silverstone merino leather. I used Auto Finesse Hide and it was pointless, it did not remove any dirt. Could you please share the link for your leather cleaner as the Swiss Vax one was quite expensive in my opinion.
Love the videos. Bought the colour lock shield after your previous review-excellent product great results and so easy to use. Ps- time for 2018 product awards? :)
Great video and the channel is educational and very well presented I have very light grey leather on a Passat 1 year old tried a cleaner wowos and it did a good job except at the lower seat back there is a brown line which is transfer from a leather belt what do you think I could use to get this off as it is spoiling the look of the seat Secondly the seats are perforated do you have to use conditioner is it really nessecary is there a better way as you mentioned a shield or coating Many thanks for your help and the educational channel Regards Dave
hi there David that stain might not come out.. on the colorlock website they have guides on attempting to remove color transfer stains that could help.
Dear John It's a great video! Thank you for this and all the efforts that you out on both your channels! I live in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and it's very hot in here. Will a leather conditioner help me fight the effects of heat on the leather, and if yes, how shall I include it in the steps between cleaner and protector? I couldn't find the colourlock kit in here, so I'm using Carpro Inside for a leather cleaner, and meguiars gold class leather conditioner. Thanks in advance.
well modern leather when its new the conditions dont penetrate the clearcoat paint system. when the car gets older about 30-50,000 miles on the clock the leather is worn and becomes pourous and these conditioners can penetrate. You should in theory look to use a leather protector with UV filters in it to help reduce sun fading on the leather. so look for UV protection claims in the product
@@ForensicDetailing thank you very much for the detailed answer and quick response. When it comes to auto detailing, I swear by your name ;). I'm a forever fan.
Using Meguiars APC diluted 1:4 because i have half a gallon left which will last me 5 years... Really cheap, cleaning with a microfiber or leather brush, then wiping the product with a damped microfiber and rinsing it as needed. You can adjust the apc if needed which is nice compared to the colourclock product. for protection, i'm using the colourclock protective shield, for good measure since i'm not sure it's making that big of a difference. But on my newly restore bmw e30 sterring wheel, i am down to try something to improve. Only downside to the colourclock systeme is that they don't offer a product that will add contact protection AND uv protection. It's either one or the other which is a shame, especially on a steering wheels, with will receive a lot of UVs and contact... Stocked to see the result of the megatest, seing how much protection do colourclock product add, and if it's worth price/time to me.
Another great and helpful information 👍, I'm just wondering, according to the products information, this process should be repeated every 3 to 6 months, so what about between this time ? What products do you use or recommend to use to maintain and clean the seat's?
so I presonally use the colorlock mild leather cleaner to do a properly deep clean (see my forensic unplugged channel correcting bodged dealership car preparation). I do properly deep clean of it. After this kuba. I will literally leave the seats well alone I might just wipe them with a damp microfiber cloth with one tiny spritz of APC on it and wipe it dry if I feel it needs it. but thats it mate. I literally do nothing. vacuum and wipe if needed. 3-6 months then proper clean with mild leather cleaner and shield.
Nice and clean, I don't have leather seats in the car but I may clean my sofa's, with the colourlock brush. Can I use car cleaning leather stuff on sofas. My sofas don't feel like soft "Real"leather like its painted and grain added. I have heard of people using APC on leather as its a good degreaser.
Did you get into doing after seeing Scott talking about it? (Dallas Paint Correction) I'm using autoglym interior shampoo which is an APC and started using Maguiars Last Touch detailer to finish it off. Letter looks and feels good. I wanted to try UFF but got at bit worried about the grassing that it can produce for being a solvent-carried paint sealant. Any thoughts?
Yes I did get the idea from Scott. If you spray the sealant directly into a microfiber towel instead of directly to the seat you will get better coverage and less smearing. I would also recommend using another clean and dry microfiber to remove the remaining gloss and it would leave a nice matt finish to your seats.
Great video but what about seats with suede how do you clean suede also? And the stuff you using is it safe on suede if not whats the best way to not get it on suede and also is it safe if I got some on the plastics?
I use Raceglaze alcantara cleaner on mine and it works well using the same technique as used above in the video with the same little brush. I then clean it off with a damp microfibre and then hoover it with a smooth nozzle to make the fibres stand up. Trick is not to over wet it and not to over rub it.
Hi Jon. Today I cleaned a car at work with leather seats, a Mitsubishi ASX. They were full of dirt. Well...the whole car was full of dirt all over it. I had to used all purpose cleaner to clean it. I know you should not used all all purpose cleaner in the interior of a car but because we do not have much detailing stuff, I had no choice but using that. It did the job though. What do you use and what is your process to clean wheel arches all full of mud and get them nice and clean and black again?
hey alexis, using an APC at a low concentration to clean leather is generally gonna be fine. At least let me say it like this its all I used to do, nowadays I think I would use a proper leather cleaner but I understand not all peeps do. Just perhaps makes sure its diluted down correctly and low and make sure it doesnt contain anything overly caustic and dont oversoak the leather is all I would say mate. have a watch of the "How to clean and protect car wheel Arches : The worst detailing job" go into a bit of detail around that although its nothing too complicated really.
Exited for the leather video! It is one of the more confusing aspects of detailing for me. If you could, can you do a comparison of cleaning new car leather (aniline leather?) and old dyed leather as you would find in 80s Mercedes and other cars of the era? Also have you used Leatherique before? Their conditioner is unrivaled in my opinion but their Pristine Clean is probably the best leather cleaner I’ve used!
Great video as always. Does the protector help prevent dye transfer? I have light coloured seats and at the moment I wipe over with Dr. Leather cleaner wipes to keep on top of it every few weeks but want to protect as much as possible. Cheers
Hi John love you vids, you are now default for all matters detail. Incidentally you aren’t that hard on the ears either 😊. With regard to seat cleaning, I have perforated leather for heated and cooled seats. Is it still ok to use this. Also leather dash and door tops, is it okay to use this? Or will a damp cloth suffice. Your advice is appreciated Cheers Steve B
yes but you should use colorlock protector product and leave it over night (or at least 4 hours).. then apply shield. If you put shield on say some greasey oil based conditioner it wont work
Hi mate.... need small help from u. Had steamed my leather seats brown in colour... after steaming there are few areas which have become black. Could this be reversed, I think that leater has got damaged(its premium leather on my grand Cherokee SRT) couldn't believe will be so dangerous . Plz suggest.
hello sandeep mate Im not sure what you mean when you say you steamed them brown. Do you mean you had them repainted? If they have been painted brown and theres dark patches I think you need to speak to the painter mate. Its really hard to comment without seeing it sorry.
@@ForensicDetailing hi mate, its OEM brown leather seates. I tried cleaning them with hot steam and at few places the leather has turned black in colour.
@@sandeepy1011 you shouldnt use steam to clean leather m8. specially new leather. The heat steam can raise the leather can damage it and cause shrinkage. I really dont know what the black dots are.. but if its caused by the steam and it wont go that does not bode well. It might need refinishing sorry, its impossible to say without seeing it.
I’ve got another question; you kindly recommended colour lock for my leather seats however my neighbour swears by pear soap. Looking around online there seems to a fair few folks using it, I wonder what your thoughts are ?
not used it but it seems to contain gycerline so it will have perhaps a nice tenderising effect on the leather. but if your preping leather for some for of coating like the CL shield you need a clean bare prep surface. So pear soap may well be a great little hack to clean leather with but perhaps not always ideal.
I always go for seats with part leather & fabric (cooler in summer, warmer in winter) - any recommendations for cleaning this type of combined seat? I've got Autoglym at present. Thanks guys
Agree with you about part leather seats. I'm happy I got my car with them not full leather ☺️. I've used the colourlock mild cleaner, conditioner and sealant to clean and condition my leather. The driver seat I saw the most difference after cleaning where that shininess turned to matte. For the cloth part you could try out chemical guys lightning fast stain extractor (think that's the right name). You dilute and spray a little on the cloth. I'd use a toothbrush to agitate it in. My dad was selling a car with cloth seats and I tried cleaning one of the seats which had a big stain on it and that product managed to remove it. One thing to note is the cloth will be a bit damp so I'd say leave the seats overnight to dry 👍.
Hi John, I'm in a similar situation, my SUV has nearly 9K miles. How long do you reckon the clear coat should last on a daily driver that is well maintained? I've been cleaning the leather regularly with Autoglym's Interior Shampoo applied to the MF cloth. It seems to do a great job and keeps the leather looking new with a mat finish. I used Maguiars Last Touch detailer for the first time to clean the interior of the car and finish the leather off, after hearing of this off-label use for this product. I'm very happy with the result!
Hey ya I dont know JWL it will vary car to car, so many things can influence it. Its nothing major to worry about. but really on the drivers seat try and keep it clean. give it a nice leather clean like I do in the video 2-3 times a year. and whack the shield on. Ive seen the difference shield makes on friction dye transfer compared to untreated leather. Like getting the shield down on the driver seat contact areas and bolsters should be worth doing thats where the paint system always fails first. when you car gets to say 50k then maybe condition it. but thats assuming its some form of top grain leather and not bonded leather or vinyl.
I got a two bottle kit for about £10 of Gliptone Leather Cleaner & Conditioner from Ebay in 2011, and it seems ok although the seats in my car have a very hard leather that did not absorb much if any liquid; I did not scrub it like you did though. Have you used this product before? It might possibly be from the USA.
Thanks for your vids !! So I just bought a new Toyota highlander leather inside what do you recommend to keep it nice inside an out? Its white looks like things sticks to the out side I need a good wash that won't let dirt stick...
Hey Rogar, I'd say clay bar it so the paintwork feels as smooth as glass. Hopefully that slipperiness will stop some of the dirt from attaching although a dirty car will make dirt stick more on. Probably ceramic coat it after a machine polish to seal in that shine. For interior carpro PERL for the trims and colourlock for the leather seats. I have colourlocks mild cleaner, conditioner and sealant and it made my driver seat matte when i first used it.
@@zaink7037 where do I buy clay bar? I went on chem guys seen the 1900 wash... looking for a wash that shines , protects an slick as glass thank you.. looking for good MIT for wash ... I will use two buckets also , it makes sense...
@@rogerl8488 I also forgot to say but run your hand against the paintwork (make sure its clean) and see how it feels. If it feels rough that means there's bonded contaminants. years back I bought the meguiars clay bar and their detail spray to act as lubricant. Few months ago I bought bilt hambers soft clay bar. I found the meguiars one to work better but bilt hamber also do a medium clay bar which probably was the one I should have used. When I wash my car I use bilt hamber auto wash (shampoo) with gtechniq WM2 microfiber wash mitt. I think lambs wool mitts are better as it reduces micro scratches but they are harder to maintain. I then use Koch chemie fse finish spray which removes water spots and adds a really glossy finish.
I have not mate. A good protectant product has to balance, water repellency, oil repellency, dirt stain resitence/repellency. When we tested them for PVD we picked like different types of stains to test that. Was interesting the ones that were really hydrophobic did well on like water based cofee staining and anything water based, but perhaps not so good with things like ketchup or grease.. had a whole load of really interesting data and results on all this... but ultimately the best way to protect is to not eat food in car and also have some cleaning wipes in the dash so if you break rule one you can instantly clean the stain before it dries :) Friction wear though and dye transfer are really the biggest enemy of leather.
have a watch of the steering wheel cleaning video Mark. I talk about helping to remove that shine a bit... water based degreasers are not great at breaking down the grease on leather, colorlock have a leather cleaning spirit which can help break down that oil more enabling you to remove more and reduce gloss (from the grease)
the gyeon product reads as a sealant which creates a hydrophobic barrier and some repellency to dirt etc. The shield is there specfically to create a lower friction surface to reduce friction and dye transfer. Id be interested to have seen how the gyeon product performed on the martin dale machine, but it may not be formulated to reduce friction or dye transfer.
Watching and see if I learn the right way to clean a headset synthetic by watching cars and shoes tutorials. Just because video tutorials for head-set do it wrong all the time lol
the principle is the same.. your cleaning a processed finish on your headset. one thing is you dont have embossment mattern to deal with. so I would use a suitable mild leather cleaner or surfactant apply it onto the surface of the head-set (ear muffs bits I think you mean) then wipe it off with a clean microfiber cloth or lint free cotten cloth untill its degreased and clean. Its literally very very simple. you could also use a tiny bit of dish soap like a drop to a cup full. and do it that way if its just a one off. dont use a brush because the head set synethic leather can be delicate.
@@ForensicDetailing Thk for the info, they are entry level head-set but since they are brand new I wanna take good care of them. Soap/water when it gets too dirty and dry microfiber to remove daily sweat seem a good starting point for now o/
I bought the BMW leather sealant. It's pants and has left a very slight gloss on the Coral Red Dakota leather of my new 4 series. I think I'll wash it off, and buy the Colourlock kit instead!
I can say the sheild will not alter gloss at all. its just simply there to lower friction between you and the leather thats it, no conditioning or oils or anything.
Thanks John. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the BMW stuff is made by Koch Chemie. It wasn't cheap and I had high expectations.... I was wrong, unfortunately! I appreciate that you probably get lots of products offered to you for the sake of testing, but what do you do when you've paid strong money for something and it doesn't match your expectations? Do you return it, bin it or give it away?
Oh yeah, and I got some red dye leaching from seat to the cloth too, using Dodo Juice Supernatural leather cleaner. Do you know if this is normal with Dakota leather, or did I use the wrong product?
Im not sure who makes the BMW line, you hear lots of things. I dont think its Koch though. I would just bin it or give it away if you dont like it damian.
you should not be getting dye transfer normally no. So the leather should be painted and top coated the top coat seals in a protects the color coat. Sometimes though like seats can fail inspection or something and go back to be refinished or have spot repairs done. It wont be the dodo juice leather cleaner at fault that will just be a safe water based leather cleaner. Its more likely you have some overspray or theres a problem with the seat. I would actually mention that to my local dealer that your getting red paint coming off the chair when you wipe it down with a suitable mild leather cleaner (or even a damp cloth). If you like try wiping the back seat with a damp wet cloth you will probably find you dont get transfer.. so like test areas with different cloths find out where the transfer it occuring and demo this to your dealer. they may well tell you its completly normal and nothing to worry about (call me cynical) but thats not normal you should not be getting color transfer unless the top coat has been stripped.
you should see the leather on my 1996 n reg Toyota mr2, genuine black leather wity 112,000miles, ive just cleaned it and im in the process of just day in day out now im going to load it with as much conditioner as possible because its looking cracked and just old lol, no rips or damage just old. petina
I used a conditioner on a REV3 Tbar mk2 not so long back and it did a great job of making it soft. yes it did shine but it looked so much better and felt so much better after conditioning or dressing it. thats why I say like the detailing faux pas of not using conditioners doesnt always stand true in real life. sometimes they just need smartening up.
@@ForensicDetailing yeah for sure mate, modern day leather just wipe um over and maybe add a top up uv. But old stuff like my mr2 leather is in need of serious help. Just got the car. Sold my supra TT so i fancied something cheaper but nice. Loved these mr2 mk2 as a kid. Had to get one before they all rot away. Such a focus car and awesome fun., boy can you win that twin cam up
some things about them are cool. Ive got a tub that Ive literally had for years and years and they are still wet and work. but you cant get into the grain of the leather with them and I find one wipe craps out or runs out of poke too quickly. also not keen on the heavy leather scent. but for a convience thing they are handy i think..
@@ForensicDetailing thanks - I've a tub of them so will stick with them. Will get the brush and go over with very mild APC, let dry and then use the wipes for the matte finish and smell. Cheers.
You make it look so effortless Jon! I admit the interior is the one part of the car I really don't enjoy and don't do as often as I should. As for products I just grab whatever is at hand... so autoperfekt leather cleaner, wowo's, carpro inside, killerwax leather cleaner... the list is endless. Protection wise is the same story although I really should look into something like the colourlock protector. One thing I have added in for quickness is a wipe down with chemical guys leather QD for the rear as they aren't used in my own car. Removes any dust/finger prints, leaves a low sheen finish and also a lovely natural leathet scent. I add this down on the front also if the leather/protectant doesn't have a leather scent. Curious to know what you think about coating the steering wheel and handbrake?
Yo brian, you can use the shield on steering wheel and handbrake. It doesnt make it slippy. Im just not sure though if shield can help with wear on the steering wheel in particular. not sure if I had to guess id say the steering wheel will go like shiny over time and wear the most. most of the leather steering wheels are bonded leather as well from what im told.
its a combo of natural leather in the contact areas and vinyl or bonded PU leather in the non contact areas. But ultimately your cleaning a painted finish thats the same on these different substrates.
@@ForensicDetailing thank you. I have been struggeling to find a conditioner from Sonax that clearly say it inteded for “natural leather”. Most companies just say “smooth” leather and in the same description say it contains Silicone oils!! What a mess 🤔
Viscose is not really synthetic either, even if the name sounds that way. It is heavily processed, though. It's trendy to sell it as bamboo or something in clothing these days.
As I've learnt, modern leather seats are factory coated, so there's no point to use specific "leather cleaners" and "leather conditioners" as the surface is actually the coating itself. Which can be cleaned with APC and can't absorb conditioners/balms. Please disagree with me, I'm open for opinions.
could be cleaned with APC if you want. an interior safe APC at low concentration generally going work, the key thing is that it says its for use on leather seats on the label. some APC's are more all purpose degreasers and can also contain caustic components that wont be good for your micron layer of top coat. so if I take my car to be detailed and someone starts hitting it with truck wash style degreasers then Im gone. we've talked about this in depth on the channel minuteman have a watch of the earlier leather videos on refinishing leather and how to maintain leather. first battle is knowing if its actually leather or bonded leather or vinyl. You can argue theres virtually zero point conditioning vinyl and bonded leather because even with bonded leather the conditioners wont make it through the PU layer and the leather backing is really only there to give the leather feel and allow the companies to say its 99% real leather (). you could just argue you think it makes your seats look fresher and nicer etc so you want to use them... with real top grain leather in car seats its still heavily processed and painted like you say with primer, color coats and top coat and its non pourous.. so the conditioners wont penetrate or absord into the leather. but when this real top grain leather gets olders the top coat fails the surface does become pourous and you can notice the positive effects of a conditioner which can soften the leather and make it supple rather than brittle. All I do with my leather is clean it and put the anti friction coating on it. Ive seen the difference that makes in testing friction wear and dye transfer on a martin dale test machine, playing with leather protection products for like a week running tests (see pvd mega leather test video)
@@ForensicDetailing thank you very much for the detailed answer and your time! You just blown away all my confusions only in a couple of sentences. It's like all of your vids - purely professional!
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I've come to realize I enjoy watching people clean car interiors. Great video
I'm the same mate, check out obsessed garage
Yup. It’s like therapy. Of sort. Therapeutic. Defiantly a joy.
Another great video Jon. I know this one has a little age on it from a couple of years ago but it's a great tutorial on how to clean and maintain leather. That's exactly how I like to keep my own leather. MATTE and the new appearance. With frequent cleaning, it will stay "as new" for a very long time. My car is 7 years old now. It looks (and smells) brand new inside. When I took it for it's service a few months ago, the mechanics at the dealership service dept couldn't believe the vehicle was 7 years old. It looked better than the day it rolled out of the showroom. I lot of people don't do the 'routine' or 'recommended' service at the proper intervals. I'm guilty of it myself with my daily drivers. But on my sports car, it goes for every recommended service interval including frequent oil and fluid changes. Car looks and runs like it's brand new still.
Just bought some of this stuff from watching the video and it's really given my leather that new look again. The steering wheel has a lovely clean Matte look to it. Great product , review and video as usual dude. 💪
Much love to you my brother
this came up literally 3hrs after i had cleaned and protected the leather seats in 2 cars! I used APC reduced 10:1 give or take and a soft detailing brush, plus coated in C-Quartz Leather. Worked well to be fair, i did make the mistake of doing the car with cream interior before the black one, i realised when doing the black interior that you need a LOT more of the coating to go on, so i now have a little more work to do on the Land Rover, but it is only 3 weeks old so not a massive requirement to do it right away, just want to protect from denim dye transfer.
Cheers for the video as ever.
My favorite leather cleaning/protection is Angel Bliss Heaven for Leather and Gyeon Q2 Leather Shield. I use several brushes and scrubbers depending on the amount of dirt and condition of the leather. Biggest problem I run into is transfer from jeans. The cleaner is gentle but effective; if I need more I adjust using special scrub pads.
You make a vital point about ensuring that all of the leather cleaner is removed from the seat before going further. Thank you for this vid; some great tips we can forget when trying to work fast.
Thanks Jon for another great how to video. Learning so much the people I'm following and like other people have said my interior does get neglected. Until I get my new one (it will have leather inside)then it will be done properly on a schedule. Keep up the great work 👏👏
Another top video mate! Don’t know where you find the time for this stuff, glad you do though as it’s helped me loads.
I’ve used Gyeon leather cleaner, Colourlock cleaner, and Gtechnic and my preference is Colourlock and Gyeon. As for protection, GTechnic and colourlock and Gyeon are again in my experience amongst the best. A little tip John, if you have baggy leather in places, if you go crazy with water after cleaning in the area you wish to target and don’t be scared to really drench it, then let it dry (best on a warm day) the leather will shrink back to a great smooth finish. I’ve done this on 3 BMW leathers and Range Rover and it’s worked a treat. 👍🏼👌🏼. Again, as always, great watching the videos as you learn something new every time, no matter how experienced you are. Keep em coming. But keep the meat and veg off the leather 😂
I personally use Gliptone leather cleaner and conditioner. Does an amazing job and the conditioner smells amazing !!. Plus its recommended by leather restorers, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin. Back in the days of Saab, they even used to give you bottles of the stuff in the showrooms.
Underrated products it seems. I've been using the Gliptone Twins on my S2000 and I can't believe the results either. The Cleaner was used for the 1st time I detailed the seats when I first got the car. The seats changed from slippery and shiny (covered in layers of cheap silicone spray on top of 8 years of patchy stains and everyday filth - not nice!!!) to very matt and soft with very little effort, with the Valetpro Long Life brush. Then I applied the Conditioner with a microfibre polishing pad, left it to haze over and removed it using a dry clean microfibre cloth to protect the seats. Nowadays, I just use the Cleaner for spot-cleaning my seats but use the Conditioner to top up the protection monthly and the seats always look like new. It gave the interior the 'new leather smell' as well like you say. Highly recommended.
Any chance you could make a video of this product?
Cheers Jon, I just placed an order, and on your recommendation, I went for the ‘mild’ for my old Passat. The passenger and rear seats look great after using Koch Chemie LS. But the drivers seat is shiny and needs something with more oomph! I’ve heard that shiny leather is dirty leather so hoping to sort this…
shiny leather is not always dirty leather mate. The gloss on the leather comes from the type of top coat used. Some automotive leathers have a gloss finish... some matt. And some satin in between. But when matt leather gets greasy it adds shine.
I've heard that Mercedes USA recommends using woolite diluted with water to clean the leather.
Love your channel man! I use this product called Tanner's Leather Preserve mainly because the smell is best of all products I've tried. Keep the great info coming, my cars get cleaner with every video you put out!
I started out with the ColourLock smooth leather kit on my 2013 Skoda Superb when it had already a fair amount of mileage... and what a turnaround it was 😱
The ColourLock was recommended to me by a colleague actually and I haven’t regretted buying this product! Since then, I bought the Gyeon leather cleaner and their leather Coat (which is more or less the same product as the CL shield). These Gyeon products were bought, while on sale, so I got them at a decent price. I must say both products are equally easy in terms of application and I do believe they are comparable in terms of cleaning and durability as well. The Gyeon smells nicer, whereas the CL has a neutral scent to it. Some people like the smelling agents in the products and some don’t. Some people want that genuine leather smell, you get with some products.
I have tested the Autoglym leather products once, but I wasn’t convinced of their performance, so I guess I’ll stick to what I have.
Ive heard good things about the gyeon leather products. Im a fan of gyeon, its a really hot range with good products. may well try them when I run out of colorlock stuff.
Do recommend colourlock. i have a 2006 fiesta zetec s with part leather seats and their products did make a difference when i first cleaned it. I bought their kit which includes the mild leather cleaner, conditioner and white towel. Bought the sealant and a shoe brush separately.
Firstly id put double a pea size amount of the cleaner on the brush and add more when i need it. The cleaner will last a long time as its foam. Scrub it in using circler light pressure then buff off with a microfiber. Id then use the white towel to apply a light layer of the conditioner then sealant. Be careful with the conditioner as too much could change the colour slightly of the leather. The sealant is easy to apply. In the end the leather will feel clean and smooth. With the leather steering wheel id use the cleaner then sealant. I'd reclean every 3 months and recondition every 6 months
Really insightful! I’m with ya on the two light layers 🙏
My favorite interior detail combo is CarPro Inside followed by Gyeon Leather Coat Q2, which I use about every 4 months. After I wash my car and use Wolfgang Uber as a drying aid, I will often use that same damp drying towel for quick interior maintenance wipe down. I find the more often I wipe the dust off the interior, the less deep cleaning I need to do throughout the year.
My combo is Carpro Inside +Gyeon Leather Shield. And every month, or month and a half, a wipe down with Carpro Inside diluted 1/1 with destiled water. After the wipe down I usually apply Meguiars Conditioner. It leaves a smooth to the touch feeling
Gtechniq’s I2 cleaner is first class. It brings back that factory look of matt leather. Top vid as always 🤓
Would you be able to provide a link to where you can the viscous clothes you are using ?
Great video. I did a bit of leather cleaning on Friday but only on the steering wheel and gear knob. Then had to clean the inside of the windscreen as the brush sprayed cleaner everywhere when I did the wheel! My favourite leather products are Dr Leather wipes and the Gyeon leather cleaner and coating. I went with Gyeon as at the time Polished Bliss were doing a 3 for 2 offer on Gyeon. Got quite a few bits. I still have Gliptone cleaner and conditioner in the garage but don’t often use anymore after learning (on this channel) that conditioners on new leather is pointless as it never going to absorb though the coating modern leather has.
cool stuff chris. sounds like a good deal.
I really enjoy your videos,very normal bloke that loves cars,I have a question
I have an r230 Mercedes that has perforated leather,it’s got a lot miles than your bmw, would you still recommend the same stuff as you use in this video?
I always learn so much watching your videos. Thank you/.
What about cleaning perforated leather? Some cars have the little holes for seat warming/cooling air. Do we clean the same way? Brush action?
Excellent video Jon. I used the same brush (although under the guise of Swiss Vax as well as their leather cleaner) it worked really well on cleaning silverstone merino leather. I used Auto Finesse Hide and it was pointless, it did not remove any dirt. Could you please share the link for your leather cleaner as the Swiss Vax one was quite expensive in my opinion.
Love the videos.
Bought the colour lock shield after your previous review-excellent product great results and so easy to use.
Ps- time for 2018 product awards? :)
Great video and the channel is educational and very well presented
I have very light grey leather on a Passat 1 year old tried a cleaner wowos and it did a good job except at the lower seat back there is a brown line which is transfer from a leather belt what do you think I could use to get this off as it is spoiling the look of the seat
Secondly the seats are perforated do you have to use conditioner is it really nessecary is there a better way as you mentioned a shield or coating
Many thanks for your help and the educational channel
Regards Dave
hi there David that stain might not come out.. on the colorlock website they have guides on attempting to remove color transfer stains that could help.
Dear John
It's a great video! Thank you for this and all the efforts that you out on both your channels!
I live in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and it's very hot in here. Will a leather conditioner help me fight the effects of heat on the leather, and if yes, how shall I include it in the steps between cleaner and protector?
I couldn't find the colourlock kit in here, so I'm using Carpro Inside for a leather cleaner, and meguiars gold class leather conditioner.
Thanks in advance.
well modern leather when its new the conditions dont penetrate the clearcoat paint system. when the car gets older about 30-50,000 miles on the clock the leather is worn and becomes pourous and these conditioners can penetrate.
You should in theory look to use a leather protector with UV filters in it to help reduce sun fading on the leather. so look for UV protection claims in the product
@@ForensicDetailing thank you very much for the detailed answer and quick response. When it comes to auto detailing, I swear by your name ;). I'm a forever fan.
@@FerasSKayyali thank you for the kind words my friend
So great and helpful, thanks Jon, respect.
Perfect, time for some coffee and a scone 🙌🏽
Using Meguiars APC diluted 1:4 because i have half a gallon left which will last me 5 years... Really cheap, cleaning with a microfiber or leather brush, then wiping the product with a damped microfiber and rinsing it as needed. You can adjust the apc if needed which is nice compared to the colourclock product.
for protection, i'm using the colourclock protective shield, for good measure since i'm not sure it's making that big of a difference. But on my newly restore bmw e30 sterring wheel, i am down to try something to improve.
Only downside to the colourclock systeme is that they don't offer a product that will add contact protection AND uv protection. It's either one or the other which is a shame, especially on a steering wheels, with will receive a lot of UVs and contact...
Stocked to see the result of the megatest, seing how much protection do colourclock product add, and if it's worth price/time to me.
Another great and helpful information 👍, I'm just wondering, according to the products information, this process should be repeated every 3 to 6 months, so what about between this time ? What products do you use or recommend to use to maintain and clean the seat's?
so I presonally use the colorlock mild leather cleaner to do a properly deep clean (see my forensic unplugged channel correcting bodged dealership car preparation). I do properly deep clean of it. After this kuba. I will literally leave the seats well alone I might just wipe them with a damp microfiber cloth with one tiny spritz of APC on it and wipe it dry if I feel it needs it. but thats it mate. I literally do nothing. vacuum and wipe if needed. 3-6 months then proper clean with mild leather cleaner and shield.
@@ForensicDetailing Great 👍, thank you
Have you made a video on cleaning alcantara / suade
Great video! How about perforated leather? I find it much more tricky and am not sure if I am doing it right.
Nice and clean, I don't have leather seats in the car but I may clean my sofa's, with the colourlock brush. Can I use car cleaning leather stuff on sofas. My sofas don't feel like soft "Real"leather like its painted and grain added. I have heard of people using APC on leather as its a good degreaser.
I use a diluted solution of Super Clean on leather. works great and with a mild treatment the leather looks, and feel clean!
@@ColvinAvianBreadline cheers, presume super clean is American as its like £90 on amazon lol. Bilt hamber surfex HD maybe good.
I have used super clean diluted 4:1 and used meguairs uff on the leather and let me tell you that is one hell of a combo guys.
Did you get into doing after seeing Scott talking about it? (Dallas Paint Correction) I'm using autoglym interior shampoo which is an APC and started using Maguiars Last Touch detailer to finish it off. Letter looks and feels good. I wanted to try UFF but got at bit worried about the grassing that it can produce for being a solvent-carried paint sealant. Any thoughts?
Yes I did get the idea from Scott. If you spray the sealant directly into a microfiber towel instead of directly to the seat you will get better coverage and less smearing. I would also recommend using another clean and dry microfiber to remove the remaining gloss and it would leave a nice matt finish to your seats.
Great video but what about seats with suede how do you clean suede also?
And the stuff you using is it safe on suede if not whats the best way to not get it on suede and also is it safe if I got some on the plastics?
I use Raceglaze alcantara cleaner on mine and it works well using the same technique as used above in the video with the same little brush. I then clean it off with a damp microfibre and then hoover it with a smooth nozzle to make the fibres stand up. Trick is not to over wet it and not to over rub it.
Would the method and leather products on the market be the same for sensatec seats / synthetic?
yes your maintain a paint system more than a piece of leather really.
@@ForensicDetailing thanks dude appreciate the help Nd content
Hi Jon. Today I cleaned a car at work with leather seats, a Mitsubishi ASX. They were full of dirt. Well...the whole car was full of dirt all over it. I had to used all purpose cleaner to clean it. I know you should not used all all purpose cleaner in the interior of a car but because we do not have much detailing stuff, I had no choice but using that. It did the job though. What do you use and what is your process to clean wheel arches all full of mud and get them nice and clean and black again?
hey alexis, using an APC at a low concentration to clean leather is generally gonna be fine. At least let me say it like this its all I used to do, nowadays I think I would use a proper leather cleaner but I understand not all peeps do. Just perhaps makes sure its diluted down correctly and low and make sure it doesnt contain anything overly caustic and dont oversoak the leather is all I would say mate. have a watch of the "How to clean and protect car wheel Arches : The worst detailing job" go into a bit of detail around that although its nothing too complicated really.
Exited for the leather video! It is one of the more confusing aspects of detailing for me. If you could, can you do a comparison of cleaning new car leather (aniline leather?) and old dyed leather as you would find in 80s Mercedes and other cars of the era?
Also have you used Leatherique before? Their conditioner is unrivaled in my opinion but their Pristine Clean is probably the best leather cleaner I’ve used!
Great video as always. Does the protector help prevent dye transfer? I have light coloured seats and at the moment I wipe over with Dr. Leather cleaner wipes to keep on top of it every few weeks but want to protect as much as possible. Cheers
yes it does nigel. you can see clips of the martin dale test machine in this video... have a look at the PVD mega leather test video.
Cheers thanks for the reply, I will get some to try. I do like to keep the leather smell as well!
i have a 20 year old executive real leather chair and just used cheap wet wipes on it and it came up like new.
Heya Jon, long time viewer.. 2022 have your tips or products choices changed in any way..
Cheers
Kev
In Ireland 👍👍
Love your stuff 👍👍
Stay tuned m8 v8f 9n this
@@ForensicDetailing 1abmnd567cmplod 👍👍😂
Hi John love you vids, you are now default for all matters detail. Incidentally you aren’t that hard on the ears either 😊. With regard to seat cleaning, I have perforated leather for heated and cooled seats. Is it still ok to use this. Also leather dash and door tops, is it okay to use this? Or will a damp cloth suffice.
Your advice is appreciated
Cheers Steve B
Great info. I have the Brush and got DoDo Supernatural and Angelwax Hide-Rate
What's the difference between a leather brush and a shoe brush? They are the same...?
Jon, before the anti friction coating, could a conditioner be applied? Or would that be a no no?
yes but you should use colorlock protector product and leave it over night (or at least 4 hours).. then apply shield. If you put shield on say some greasey oil based conditioner it wont work
Thank you Jon for a quick reply. Enjoying the channel, helping me on the way to becoming a full time detailer 👍
Hi
Do you have a link to the viscose cloths? Thanks
hey matt they are available from colorlock website in the UK.
Thanks mate
I brought the Colorlock kit from them at waxstock but haven’t used it yet, been using Dr leather wipes
Thorough as ever mate, cheers
Hi mate.... need small help from u. Had steamed my leather seats brown in colour... after steaming there are few areas which have become black. Could this be reversed, I think that leater has got damaged(its premium leather on my grand Cherokee SRT) couldn't believe will be so dangerous . Plz suggest.
hello sandeep mate Im not sure what you mean when you say you steamed them brown. Do you mean you had them repainted? If they have been painted brown and theres dark patches I think you need to speak to the painter mate. Its really hard to comment without seeing it sorry.
@@ForensicDetailing hi mate, its OEM brown leather seates. I tried cleaning them with hot steam and at few places the leather has turned black in colour.
@@sandeepy1011 you shouldnt use steam to clean leather m8. specially new leather. The heat steam can raise the leather can damage it and cause shrinkage. I really dont know what the black dots are.. but if its caused by the steam and it wont go that does not bode well. It might need refinishing sorry, its impossible to say without seeing it.
I’ve got another question; you kindly recommended colour lock for my leather seats however my neighbour swears by pear soap. Looking around online there seems to a fair few folks using it, I wonder what your thoughts are ?
not used it but it seems to contain gycerline so it will have perhaps a nice tenderising effect on the leather. but if your preping leather for some for of coating like the CL shield you need a clean bare prep surface. So pear soap may well be a great little hack to clean leather with but perhaps not always ideal.
@@ForensicDetailing thanks for that, maybe a good dose of leather conditioner afterwards may help
I always go for seats with part leather & fabric (cooler in summer, warmer in winter) - any recommendations for cleaning this type of combined seat? I've got Autoglym at present. Thanks guys
Agree with you about part leather seats. I'm happy I got my car with them not full leather ☺️.
I've used the colourlock mild cleaner, conditioner and sealant to clean and condition my leather. The driver seat I saw the most difference after cleaning where that shininess turned to matte.
For the cloth part you could try out chemical guys lightning fast stain extractor (think that's the right name). You dilute and spray a little on the cloth. I'd use a toothbrush to agitate it in. My dad was selling a car with cloth seats and I tried cleaning one of the seats which had a big stain on it and that product managed to remove it. One thing to note is the cloth will be a bit damp so I'd say leave the seats overnight to dry 👍.
@@zaink7037 Cheers, sounds great 👍🏻
Hi John, I'm in a similar situation, my SUV has nearly 9K miles. How long do you reckon the clear coat should last on a daily driver that is well maintained? I've been cleaning the leather regularly with Autoglym's Interior Shampoo applied to the MF cloth. It seems to do a great job and keeps the leather looking new with a mat finish. I used Maguiars Last Touch detailer for the first time to clean the interior of the car and finish the leather off, after hearing of this off-label use for this product. I'm very happy with the result!
Hey ya I dont know JWL it will vary car to car, so many things can influence it. Its nothing major to worry about. but really on the drivers seat try and keep it clean. give it a nice leather clean like I do in the video 2-3 times a year. and whack the shield on. Ive seen the difference shield makes on friction dye transfer compared to untreated leather. Like getting the shield down on the driver seat contact areas and bolsters should be worth doing thats where the paint system always fails first. when you car gets to say 50k then maybe condition it. but thats assuming its some form of top grain leather and not bonded leather or vinyl.
I got a two bottle kit for about £10 of Gliptone Leather Cleaner & Conditioner from Ebay in 2011, and it seems ok although the seats in my car have a very hard leather that did not absorb much if any liquid; I did not scrub it like you did though. Have you used this product before? It might possibly be from the USA.
Thanks for your vids !! So I just bought a new Toyota highlander leather inside what do you recommend to keep it nice inside an out? Its white looks like things sticks to the out side I need a good wash that won't let dirt stick...
Hey Rogar, I'd say clay bar it so the paintwork feels as smooth as glass. Hopefully that slipperiness will stop some of the dirt from attaching although a dirty car will make dirt stick more on. Probably ceramic coat it after a machine polish to seal in that shine.
For interior carpro PERL for the trims and colourlock for the leather seats. I have colourlocks mild cleaner, conditioner and sealant and it made my driver seat matte when i first used it.
@@zaink7037 where do I buy clay bar? I went on chem guys seen the 1900 wash... looking for a wash that shines , protects an slick as glass thank you.. looking for good MIT for wash ... I will use two buckets also , it makes sense...
@@zaink7037 found clay bar u have it in your list
@@rogerl8488 I also forgot to say but run your hand against the paintwork (make sure its clean) and see how it feels. If it feels rough that means there's bonded contaminants.
years back I bought the meguiars clay bar and their detail spray to act as lubricant. Few months ago I bought bilt hambers soft clay bar. I found the meguiars one to work better but bilt hamber also do a medium clay bar which probably was the one I should have used.
When I wash my car I use bilt hamber auto wash (shampoo) with gtechniq WM2 microfiber wash mitt. I think lambs wool mitts are better as it reduces micro scratches but they are harder to maintain. I then use Koch chemie fse finish spray which removes water spots and adds a really glossy finish.
have u ever tryied Gyeon Leather Coat ? Its very nice because it has some ''hidrofobicity'' on it, it becomes easy to clean later.
I have not mate. A good protectant product has to balance, water repellency, oil repellency, dirt stain resitence/repellency. When we tested them for PVD we picked like different types of stains to test that. Was interesting the ones that were really hydrophobic did well on like water based cofee staining and anything water based, but perhaps not so good with things like ketchup or grease.. had a whole load of really interesting data and results on all this... but ultimately the best way to protect is to not eat food in car and also have some cleaning wipes in the dash so if you break rule one you can instantly clean the stain before it dries :) Friction wear though and dye transfer are really the biggest enemy of leather.
i agree. Maybe some day you can try Gyeon Leather Coat and do some tests. I will do and come back to tell you what i found. Tnks man
Please could you do a video on Suede seats? Thanks
I always find BMW steering wheels go shiney very quickly. Would this product work on removing that shine?
have a watch of the steering wheel cleaning video Mark. I talk about helping to remove that shine a bit... water based degreasers are not great at breaking down the grease on leather, colorlock have a leather cleaning spirit which can help break down that oil more enabling you to remove more and reduce gloss (from the grease)
Great video as always !
What do you think between the colourlock shield vs gyeon Q2 leather coat ?
the gyeon product reads as a sealant which creates a hydrophobic barrier and some repellency to dirt etc. The shield is there specfically to create a lower friction surface to reduce friction and dye transfer. Id be interested to have seen how the gyeon product performed on the martin dale machine, but it may not be formulated to reduce friction or dye transfer.
@@ForensicDetailing
Thank you for you very complete answer.
Gyeon = sealant
Cl shield is for reducing abrasion
Watching and see if I learn the right way to clean a headset synthetic by watching cars and shoes tutorials.
Just because video tutorials for head-set do it wrong all the time lol
the principle is the same.. your cleaning a processed finish on your headset. one thing is you dont have embossment mattern to deal with. so I would use a suitable mild leather cleaner or surfactant apply it onto the surface of the head-set (ear muffs bits I think you mean) then wipe it off with a clean microfiber cloth or lint free cotten cloth untill its degreased and clean. Its literally very very simple. you could also use a tiny bit of dish soap like a drop to a cup full. and do it that way if its just a one off. dont use a brush because the head set synethic leather can be delicate.
@@ForensicDetailing Thk for the info, they are entry level head-set but since they are brand new I wanna take good care of them. Soap/water when it gets too dirty and dry microfiber to remove daily sweat seem a good starting point for now o/
I bought the BMW leather sealant. It's pants and has left a very slight gloss on the Coral Red Dakota leather of my new 4 series. I think I'll wash it off, and buy the Colourlock kit instead!
I can say the sheild will not alter gloss at all. its just simply there to lower friction between you and the leather thats it, no conditioning or oils or anything.
Thanks John. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the BMW stuff is made by Koch Chemie. It wasn't cheap and I had high expectations.... I was wrong, unfortunately!
I appreciate that you probably get lots of products offered to you for the sake of testing, but what do you do when you've paid strong money for something and it doesn't match your expectations? Do you return it, bin it or give it away?
Oh yeah, and I got some red dye leaching from seat to the cloth too, using Dodo Juice Supernatural leather cleaner. Do you know if this is normal with Dakota leather, or did I use the wrong product?
Im not sure who makes the BMW line, you hear lots of things. I dont think its Koch though. I would just bin it or give it away if you dont like it damian.
you should not be getting dye transfer normally no. So the leather should be painted and top coated the top coat seals in a protects the color coat. Sometimes though like seats can fail inspection or something and go back to be refinished or have spot repairs done. It wont be the dodo juice leather cleaner at fault that will just be a safe water based leather cleaner. Its more likely you have some overspray or theres a problem with the seat. I would actually mention that to my local dealer that your getting red paint coming off the chair when you wipe it down with a suitable mild leather cleaner (or even a damp cloth). If you like try wiping the back seat with a damp wet cloth you will probably find you dont get transfer.. so like test areas with different cloths find out where the transfer it occuring and demo this to your dealer. they may well tell you its completly normal and nothing to worry about (call me cynical) but thats not normal you should not be getting color transfer unless the top coat has been stripped.
How do you clean half leather and half fabric seats?
See how to clean alcantara video I did. Same principle
@@ForensicDetailing thank you
you should see the leather on my 1996 n reg Toyota mr2, genuine black leather wity 112,000miles, ive just cleaned it and im in the process of just day in day out now im going to load it with as much conditioner as possible because its looking cracked and just old lol, no rips or damage just old. petina
I used a conditioner on a REV3 Tbar mk2 not so long back and it did a great job of making it soft. yes it did shine but it looked so much better and felt so much better after conditioning or dressing it. thats why I say like the detailing faux pas of not using conditioners doesnt always stand true in real life. sometimes they just need smartening up.
@@ForensicDetailing yeah for sure mate, modern day leather just wipe um over and maybe add a top up uv. But old stuff like my mr2 leather is in need of serious help. Just got the car. Sold my supra TT so i fancied something cheaper but nice. Loved these mr2 mk2 as a kid. Had to get one before they all rot away. Such a focus car and awesome fun., boy can you win that twin cam up
What do you think of the Dr Leather wipes?
some things about them are cool. Ive got a tub that Ive literally had for years and years and they are still wet and work. but you cant get into the grain of the leather with them and I find one wipe craps out or runs out of poke too quickly. also not keen on the heavy leather scent. but for a convience thing they are handy i think..
@@ForensicDetailing thanks - I've a tub of them so will stick with them. Will get the brush and go over with very mild APC, let dry and then use the wipes for the matte finish and smell. Cheers.
Looking forward to the mega test.
You make it look so effortless Jon! I admit the interior is the one part of the car I really don't enjoy and don't do as often as I should.
As for products I just grab whatever is at hand... so autoperfekt leather cleaner, wowo's, carpro inside, killerwax leather cleaner... the list is endless. Protection wise is the same story although I really should look into something like the colourlock protector. One thing I have added in for quickness is a wipe down with chemical guys leather QD for the rear as they aren't used in my own car. Removes any dust/finger prints, leaves a low sheen finish and also a lovely natural leathet scent. I add this down on the front also if the leather/protectant doesn't have a leather scent.
Curious to know what you think about coating the steering wheel and handbrake?
Yo brian, you can use the shield on steering wheel and handbrake. It doesnt make it slippy. Im just not sure though if shield can help with wear on the steering wheel in particular. not sure if I had to guess id say the steering wheel will go like shiny over time and wear the most. most of the leather steering wheels are bonded leather as well from what im told.
Hi, is it a natural leather seats?
its a combo of natural leather in the contact areas and vinyl or bonded PU leather in the non contact areas. But ultimately your cleaning a painted finish thats the same on these different substrates.
@@ForensicDetailing thank you. I have been struggeling to find a conditioner from Sonax that clearly say it inteded for “natural leather”. Most companies just say “smooth” leather and in the same description say it contains Silicone oils!! What a mess 🤔
Viscose is not really synthetic either, even if the name sounds that way. It is heavily processed, though. It's trendy to sell it as bamboo or something in clothing these days.
Thanks John interesting video
Start at the top & work my way down 😂😂😂😂 I say that to my wife. years ago I started at the bottom & worked up now I’m older now & myback let’s me down
I would love to see you do the steering wheel.
see steering wheel cleaning video on the channel mate
@@ForensicDetailing happy days will do
I'm using Autoglyn cream cleaner just because that's what I have. Sure I need to invest in something that's not a cream.
For me it CarPro Inside, then protected by Gyeon Leather Shield...
I like to think of it as giving the animals a bath :)
Watched this after later Colourlock video. Doh. Went in balm without using wet water microf to remove the cleaner. Great. Mistake.
As I've learnt, modern leather seats are factory coated, so there's no point to use specific "leather cleaners" and "leather conditioners" as the surface is actually the coating itself. Which can be cleaned with APC and can't absorb conditioners/balms.
Please disagree with me, I'm open for opinions.
could be cleaned with APC if you want. an interior safe APC at low concentration generally going work, the key thing is that it says its for use on leather seats on the label. some APC's are more all purpose degreasers and can also contain caustic components that wont be good for your micron layer of top coat. so if I take my car to be detailed and someone starts hitting it with truck wash style degreasers then Im gone.
we've talked about this in depth on the channel minuteman have a watch of the earlier leather videos on refinishing leather and how to maintain leather. first battle is knowing if its actually leather or bonded leather or vinyl. You can argue theres virtually zero point conditioning vinyl and bonded leather because even with bonded leather the conditioners wont make it through the PU layer and the leather backing is really only there to give the leather feel and allow the companies to say its 99% real leather (). you could just argue you think it makes your seats look fresher and nicer etc so you want to use them...
with real top grain leather in car seats its still heavily processed and painted like you say with primer, color coats and top coat and its non pourous.. so the conditioners wont penetrate or absord into the leather. but when this real top grain leather gets olders the top coat fails the surface does become pourous and you can notice the positive effects of a conditioner which can soften the leather and make it supple rather than brittle.
All I do with my leather is clean it and put the anti friction coating on it. Ive seen the difference that makes in testing friction wear and dye transfer on a martin dale test machine, playing with leather protection products for like a week running tests (see pvd mega leather test video)
@@ForensicDetailing thank you very much for the detailed answer and your time!
You just blown away all my confusions only in a couple of sentences. It's like all of your vids - purely professional!
This seems to be real leather, not the coated leather that are in most new cars.
Something seemed wrong with the video. Anyone else have that?
you mean it like speeds up and the audio goes out of sync. thats just my budget editing :)
Cotton btw * hate to be that guy