I plan on purchasing a new Lexus with leather seats. It has disturbed me to see so many pre-owned vehicles with leather seats (3-4 years old) with cracks in the leather I keep my cars for atleast 10 years and want to do my best to preserve the leather. There are so many products out there such as Lexol, Leatherique, Armor-all leather cleaner etc. Some are all-in-one products, some have seperate cleaner and conditioner. Please share your advice on keeping the leather seats in top condition. Which products? How often to treat? etc.
Keeping new leather seats from cracking (2025 Update)
Nov 05, 2006
Last reply: 8 months ago
8 Replies
On 5 Nov 2006 15:56:23 -0800, snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com graced this newsgroup with:
autosport.com has an excellent leather cleaner and (separate) conditioner. Also, you can't go wrong with Lexol.
There's no excuse for cracked leather seats. That's just because the owner is plain lazy. It only takes a quick swipe with a decent cleaner and conditioner about every 3-4 months to keep the leather soft.
I've used several varieties of all in one cleaner and conditioner and my leather in my 99GT still looks fine as far as any cracking. It does show some abrasion in one small area, probably from cheap leather.
I agree.
No, it takes the MANUFACTURER using decent upholstry-grade leather, not cheap bonded leather junk like thay all do today.
=============== Leatherique Oil twice a year Prestine clean as needed for quicker light conditioning Leatherique is applied the reverse of most leather treatment products. The rejuvinating oil is allowed to soak in, lifting out impurities, followed by a light application of Prestine Clean, damp cloth and then buffing with dry cloth. Leaves no slick or glossy residue, deep cleans, conditions. Sun is hard on leather. I live in Southern California where the sun can get very hot, but I don't like tinited windows, so when parking I use sun shades, front, side and rear. I too have seen neglected leather destroyed by prolonged sun exposure. Leather stays like new.
On 6 Nov 2006 09:48:52 -0800, "Daniel" graced this newsgroup with:
sounds like a great product. Any recommendations where to get it?
tks
Depending on the leather quality, if decent, use neatsfoot oil, [not the compound].
I do leathercrafts, you can find neatsfoot OIL at most leathercraft or craft stores. Tandy Leather [aka Leather Factory now] sells it. If U use it, apply lightly, make sure the leather is cleaned [simple warm water wipe off, usually] and warm. Warm leather absorbs the oil better than cold. Wait for 1/2 hour after applying, to allow oil to absorb in. Wipe off excess, if any, with clean cloth towel, buff as you wipe off. Good to go.
=========================== LEATHERIQUE, 106 Englewood Road Aiken S.C. 29803, (877)395-3366
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BTW, last week Prestine Clean removed ink marks from a ball point pen poking out of the pocket of my teen age passenger. Took a lot of rubbing and several applications, but did remove it the next day, without harming the finish or color. Looks like some of the black dye from new clothes also rubbed off on the leather - removed that rather quickly. Leatherique is more costly than other products, but you probably only need to purchase once a year. Got their start rejuvinating cardboard hard leather in a classic Jaguar, details are on the web page.
I used those products on my 2003 ES300 with excellent results. The beige leather now looks like new.
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