Confused, what to use on cleaned, COATED leather

[Don]

I have been researching leather for the past week in anticipation of two detail jobs I have coming up. The cars are 2013 (Porsche) and 2014 (Land Rover) so I'm guessing that they both have coated leather interiors. I have my cleaner (Meguiar's Gold Class Aloe Leather and Vinyl cleaner), but now I need something to treat/seal the leather once it's been cleaned.

With all the reading I've been doing, I learned that coated and uncoated leather is handled differently. It's said that you need to use a sealant on coated leather, because leather conditioners will not penetrate the coating and just smear around on the surface, making the leather shiny and oily.

I was thinking of using 303 Aerospace Protectant or the 303 Fabric Protectant once the leather has been cleaned, but is there something better (I've only got 4 days until the detail).

[Blueline]

Re: Confused, what to use on cleaned, COATED leather

You are correct. Automotive "finished" leather is coated with a vinyl like coating that nothing penetrates. Unlike "unfinished" leather like horse saddles, which must have the moisture replaced to prevent cracking. I have had leather seats in vehicles for years, and have several horses, and the leather that goes wit hthe hobby. All you really need for "finished" automotive leather is a good wash with water and a mild soap. (recommended by every car owners manual I have read) You can use glycerine (we use it for the saddles, etc, and that will give it a nice look also,) although it will not penetrate. Glycerine soap can be bought at any horse tack shop, and cheaper than dirt. You can use 303...nice stuff for some things, like tires, but really a waste of money on auto leather. It is rather greasy and doesn't smell like leather at all, if I recall. You can also buy the so called leather products for cars, which really do nothing but make the interior smell nice. Most newer cars have UV protection in the glass, and the leather coatings have built in UV protection, and what little UV protection these leather protectants have, well, it is pretty much wiped off. However, if you are out to impress your clients, then load the seats up with some nice smelling commercial leather stuff.

[Don]

Re: Confused, what to use on cleaned, COATED leather

You are correct. Automotive "finished" leather is coated with a vinyl like coating that nothing penetrates. Unlike "unfinished" leather like horse saddles, which must have the moisture replaced to prevent cracking. I have had leather seats in vehicles for years, and have several horses, and the leather that goes wit hthe hobby. All you really need for "finished" automotive leather is a good wash with water and a mild soap. (recommended by every car owners manual I have read) You can use glycerine (we use it for the saddles, etc, and that will give it a nice look also,) although it will not penetrate. Glycerine soap can be bought at any horse tack shop, and cheaper than dirt. You can use 303...nice stuff for some things, like tires, but really a waste of money on auto leather. It is rather greasy and doesn't smell like leather at all, if I recall. You can also buy the so called leather products for cars, which really do nothing but make the interior smell nice. Most newer cars have UV protection in the glass, and the leather coatings have built in UV protection, and what little UV protection these leather protectants have, well, it is pretty much wiped off. However, if you are out to impress your clients, then load the seats up with some nice smelling commercial leather stuff.

That answers a lot, thanks.

[thedoc46]

Re: Confused, what to use on cleaned, COATED leather

I use APC at 4:1 and a scrubbing brush to remove any stains.. My wife's beige leather Tiquan has some denim staining that NO leather cleaner was removing... Including Meg's leather cleaner. So i got a decent OXO scrubbing brush from Target and sprayed on some APC and got scrubbing away.. Came out LIKE NEW !!!!! As others have said, car leather is coated and sealed, so nothing more is needed...

Though some at autogeek do recommend Leather Masters Auto leather conditioner and swear that it improves the suppleness afterwards... I may buy some to try out for myself... But I'd say at this stage its not a necessity, for me personally.

[The Guz]

Re: Confused, what to use on cleaned, COATED leather

The term conditioner is a broad term. Even if you are treating the top coat you are essentially applying a sacrificial layer sort of like a wax/sealant on paint. Is it possible that some "conditioner" penetrates the top coat? Maybe at the microscopic level.

If you are looking for a leather sealant then consider the Leather Sealer System. D180 works just as good on leather. I have used both and have had no issues.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Confused, what to use on cleaned, COATED leather

The term "conditioner" can really be substituted with "moisturizer" as that's the primary function of such products. The coating used on automotive leather is semi permeable and can dry out if neglected. Cleaning is really important as dirt becomes embedded in the very fine pores and fissures in the coating and as you slide in and out of the car this actually amplifies the severity of contact with the surface, speeding up the wear on the coating which will reveal the colored leather underneath. That surface is very delicate and will degrade further really fast. A moisturizer will not only help prevent the whole leather/colorant/coating from drying out, it will act almost as a lubricant that helps slow down the effects of ingress and egress.

Our Leather Sealer System takes this one step further (well, maybe two steps, actually) since it offers a dedicated cleaner that does an outstanding job of removing embedded dirt and stains, and a sealant that acts sort of like a sealant on your paint: a durable protectant that acts as a sacrificial barrier, taking the brunt of the abuse before the surface it's protecting is subject to it.


Even modern, coated leather that has dried out to where it almost feels like cardboard can be brought back to a supple feel with a thorough treatment of Leatherique. Now, this is a fairly pricey product duo and the process is a bit messy and time consuming, but it's cheap compared to replacing or even just reupholstering modern automobile seats. The fact that this product can do what it does should be proof enough that even that coating used on modern leather interiors is a semi-permeable membrane. Were it not, there's no way in the world that Leatherique could possibly work.

[Don]

Re: Confused, what to use on cleaned, COATED leather

I think I'm getting the picture, thanks for all the answers.