Cleaning & Conditioner for Leather Seats

[stripesace]

I have an XLT with the leather option. all three rows are leather, and I'm assuming this is not like REAL leather but rather vinyl leather. I know armor-all on a dash is a no-no unless you stick with it for the entire length of the vehicle so what do you use to keep your seats clean? will a lightly damp rag and a good wipe down do it or do I need to look at some kind of leather care product?

 

[sticker500]

I use Griot's Leather Care Spray because it is thin so no worry about the perforations in the leather.

It smells, good and has good reviews in the car detailing forums.

 

[joecrna]

The damp rag is a good choice. Periodically you will need to "feed" the hides. There are several brands of conditioner. They each result in a slightly different feel to the leather. Lexol- shinny and a little slick, Collonley Hide Food- soft and satiny but a little grabby like sweade, Griots- kind of between the two. I personally use Griot's cleaner but condition with Collonley.

Yes, it is real leather. However there are a multitude of quality levels and a couple techniques of manufacture.

 

[jrmexplorer]

The damp rag is a good choice. Periodically you will need to "feed" the hides. There are several brands of conditioner. They each result in a slightly different feel to the leather. Lexol- shinny and a little slick, Collonley Hide Food- soft and satiny but a little grabby like sweade, Griots- kind of between the two. I personally use Griot's cleaner but condition with Collonley.

Yes, it is real leather. However there are a multitude of quality levels and a couple techniques of manufacture.

not all of it is real leather - like most manufacturers, the parts you sit on are leather, whereas other parts (e.g. the seat back) are pleather. Thus you will see phrases such as "leather seating surfaces" or the like.

 

[joecrna]

You are correct, in an Explorer the seat backs are not real leather. Strangly enough, in my Explorer, the center console cover is leather but the stearing wheels is not. Go figure. However I was trying to clarify that the OP does have leather on his seats to care for. I just happen to treat my Explorer like all of my other cars.

 

[TIO M]

Hmm I got a letter in the mail from Ford, with ahemm...leather cleaning wipes and conditioner. Anyone else recieved this as well? I'm going to try them out tomorrow and I'll let everyone know how it went and what I think.

 

[1sttimeford]

Ugh, the stone leather seats in the Explorer have been a major point of stress since day-1.

We had a dye-transfer stain on the side of the passenger seat that I believe occurred at the dealer when the car was being prepped. Tho admitting no fault, the dealer offered to have the stained area re-dyed. The re-dye initially looked fine but did not last even a month. The stain bled back thru.

Ultimately I was able to clean the stain off myself but not without slightly darkening the the leather in the process. (A casual observer would never notice the change, and it is certainly much better than a dingy blue stain)

All of this lead me to research and try several leather products. Here is what I ended up with.

I like Zaino car care products, so I have their Z9 and Z10 leather products. Z9 is a gentile cleaner with no harsh chemicals and some oils to preserve the softness of the leather. Z9 will *not* remove a dye transfer stain, but is gentle enough for routine cleaning. Follow it up with Z10 conditioner. Z10 smells like leather and not only contains conditioners and preservatives but also has UV protection. Z10 can also be used on the interior plastics. On plastic, Z10 looks natural, not glossy, and the plastics benefit from the UV protection too.

When it came to tackling the dye transfer stain I used Leather Master products. Leather Master has a "Strong" cleaner and a "Super" cleaner. The Strong cleaner lifted some, but not all, of the stain. The Super cleaner got it all out, but don't ever use Super to clean a whole seat. It is a product of last resort. It's more akin to paint thinner than soap.

Since the Super cleaner is pretty harsh stuff, I re-treated the cleaned area, and any areas that would come in contact with clothing, with Leather Master "Protection Cream". This product creates an invisible stain barrier to prevent stains from absorbing into the leather. Tho indiscernible to the eye, the Protection Cream does slightly alter the "slipperiness" of the leather seat. It's not sticky, I just feel there is more friction between your clothes and the leather seat than before.

 

[RandyH2]

Can someone give a detailed break down of the leather surfaces in the various trim levels?

Specifically:
1) Front seats
2) Rear seats
3) Third row
4) Steering wheel
5) Shift lever

I'm thinking an annotated photo may be the best way to do this.

Thanks,
Randy

 

[VinceL]

Ugh, the stone leather seats in the Explorer have been a major point of stress since day-1.

Light colored leather seats can be a challenge. Everybody I know who has leather has opted for black leather after having light or grey colored leather. Transfer of color was the primary reason.

I am not particularly partial to black leather (or leather at all for that matter), but it will be black for us. We wear blue jeans too often to avoid blue tinted gray or beige seats.

Every time I think I want a lighter color I go to the auto show and see all of the light colored leather looking all stained and dirty.

Maybe they will invent some sort of light colored leather force field to prevent this problem.

 

[vfral1]

I used Lexol on mine. It's a little slimy till soaks in, but it does a great job of keeping the leather from drying out and cracking.

 

[Spengracin]

I use Lexol, also, in my 1952 MG TD seats, and door panels.

 

[Bill #5 Explorer]

If the leather is dirty (not on my Explorer, yet) use a diluted solution of Lexol (orange bottle) leather cleaner and water. Leather brush also helps.

I have conditioned my black leather twice already with Zaino Z10. The Zaino can also go on the vinyl with no issues.

Your vinyl and plastic specifically, I like using Aerospace 303.

 

[Eaglelake2007]

Leather seats, what do you use

I have the gray leather seats on the Limited. The seat has some pretty good discoloration on the left edge from getting in and out. What are you using out there to clean and condition the seats. Love this car.

 

[GuardianSport]

Leatherique products for my 1998 EB whenever I get around to it. Expensive but worth it.

 

[tmilicia]

I've been using the meguiar's gold class leather cleaner and conditioner (2 separate steps). Seems to work decently well, but I haven't used anything else to compare it to. I try to clean and condition at least the front seats once a month.

 

[tncruiser]

when i had discoloration on my mark lt dealer repaired under warrantty also had some bad stitching repaired and it was at about 2 yo
brianj

 

[vfral1]

Lexol leather cleaner/conditioner.

 

[pwscott]

Lexol

Lexol leather cleaner/conditioner.

Ditto on the Lexol.

 

[kjdrafting]

Lexol

Lexol is the best!

 

[Bill #5 Explorer]

This can be dye transfer too, from things like blue jeans and other leather products (belts).

I like Lexol Leather Cleaner diluted out with water (orange bottle) and Zaino Z10 as a leather conditioner.