Does anyone have any knowledge/opinions regarding Griot's Leather Care? Before I buy one of the water-based products discussed in other threads, I thought I'd ask since I already have a bottle of this:

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/...ortby=ourPicks

 

Being in the leather upholstery business, I prefer 2-step products rather than everything in one bottle. Similar to a cleaner/wax for the exterior finish which we all know is not as good as a clay bar and then pure wax, better results are usually obtained by using a cleaner first, then come back and apply a conditioner/protectant.

Having said that, the standard leather in the Astons is a Finished (painted) leather, not a semi or pure anilines. Finished leathers have topcoats on them, so you are really cleaning the topcoat, and conditioners must be stronger to penetrate that topcoat vs aniline hides which are naked or near naked. and require a lighter chemical touch.

Doing something is better than doing nothing. By far, the number one killer of any leather product is failure to clean it. You can use something as low-tech as a bit of Ivory brand bar soap and a damp rag (not too much soap, not too much water) and it will be just as effective as a fancy leather cleaner. Be sure to get the soap off. Make it a habit to wipe down your leather steering wheel and leather shift **** every time you wash the car, just use a damp rage if nothing else. You'll be surprised at how much dirt comes off the steering wheel just in a hour or two of use.

I use Leather Magic Products on my Aston and BMW, and all my furniture at home. There are others to choose from as well, but Leather Magic is considered one of the premier brands in the trade.

 

drleather (Duane): Which Leather Magic products do you recommend? Is there a particular procedure you use with them? You may have answered this in another thread, but that one wasn't about leather care so it'd be nice to have that info here for later searching purposes. Thx!

 

I use their standard cleaner and conditioner for top-coated leathers (disclaimer, I sell these in my store so yes, I'm biased).

One of the problems we have in the residential furniture leather business is people using unapproved leather products on their hides and they cause a breakdown of the leather over time, then they come back to my store (and the maker) demanding a warranty replacement. The first thing we ask is "What have you put on the leather?" They all say 'nothing' and 95 % of the time that's not true. We then send some of the leather off to a lab and they do an analysis and sure enough - they used Saddle Soap, or Windex, or Fantastic, or Lexol or Guardsman or some other product that was not compatible with the tanning agents and cause the leather to crack and break down. Warranty denied.

So the leather industry got together with people making these cleaning products and there are a handful of those that are deemed 'approved'. "Leather Magic" is one. "Leather Master" is another. Or just use mild soap and water. Now if the leather fails, the makers will recover or replace the piece.

Leather can last a very long time if the oils and dirt are kept off it. If its not given any attention at all, it will crack out in about 12 to 15 years. We've all see that before, I'm sure. So really, the best thing you can do it wipe it down with a damp cloth often - more so in the summer when you're hot and sweaty. Do it every time you wash the car. Don't make a big deal of it, just a simple wipe-down where your skin comes in contact with the leather. Then once or twice a year do a good and proper clean and conditioning and you should be good to go.

 

I use Leather Master products, and am quite pleased. I use their Soft Cleaner (use Strong Cleaner if really dirty) followed by their Protection Cream. Cleans well without leaving anything feeling sticky or greasy.

www.leatherworldtech.com/

 

Thanks Duane. So is there a particular cleaning product and conditioning product from these manufacturers that you prefer? Not sure if they offer multiple versions of them or not. I have never done anything to the leather in my cars for fear of doing more damage than good.

 

I've used Zaino Leather Soft spray cleaner followed by Zaino Leather in a Bottle conditioner for years with good results. Important to use a product with sunscreen. The conditioner has leather oils and restores leather smell too. Expensive, but good stuff.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

Dave, Duane promptly sent me his products and they worked great.

 

Duane, I have used Leatherique products for Years--Pristine Clean, etc. What do you think of them?