Hello all. I have researched this, but I wanted to get an update. I have a 06 997 with full leather. What is the best for leather care/cleaner to use. Also, I had the Venture Shield clear bra installed. What is the latest thought on a cleaner for the bra. It is time to get her detailed for the warm weather. Any input would be appreciated.

Scott

 

For leather I use this:



And I got it from here:

http://www.detailersdomain.com/1zein...athercare.aspx

It leaves the leather looking clean, and not greasy or oily at all. If you have any doubt, call Phil at DetailersDomain...he's like Yoda when it comes to detailing.

 

Check out Leatherique Prestine Clean and Rejuvenator Oil. They are some of the best leather care products you can use. I've yet to find a product that leaves your leather looking and feeling newer than Leatherique. The products have a unique application process to get the best results, I'd recommend reading over this Leatherique how-to article to maximize your results.

For some better eye candy pics...
Leatherique on a Ferrari 599

To care for your clear bra, consider using an all in one chemical polish, which will clean up and remove some oxidation and fading as well as leave a protective layer to make future washes and cleanings go much easier. I'd recommend Klasse All In One or Optimum Poli-Seal.

If you have any questions on it, let me know.

George

 

The most fundamental question to be answered before you clean or care for leather is to establish the type of leather used in the vehicle and / or finish applied (natural, pigmented, vinyl, urethane coated, and etc) as the methodologies are very specific for each type of leather and/or finish applied. Always remember you are dealing with the finished coating on the leather and not with the leather hide itself

Leather Finishes
Leather is a natural product, with a pH of 4.0 and comes from animal (bovine) hides, which have been chemically processed (tanned) to preserve them. A properly tanned hide (or skin) creates strong, flexible material; resistant to decay. Most leather is tanned cow hide, which are laterally split, rendering an upper (Aniline) and lower cut (By-cast).

The majority (95% + ) of automotive upholstery is by-cast polyurethane covered leather, these leathers have aspects of a natural finish, but more uniform in appearance, by-cast will also stretch more than top grain leather and is therefore subject to show creasing. The upper portion is the top-grain, or Aniline, the lower portion is the split or by-cast. This cutting process creates different faces to the leather. The outside face of the top grain shows the natural grain characteristics, but is otherwise smooth, whereas, the underside appears as unfinished or suede

The complex tanning process of chromed tanned hides results in the fat liquoring and oils necessary to keep the hide soft and pliable being locked in, the hide is then has a pigmentation coating (a water-based paint) to ensure a uniform colour. By-cast hides are further sealed by a durable polyethylene covering to protect the hide from abrasion from clothing as well as the dust / dirt introduced by the vehicle’s AC system.

Myth buster - many leather products market themselves on how they feed leather. In fact your car's leather seats are first coated with a very fine emulsion to give them the desired colour and then a clear coat. So for best longevity you should be keeping that coating as well protected as possible. These same companies would also have you believe you should feed your car's acrylic or polyester urethane paint finish with olive, cantaloupe, sunflower and coconut oils...

 

After speaking to the folks at leatherique, they make a compelling description of how the leather coating that you're describing is still porous and can be penetrated with their product. I believe they make the point of the coating being repellent, for a brief period, and not resistant. The basic fact behind it all is how hard leather gets if it becomes in contact with water for a long period of time. Say you leave your windows open when it rains. The leather becomes hard but after a few applications of leatherique, it goes back to its natural state. So, if the hypothesis of the coating on the leather is impermeable is true, then why does the leather behave in the opposite manner?

Just curious and looking forward to your knowledge on this one Jon

 

The differing sizes of molecules (water being the smallest) make a difference as to what can and cannot permeate the polyurethane covering?

See also http://www.detailingbliss.com/forum/...eatherique.htm

 

I've read so many people say Leatherique isn't for coated leather, but bottom line, it works, and works better than any other product I've used on coated or uncoated leather. Either Leatherique is right in describing leather or someones theories are off on coated leather...

Good post Moe.

 

[For some better eye candy pics...
Leatherique on a Ferrari 599]

This type of top-grain premium leather is mostly used in prestige European automobiles; Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lotus, Lexus and Rolls Royce, US Cadillac and high-end German automobiles such as Mercedes-Benz, Daimler AG and BMW. This is the market sector both Leatherique and Connolly were originally formulated