Leather Tips?

[KMan]

I recently bought a 1993 es300, and love it. The seats are in pretty great condition for a 10 year old car, and I'd like to keep them that way. What should I use (that is easily obtainable, hopefully) to keep them in tip top shape?

-KMan

[skeemer]

My dad's coworkers all recommended Lexol (or Lexal, something like that) leather conditioner. They rebuild cars and said it is the best of any they've used. I just put some on my new car yesterday so I can't really give any first hand experience, but all of them recommended it strongly.

[steviej]

Lexol all the way.

Don't bother with the Armor All leather wipes and the stuff like that, it will only help to age the leather.

steviej

[SKperformance]

i agree

witht the junk being junk armour all and black magic and the like

the lexol ihave never used

although they did send me some free samples last year and i never used them still

as dumb as this is going to sound

i actually used a tub of co co butter and lather the seats when warm

and leave it in the sun

it helps the leather absorb moisture and smells great ( like chocolate )

and very cheap ( wal mart )

do it twice a year

and the first time 3 times for 2 weeks to give it a kick start of moisture

it is skin after all

[KMan]

Seems like a (semi-) unanimous vote for Lexol. Can this stuff be found easily at Pep Boys and the like?

-KMan

[skeemer]

I got mine at a bridle shop (saddle/boot shop). They had a bunch of different sizes, and its probably cheaper there than at a car store, since they had like 500 other leather products. $10 for about 12 ounces, I used maybe a quarter of an ounce the first time I conditioned.

[steph1436]

definately lexol i have worked with cars for 5 years and that is all we have ever used

[lex]

I've used the cocoa butter from walmart that SK mentioned on my 92 ES300. Works really well.

[bbsal]

i third the coco butter.i use it on my seats and it also gives a good smell like sk said.

[SKperformance]

looks liek wal mart is going to have a shortage

lol

[bbsal]

lol,all youll see is a bunch of guys running in there buying coco butter.the workers will all be thinking what the hell is so many guys doing with coco butter?lol

[NeiLtYmE]

what about coco butter lotion........ works ? no? i used it ...... bad move ? :( or is that ok?

[bbsal]

coco butter lotion i never used but i think the lotion has other stuff in it so i would just use the pure coco butter

[bbsal]

you can get the pure coco butter in a tub.its like 3 or 4 bucks usa.

[SKperformance]

the lotion is fine no problems

it is just less potent as it has to come out of a dispenser

[NeiLtYmE]

but its a great hand treatment too......

-neil B)

[EvilRon]

What areas of the interior are leather besides the seating ares of the seats? Are the backs of the seats leather? The headrests? How about the doors? Thanks!

[steviej]

on my car, it is the entire front seats, headrests, center console cover, door inserts, shift knob, rear seats, entrie rear fold down console, rear seat headrests (3 of them), and rear door inserts.

Oh yeah, almost forgot, the pouch that holds the reg., the owners manual, the supplemental owners manual, a pen and vital Lexus phone numbers is leather, too.

I don't know if the dash is leather or that leatherette vinyl stuff. My guess is the latter of the two.

My glasses case, contact lens case, pouch to hold little ammentities, CD case, and business card case are Coach leather.....purchased separately....I just had to throw them in.

steviej

[SKperformance]

are you sure that much of the car is actual leather?

most cars from lexus if not all have vinyl ( leatherette) on the sides and rear of the seats

and usually never on the doors or center console either

just wondering?

[gav_logan]

I think I'm gonna side for the coco butter. What to u guys apply it with? Do you apply much? mDoes it have to be left in the sun and for how long? (Winter in australia at the moment)...

[bbsal]

i put it on and leave it sit for a couple hours in the sun then just buff it in.you can apply it with any kind of towel.i use a terry cloth towel.if its cold were you are then put it on the seats then turn your heater on full blast with the windows up and let it run for about a hour this way it will get hot inside the car.as for the seats being all leather even on the sides i dont think so.all of lexus's seats are leather in the front but not on the sides.just the front.the dash is also not leather or the doors.i was told this by a freind that works for lexus so its true.

[bbsal]

also if you do leave the car running with the heater on make sure the doors are unlocked so you dont lock your keys in the car!but then again i dont think it will let you lock the keys in the car because when you open the door you cant lock the car while its running it will just open back up.better safe then sorry though.

[SKperformance]

i regards to the coco butter

i actually don't use the lotion or the creme

i use the paste type one

it is like wax you have to almost scrape out like cold butter

then it just melts on hot seats

i also use my hand to apply it not a cloth

so it stays on the seat not the rag

i usually also don't buff it off unless i have to

but it still has never stained any of my wifes clothes and she wore white last time i did it and was giving me the evil eye of non belief as she was siting down

asying this better not mess up my clothes

lol

thankfully it didn't

so unless you want a less of a sheen don't bother wiping it

just a thought

funny enough the last time i did put it on 2 weeks ago it was so hot

it melted like butter on a hot frying pan

any little crease dried up real quick as it could be absorbed quickly

i also ended up burning my hand because it was so hot

i first got the idea from zymol concours waxes

they are supposed to be slightly warmed int he palm of your hand then softly rubbed into the paint

i did this once for my car and my hand hurt for days

lmao

high speed buffer from now on

later guys, and girls if any are around

[bbsal]

i use the same stuff as you.it comes in a tub like wax.i had it in the trunk the other day and when i went to open it it spilled all over because it was so hot it turned to like liquid.anyway the reason i said to buff it in a little was because when i let mine sit in the sun it leaves the seats with some parts shiny and other parts dull.so when i buff it in it all looks good.i have black seats though so it might be different then yours.

[SKperformance]

no my seats are also black

but lik i said it is a thought

or really just a preferance of the owner

yah i i did check the tub and it said solid formula