juan3023 Posted January 4, 2009 Posted January 4, 2009 Well I just purchased my 1999 lexus gs300 Can anyone on here recommend a good leather cleaner for the seats since they are tan please let me know of any good leather cleaner ? thank you
1990LS400 Posted January 4, 2009 Posted January 4, 2009 Lexol products seem to work well -- there is a separate leather cleaner and conditioner: http://www.lexol.com/ I think I've seen Lexol products in "regular" stores but I generally buy it at a saddle shop.
sakataj Posted January 5, 2009 Posted January 5, 2009 Lexol products seem to work well -- there is a separate leather cleaner and conditioner: http://www.lexol.com/I think I've seen Lexol products in "regular" stores but I generally buy it at a saddle shop. i think im gonna try this brand. i have been using the LEXUS cleaners from the dealers but i have been REALLY lazy since its winter and havent cleaned the interior in for ever!
kurtk Posted January 6, 2009 Posted January 6, 2009 Thought I'd heard/read somewhere where the Lexus leather is a "sealed" type and expensive leather products ie Hyde Food, Leatherique, don't really soak in??
juan3023 Posted January 6, 2009 Author Posted January 6, 2009 Lexol products seem to work well -- there is a separate leather cleaner and conditioner: http://www.lexol.com/I think I've seen Lexol products in "regular" stores but I generally buy it at a saddle shop. i think im gonna try this brand. i have been using the LEXUS cleaners from the dealers but i have been REALLY lazy since its winter and havent cleaned the interior in for ever! so lexus dealer ship sale Leather claners ?
Binari Posted January 6, 2009 Posted January 6, 2009 I use saddle soap which cleans and moisturizes just like your significant other's facial cream... The ladies get jealous when you spend more time and money on the car then them...be careful. Then I follow up with an application of Lexol (think this is mostly lanolin). That stuff works well and it does soak into the leather, but if it is a hot day close the windows and let the leather warm up a bit before you put it on. It doesn't like cold leather and doesn't flow well on cold days.
sakataj Posted January 6, 2009 Posted January 6, 2009 so lexus dealer ship sale Leather claners ? what? im not sure what your asking.....r u asking if dealers will ship leather cleaner? if thats what your asking then, yes... here is a post from a friend on another site http://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-second-...ers-no-56k.html he likes that product, its a tad expensive but it looks good and i was set on the lexol yesterday but not i might consider this... its gonna be either lexol or leatherique. funny long as i have owne my car....i have washed it,steam cleaned the carpets, waxed it, detailed it, leather conditioned it, and leather cleaned it it but never actually WASHED the leather like the lexol site recommends.. http://www.lexol.com/auto.html .i might have to try this..one of them needs done soon, my interior is disgusting and its rained on/off for last month! so i cant even think of when i cleaned interior last :(
juan3023 Posted January 6, 2009 Author Posted January 6, 2009 so lexus dealer ship sale Leather claners ? what? im not sure what your asking.....r u asking if dealers will ship leather cleaner? if thats what your asking then, yes... here is a post from a friend on another site http://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-second-...ers-no-56k.html he likes that product, its a tad expensive but it looks good and i was set on the lexol yesterday but not i might consider this... its gonna be either lexol or leatherique. funny long as i have owne my car....i have washed it,steam cleaned the carpets, waxed it, detailed it, leather conditioned it, and leather cleaned it it but never actually WASHED the leather like the lexol site recommends.. http://www.lexol.com/auto.html .i might have to try this..one of them needs done soon, my interior is disgusting and its rained on/off for last month! so i cant even think of when i cleaned interior last :( Which on will you recomend better leatherique or lexol the reaond i am asking you is because my leather interior its really dirty
sakataj Posted January 7, 2009 Posted January 7, 2009 Which on will you recomend better leatherique or lexol the reaond i am asking you is because my leather interior its really dirty dude, your grammar/spelling are AWFUL. i have no recommendations as i never stated to have used either one of them BUT i will be trying the leatherique. will probably get this fri....BUT since its been raining on and off again since like 3 weeks ago dunno when i'll get it done. soon i hope!
juan3023 Posted January 8, 2009 Author Posted January 8, 2009 Which on will you recomend better leatherique or lexol the reaond i am asking you is because my leather interior its really dirty dude, your grammar/spelling are AWFUL. i have no recommendations as i never stated to have used either one of them BUT i will be trying the leatherique. will probably get this fri....BUT since its been raining on and off again since like 3 weeks ago dunno when i'll get it done. soon i hope! sorry for my grammar I just purchased a bottle of lexol its just trash trust me it dosnt work
sakataj Posted January 8, 2009 Posted January 8, 2009 sorry for my grammar I just purchased a bottle of lexol its just trash trust me it dosnt work ahhh ty much better....well hmmm i dunno what to think i got like 3 friends telling me they love it....i haven't decided on either yet. i need to clean my car so bad though lol
SKperformance Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 Lexol is not bad but i don;t think it is that amazing for the price. I woudl use the leatherique for conditioning . I still prefer Mr. Clean majic eraser to clean better than anything on the market by far. I also use hard coco butter paste rubbed on warm seats and soaked for a day or so. Moving to the detail section
sakataj Posted January 12, 2009 Posted January 12, 2009 I still prefer Mr. Clean majic eraser to clean better than anything on the market by far. :o like the little white sponge thing you remove streaks and stuff from the wall and stove top with?
cduluk Posted January 14, 2009 Posted January 14, 2009 Oh my god :o Don't use magic eraser on leather! lol The magic eraser is just an abrasive. Lexus leather is coated with a very thin layer of "dye", either tan, black, gray or whatever which gives it it's color and smooth texture. Over time, this layer's surface takes abuse such as UV radiation, water, stains, heat, cold, stress etc. which over time leads to fading and cracking revealing the brown hide beneath. Most of the time people mistake this 'dark' and shiny look as being dirty, when it's just because it's aged. Using the magic eraser on the leather's surface will make the leather look almost brand new because it's removing the aged surface of this thin dyed layer, revealing some of the fresh color. But, what you're doing is making the surface even more susceptible to fading and cracking. Now that the dye layer is even thinner, there is less protection. Some may mistake this 'fresh' look as being cleaner, but you're making it worse. Materials from your clothing will begin to stick more rapidly, the dye will fade more rapidly, and it will crack easier as well. When leather gets to the point where it gets darker and begins to crack (appear dirtier) take it to Lexus. They have a leather guy they hire to do their cars before selling them as CPO's. They ADD dye to the leather, giving it a nice fresh look while ADDING protection. Regular maintanence is all you can do on your own. Once or twice a year using cleaners and adding conditioners like Lexol is all you should do. Excessive use can decay the stitches and make the dye MORE fragile. Conditioners are used to add oils back into the "hide" to keep the leather soft and pliable. When the layer of dye cracks, the oils evaporate from the hide and make the hide stiff, which causes MORE cracking. It's a vicious cycle. Bottom line is, keep the layer of dye in tact. It's purpose (besides adding color) is to lock in moisture in the hide, sort of like a sealant. As soon as it begins to crack, the hide will dry out. Conditioners just add the oils back in. Please don't use magic eraser on leather :( most of the time, there's nothing to clean- it's just the surface of the dye getting darker due to UV, friction and just age.
SKperformance Posted January 19, 2009 Posted January 19, 2009 I respectfully disagree with you cduluck as you have a good amount of experiance in the facts of leather and its surface coatings. Problem is i am not talking about scrubbing the seats with hot water to soften the surface , but cold water and basic wiping of the surface which removes the dirt on them. it works great and will not harm anything . Also i did my car 3 years ago and they are in better shape than most peoples with 350 000 km on a car.
cduluk Posted January 28, 2009 Posted January 28, 2009 Well, all i know is that the magic eraser is an abrasive that contains several solvents; even a formaldehyde bi-product. Both of which are bad for dyed leather. I suppose isolated uses could be ok, but regular use could do a lot of harm.
SW03ES Posted January 31, 2009 Posted January 31, 2009 cduluk is correct about the make-up of the leather seats and the effect MrClean erasers will have long term. If its just a one time cleanup or something as a last resort then I'm okay with it, but they shouldn't be used for regular cleaning.
juan3023 Posted February 4, 2009 Author Posted February 4, 2009 Well in my personal opnion I dont they never clean my interior since 1999 so does any one have a great chemical that will work really good ?
cduluk Posted February 5, 2009 Posted February 5, 2009 Leatherique works pretty well for lifting out dirt and softening up the leather. But i wouldn't make a habit of using it too often as conditioners can degrade the stitching. A few times a year is good enough. Gentle scrubbing with a cotton rag and the leatherique rejuvenation oil will be your best bet besides having it refinished by an upholsterer.
mbittencourt Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 Any opinion about Meguiar's leather products? Cause I used Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather in my 1997 ES300, and I cannot complain about it.
cduluk Posted March 4, 2009 Posted March 4, 2009 Meguiars is a silicone based conditioner. A killer for coated leather in the lexus. You'll begin to notice tiny-tiny cracks develop in the finished dye if you continue use. Lexus is one of the very few car manufactures that use REAL leather. The leather is incredibly soft and delicate due to the manufacturing process and dyes used. Soft and beautiful yes, but it easily gets dirty, ages and is very sensitive to what it comes in contact with. Take a look at 5 year old Lexus leather and 5 year old BMW leather with the same care. The BMW leather will look the same while the Lexus leather will be very wrinkly and "old" looking. This is actually how you can determine "fine" leather from "pleather" like what's used in BMW's and Audi's... Believe it or not, some of the newer Fords are beginning to use finer grade leathers like Lexus. The hides are beautiful, but need to be taken care of well if you want them too look good down the road. Go with leatherique, it's natural and won't do more harm than good. I also found out that Lexol is a silicone based conditioner as well, and should be avoided if possible...
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