Leather Protectant Products ?

[blueshark]

After cleaning and reconditionning the leather, what is next ? i was thinking of puttting a protectant for the UV and stains defender, but what product ?

[rjt65]

hey welcome!

I like to use the sonus cockpit detailer and their uv protector ( http://www.autopia-carcare.com/son-620-700.html) ... than 2 x a year i use the ultima interior guard plus (exterior sealant is gr8 too!) http://www.autogeek.net/ultima-interior-guard-12.html

work gr8 my 2008 es 350 still smelling new with the sonus care on it for almost 2 years... G luck----

cheers

After cleaning and reconditionning the leather, what is next ? i was thinking of puttting a protectant for the UV and stains defender, but what product ?

[cduluk]

Leaterique's Leather "Rejuvenatior oil" followed by "the Prestine Clean" is the best on the market. Only natural cleaner and conditioner out there that will actually help the leather rather than age it quicker. Avoid any silicone based product.

[blueshark]

Anything else that can be found locally, i was thinking Canadian Tire or autozone ?

[exmeaguy]

I have used Griot's leather products for several years.

[blueshark]

Does it have UV protection or any kind of stains protection ? I wonder if Meguiars have something for that since i can access to that brand easily.

[SW03ES]

The best thing you can buy locally is Lexol...but there really aren't any good protectants with UV protection in them available locally. Ultima Interior Guard is the best...

[cduluk]

I used Lexol (in the brown bottle) for a few years, until i found out it's partially silicone based. It may be good for some fake leathers, but for Lexus leather it's really bad.

I'm also not sure any product you apply will be able to fight stains or block UV rays. If any "layer" does retain on the surface, it'll be too thin, and after sitting on them a few times it will rub right off. A conditioner shouldn't sit on top of the leather, but seep deep into the fibers and act as a lubricant just as the oils in the animals skin did before it was killed. These oils allow the hide to move more freely and prevent the Lexus top coating from cracking.

The top coating that's applied to the hide (the colored dye you see) is all the stain protection you need. It's a lacquer based coating, not really a "stain" but more of a coat of paint that's stamped to look nice. If something stains the factory coating, you'll need to have a leather upholster apply more dye.

Any silicone based product will break down the factory coating on lexus leather.

Some of the newer Lexus leathers are aniline too, so they require even more sensitive conditioners.

[SW03ES]

I've used Lexol conditioner for years and it is very safe. It is certainly not silicone based.

[cduluk]

Actually it's water based, you're right <_< Still haven't had good luck with it in the past.

And KEEP AWAY from Vinylex.

[blake918]

Leaterique's Leather "Rejuvenatior oil" followed by "the Prestine Clean" is the best on the market.

x2 Spend the money and get with the best. Leatherique's cleaning and conditioning abilities are amazing!

[SW03ES]

Vinylex is for...vinyl. Why would you use it on leather?

You said you used it for years...why would you have used it for years if you didn't like the results?

[cduluk]

I used the lexol cleaner and conditioner for a few years on my Rx300 leather. I have no proof, but i swear it made it worse I didn't have any cracks when i got the car, but as soon as i started using the lexol, i would get these little random cracks all over the place. The leather got really shiny too...

Then i switched my seats with a used set from an '02 coach ed, and started using the leatherique stuff. I noticed a dramatic increase in appearance and feel. No cracking, no shine.

I have no proof (since i didn't do a controlled test) i just didn't like the Lexol. I only used it maybe every 3 months or so, but i could tell it was making the leather worse.

Since then i've used the leatherique and love the results. It looks and FEELS a lot better after you use it. Having used the two products, i've found the leatherique to be worth the difference in price by a landslide.

[SW03ES]

Leatherique is a better product, theres no question about that but the Lexol is a good product. Must have been an issue of application technique. I used Lexol for years and years and never had the results you describe...

[amcdonal86]

I use Lexol every few months on my Lexus. I haven't noticed any problems.

Why on earth would you use Vinylex on leather? I use it on my dash and the VINYL parts in the interior. Unlike Armor All, it does not seem to have a lot of gassing that creates a film on the windows after a short period of time. (This is good!)

Maybe I will try Leatherique sometime.

[blueshark]

I conditionned and cleaned the seats often, but for in between usage, i wonder if there is a product that protect stains, but obviously, there is none. I've heard that people are using vinyl stain protectant instead and it often state that it is safe on leather. I don't want to try anything without being sure.

[LEXIRX330]

Just make sure to clean your leather with a mild soap and water first before you apply your leather conditioner. I have actually found that using Neutrogena soap and water (the bar soap) on a soft cloth and then scrubbing the seats is one of the best ways to clean leather or any fabric. Picked up the tip from a furniture store on how to get stains out with out doing damage to the fabric/leather, works on micro fiber too. Neutrogena is a safe mild soap that can be used. After you have cleaned the seats go back over with a damp clean cloth to get all of the remaining soap off and then apply conditioner to the leather. This is the best way to prevent stains in my opinion just keeping the seats clean. Just applying conditioner is not going to clean the seats. But make sure not to use a harsh cleaner as it will do more damage then good. I once heard someone talking about using a MR Clean magic eraser on stains and leather and that is a bad idea.