Caring for the leather

[wannabeemer]

I'm about to buy some cleaning products for the leather seats. Does one just use a leather cleaner or a leather cleaner plus a protector?

[Winn.Nguyen]

Give Leather Masters a try. You can get it on Amazon for a good price.

I think its the best stuff for our leather. Makes it look like the day I bought the car. Matte finish with no shine.

[wannabeemer]

Our local auto store doesn't sell that but does sell Meguiar's, Autoglym, Armor All and Turtle Wax brands.

[HomoPirate]

I used chemical guys leather cleaner and conditioner. They won't be so shiny after dry out so that's good for my taste.

[mr.fabulous]

Leather care products assume... well, leather. BMW "Boston leather" is leather with some sort of plastic coating. Whatever product you apply will just lay there and not be absorbed (as a leather care product expects). I use Lexol Vinylex a few times a year.

A car with old-time (no coating) leather will do very well with Leatherique (oil based) or Gliptone (water based). Google this, you'll find all sorts of opinions on which really is best. I've used both... and I suppose for older leather that is seriously dried and cracked, I'd opt for Leatherique (stuff is amazing). Wear gloves or your hands will seriously peel.

But for your 1er, use a vinyl product.

[Gray_Panther]

I use Lexol cleaner and conditioner twice a year and my interior looks brand new still. I am at 33k miles and everyone who gets in my car always comments on how perfect it is.

No crap it's perfect, it's my 1 and only.

[c1pher]

I actually have used Armor All spray leather cleaner on all of my cars since 1995 and it does a wonderful job of cleaning, helping keep creases to a minimum and has a nice mild leather scent. People always compliment how new my seats look. Don't use their wipes. I'm not sure what they put in them but are somewhat sticky and leave a residue.

I also use the spray on my couches in the house. Works well and cost effective.

[MotoWPK]

Originally Posted by mr.fabulous

Leather care products assume... well, leather. BMW "Boston leather" is leather with some sort of plastic coating. Whatever product you apply will just lay there and not be absorbed (as a leather care product expects). I use Lexol Vinylex a few times a year.

A car with old-time (no coating) leather will do very well with Leatherique (oil based) or Gliptone (water based). Google this, you'll find all sorts of opinions on which really is best. I've used both... and I suppose for older leather that is seriously dried and cracked, I'd opt for Leatherique (stuff is amazing). Wear gloves or your hands will seriously peel.

But for your 1er, use a vinyl product.

Most modern car leather is plastic coated to protect it, and that's why you want to use a water on a regular basis to re-hydrate the leather. The relatively large oil molecules in oil based treatments will not penetrate the coating while the relatively smaller water molecules will. Then, periodically, you'll want to use a water based protectant, such as Leather Master, which both hydrates and applies additional coating to replace coating lost due to wear.

Oil based protectants are applicable to non-coated leather.

[NVHoo]

The Lexol products have an excellent reputation. I've had leather seats for 30 years. I use saddle soap and water to clean and then Connolly Hyde Food for conditioning. I do it 2-4 times a year. Connolly is the product recommended by Rolls Royce and Jaguar but it is cheaper on line. I keep my cars about 6 years and the leather looks like new.

[Matticus91]

Originally Posted by mr.fabulous

Leather care products assume... well, leather. BMW "Boston leather" is leather with some sort of plastic coating. Whatever product you apply will just lay there and not be absorbed (as a leather care product expects). I use Lexol Vinylex a few times a year.

A car with old-time (no coating) leather will do very well with Leatherique (oil based) or Gliptone (water based). Google this, you'll find all sorts of opinions on which really is best. I've used both... and I suppose for older leather that is seriously dried and cracked, I'd opt for Leatherique (stuff is amazing). Wear gloves or your hands will seriously peel.

But for your 1er, use a vinyl product.

Originally Posted by MotoWPK

Most modern car leather is plastic coated to protect it, and that's why you want to use a water on a regular basis to re-hydrate the leather. The relatively large oil molecules in oil based treatments will not penetrate the coating while the relatively smaller water molecules will. Then, periodically, you'll want to use a water based protectant, such as Leather Master, which both hydrates and applies additional coating to replace coating lost due to wear.

Oil based protectants are applicable to non-coated leather.

Good info guys I wasn't aware of this. I'll have to try mixing up my products a bit

[mr.fabulous]

Originally Posted by MotoWPK

Most modern car leather is plastic coated to protect it, and that's why you want to use a water on a regular basis to re-hydrate the leather. The relatively large oil molecules in oil based treatments will not penetrate the coating while the relatively smaller water molecules will. Then, periodically, you'll want to use a water based protectant, such as Leather Master, which both hydrates and applies additional coating to replace coating lost due to wear.

What specific Leather Master product(s) are you using...

[doublevanosrc]

I use this with a small brush to agitate it, works wonderfully. Leaves the seats looking like new.

[champignon]

I don't believe in leather care products for car upholstery. This isn't even considering the fact that the leather in our cars is coated with plastic.

Think about it; do you have or did you have a leather sofa or other piece of leather upholstered furniture in your house? Did you ever put any sort of goo or goop on it? I never did and never noticed that it was needed.

Car interiors degrade because of exposure to the elements, wear and tear. If you treat your car interior with respect, which means always garaging it and reducing exposure to sunlight, plus not doing things to it which abrade or damage it (letting your dog with his sharp nails sit directly on it, carelessly putting stuff on the seats that can damage them) then the leather will stay like new.

I don't think that you can really do anything to ameliorate the damage done by sun or abrasion, just by putting some sort of goo on the leather, whether or not it sinks in.

[wannabeemer]

But buying used one wants to clean the shit left by previous owners and furniture polish just ain't going to do it.

[KNS]

Originally Posted by mr.fabulous

Leather care products assume... well, leather. BMW "Boston leather" is leather with some sort of plastic coating. Whatever product you apply will just lay there and not be absorbed (as a leather care product expects). I use Lexol Vinylex a few times a year.

A car with old-time (no coating) leather will do very well with Leatherique (oil based) or Gliptone (water based). Google this, you'll find all sorts of opinions on which really is best. I've used both... and I suppose for older leather that is seriously dried and cracked, I'd opt for Leatherique (stuff is amazing). Wear gloves or your hands will seriously peel.

But for your 1er, use a vinyl product.

To make matters worse, the leather doesn't "breathe". That's one of the best things about getting leather upholstery.

[champignon]

Originally Posted by wannabeemer

But buying used one wants to clean the shit left by previous owners and furniture polish just ain't going to do it.

Granted.

If possible, avoid buy a used car with damaged or gross upholstery, unless you are buying a beater, in which case it doesn't matter. That having been said, I don't think there is any real advantage to any of the car specialty products for cleaning car leather, over using something like a very dilute solution of warm water and mild soap, wiping the water up as quickly as you put it on. Just because some chemical product imparts a fake and temporary "shine," says nothing about what the product actually does for "preserving" or "protecting" the leather.

[c1pher]

Originally Posted by champignon

I don't believe in leather care products for car upholstery. This isn't even considering the fact that the leather in our cars is coated with plastic.

Think about it; do you have or did you have a leather sofa or other piece of leather upholstered furniture in your house? Did you ever put any sort of goo or goop on it? I never did and never noticed that it was needed.

Car interiors degrade because of exposure to the elements, wear and tear. If you treat your car interior with respect, which means always garaging it and reducing exposure to sunlight, plus not doing things to it which abrade or damage it (letting your dog with his sharp nails sit directly on it, carelessly putting stuff on the seats that can damage them) then the leather will stay like new.

I don't think that you can really do anything to ameliorate the damage done by sun or abrasion, just by putting some sort of goo on the leather, whether or not it sinks in.

Uh, hate to break it to you, but your ass isn't immaculately clean lol. Try leather cleaner on your couch and see what it picks up. You will be surprised and grossed out, particularly if you have any animals. Like I said above, I use the same cleaner on my car and leather furtinure in the house.

[MotoWPK]

Originally Posted by mr.fabulous

What specific Leather Master product(s) are you using...

Soft Cleaner for Leather Types A, P & N
Leather Protection Cream for Leather Types A & P

This for the Dakota leather on my 128.

[wannabeemer]

Glad to see the responses from you owners who care for the leather. I'll need to make an informed decision on the products that I can get a hold of locally this weekend as the brands suggested aren't sold here.

[infinitekidM2C]

i use whatever is at the bmw shop; I don't have a "leather couch" because this isn't 1985 but if i did i'd sure as shit clean it.

[champignon]

Originally Posted by infinitekid2002

i use whatever is at the bmw shop; I don't have a "leather couch" because this isn't 1985 but if i did i'd sure as shit clean it.

So your point is that people don't buy leather furniture in 2017?

Maybe people you know, but not the people that i know, who can afford it.

[infinitekidM2C]

Originally Posted by champignon

So your point is that people don't buy leather furniture in 2017?

Maybe people you know, but not the people that i know, who can afford it.

ouch! that hurts