Car Leather: what is the BEST cleaner to clean car leather or car vinyl?
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- Опубліковано 25 жов 2019
- Car leather is a topic of car care and auto detailing filled with endless confusion by most car owners. In this detailing tutorial designed for detailing for beginners, Darren discusses not only how to clean car leather, but adds additional confusion regarding the difference between car vinyl seats and car leather seats.
Particularly do you have to find the best car leather cleaner if you are not even sure if your car has car leather when in fact it could actually be car vinyl you are dealing and trying to clean.
When you are a beginning down this path of auto detailing and car care, many car owners find themselves frustrated and overwhelmed by the endless car care products and the endless voices.
In this detailing video, Darren attempts to clarify the not so much as to the difference between cleaning car leather or cleaning car vinyl, but the fact that it may not really matter at all if you understand what is really going on in the world of car care and car ownership.
CLEANING CAR LEATHER: www.best-auto-detailing-tips....
CAR UPHOLSTERY CLEANING: www.best-auto-detailing-tips....
#carleather #carleathercleaner #autodetailing
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Thanks for your selfless act of giving. You are a great man.
A detailer from Malaysia.
Refreshing to hear some non product pushing, clear, honest advice!! ✌loving it!
You ramble on faaar too long if a car has real leather or not my friend. People just want to get to the information and not the history of the world. Too much repetition.
wow,,,,talk about a lot said about nothing,,,,,,,get to the point!!!!!!
First time watching, and he's EXHAUSTING ME!!!
Darren I want to take a moment to thank. Thank you for doing you. Thank you for not copying the others and selling us turtle wax products. One ☝️ video comes out followed by 5 others just like the first. Thank you
He is trying to sell you CSI.
@@alphacharlie65ms Do you think? Nothing gets by you. And oh yeah....did you post any comments years ago when I talked endlessly about Meguiar's? You think I was trying to sell Meguiar's back then. Megiar's has some very good products. CSI has some very good products. But yes, as an investor in CSI I would certainly prefer people buying CSI. I am pretty sure that's how business works. I also have the ability to verify the actual ingredients in the CSI products and know how they work as a complete system. I also know that CSi isn't trying to sell people endless, redundant products simply relabeled so they can continue to separate you from more and more of your money. CSI is simple and it is the answer.
@@autofetishdetail do you have any videos showing how to use csi cleaner and then the csi wax? I'm assuming the cleaner is to be scrubbed in with a safe brush then directly apply the wax with a microfiber cloth or remove the cleaner first?
Thank you for the video. I clean coated leather seats with Woolite, mixed 1:6 with water, and use Lexol conditioner as a second step. Sometimes I use the Lexol cleaner. For deep cleaning I use the Leatherique system. Except for Leatherique, it is very inexpensive.
Subscribed! I've been wondering this for a while; leather vs vinyl, for the reason you said. So much 'leather' these days is a 'leatherette' vinyl derivative.
That’s good to know because I used to just wipe down my leather/synthetic leather with a micro fiber cloth and sometimes use a special leather cleaner.
In Mercedes you can have fabric, vinyl (now in France they call it simili-cuir Artico, it's a synthetic material that imitate leather. Yes, I'm french and sorry for my english) or leather. A lot of Mercedes are equipped with synthetic...I'm quite sure they use synthetic material in your wife's C-Class.
For cleaning my leather (or maybe it's synthetic too) in my Mazda 6, sometimes I'm using APC from Meguiar's. I've learned it from you. But as the smell is very powerful, most of time I'm using only water in my Tornador. It's efficient and fast because I'm cleaning it regularly. Sometimes I'm spraying Optimum no rinse on the seat and I rinse it with water in Tornador.
For the conditionner, I'm using Gliptone. The effect is the same than if I'm using xpress wax. But the smell of this Gliptone is nice ; it smells like new car's leather. That's the only reason why I'm using it ; it's not more magic or efficient than xpress wax.
Hi just wondering if you have any video cleaning cream seat belts they are a pain ,
Keep up the good work
Thank you from
Ireland
King Ranch leather is a very, very rare example of a very special leather in the car industry. Because King Ranch leather started out as pure aniline leather, meaning it‘s pure leather without any additional layers of colour or a top coat.
To understand what this means, you have to know that there are different types of leather and you also need to know about leather terminology:
First, there‘s real and faux / synthetic / „vegan“ leather. The latter is synthetic material such as polyurethane, e.g. found in Teslas / motorcycles / jetskis / boats. You can often feel faux leather as it‘s not as soft and „leathery“ as the real deal, but there‘s also really soft faux leather out there, maling it harder and harder to differentiate. And car makers mix and match natural / faux leather. You would be forgiven to think that synthetic leather can be cleaned more aggressively. However, wrong methods, tools and chemicals can stain or damage synthetic leather as much as real leather as many faux leathers are almost identically built as real leather.
When we talk about real leather, we need to separate between and know 4 things:
1. How is the original animal‘s skin chemically treated (tanned / dyed / coloured) to become actual leather
2. Once tanned, how is the leather mechanically treated (corrected vs uncorrected)
3. How is the leather then pigmented, meaning how many additional layers of „stuff“ are added - or not
4. How the finallized product is finished (perforated, embossed, …)
If we know all of this, we can in general differentiate 3 leather types (although it‘s more like a spectrum between type 1 and 3):
Aniline leather: tanned and coloured with dyes but no additional layers added. It’s (almost) the pure animal skin. Leather pores are open. (Early) King Ranch leather is an example. Extremely rare, very delicate to clean and treat.
Semi-aniline leather: also tanned and dyed, then a protective top coat is applied. Technically also pigmented leather, but the leather‘s „crust“ (meaning the leather’s original skin surface) is still visible. Pores are semi-open. Found in luxury cars. More delicate than (fully) pigmented, less delicate than aniline leather.
Pigmented leather: also based on animal skin, tanned, but a pigment / colour layer as well as a protective top coat are applied to cover up most if not all of the leather’s original skin surface and imperfections. Most common type, least „natural“, most resistant, but usually not as soft as aniline / semi-aniline. Pores are almost closed.
These 3 types come in different variations based on how they are treated and/or created which can have a severe influence on how they look, feel, and behave:
1. Tanning process: can be done with different chemicals like chrome (mineral based), synthetic, aldehyde, or vegetable-based. Depends on legislations and/or what the finished leather is supposed to do / look / feel like.
2. Uncorrected (full-grain) or corrected. The latter meaning that the leather surface is smoothened (sanded), the natural skin imperfections are (partially) removed. Corrected aniline leather e.g. is called Nubuk leather.
3. Corrected leather is either smooth / flat or can be embossed / imprinted to create a certain surface structure (like e.g. ostrich or croc leather).
„Nappa“ leather per definition of the leather industry is e.g. chrome-tanned, soft, full-grain leather that should not be altered as far as possible from the original surface - which means that the grain must not be sanded and not embossed. Likewise, only very little pigment may be applied if it is too skinny, so that the natural pore pattern remains clearly visible.
So, King Ranch leather started life as aniline leather. However, and as seen in the past when other manufacturers used such leather, they saw that it is EXTREMELY hard to keep it clean, looking good and intact. So, over time, they changed it to semi-aniline leather - making it less difficult to clean and care for.
Most important part here: King Ranch is NOT saddle leather.
Saddle leather for riding horses is organicly tanned aniline leather. The colour and hardness of saddle leather comes from this comparably old tanning process. Horses sweat as we humans do, but horse sweat is slightly more acidic. Since saddle leather is aniline leather without a protective top coat, it absorbs the horses‘ sweat. Therefore, you use saddle soap which is (highly) alcaline in order to prevent the saddle leather from becoming too acidic.
Car leathers, even aniline ones, are very rarely organicly tanned (most leathers in cars are still chrome tanned, and if they are FOC leathers then they are often synthetically tanned), set and made so that they are slightly acidic or pH neutral from the getgo. More importantly, car leather usually is NOT aniline leather and has three additional layers applied to it (primer, base coat, top coat). You very very rarely see pure aniline leathers in cars, a top coat is almost always applied.
We humans usually don‘t drive around naked which is why leather in cars doesn‘t see that much of our sweat. Alcaline cleaners with pH values above pH ~8 start a hydrolization process of pigmented leathers with a top coat and they penetrate and can nastily stain aniline car leathers - which is an irreversible damage!
Also, during the tanning process, the dye (and other stuff) in leather is usually fixed and held in place with acids. This means that if you clean aniline leather with highly alkaline cleaners, you could end up loosening these ingredients which a) leads to dye transfer which in turn can stain the leather or b) could lead to the leather becoming hard. This process is irreversible and no leather „conditioner“ of sort will change that!
Also, Ford themselves literally say to use a MILD soap - not an alkaline one like saddle soap! They also literally say to NOT use cleaners intended for rubber, vinyl and plastics. And what have those cleaners in common? Right, they are alkaline.
For King Ranch seats, you need specialised cleaners and conditioners made or suitable for aniline leather. If you want a tangible recommendation, I personally would use Ledermax LMX Cleaner 1.0 or 1.1 and then Conditioner 2.0.
If you clean such leather, you always and first test your used cleaner on an inconspicous area first to see if it stains it or not. If King Ranch leather is indeed a pure aniline leather, be aware that it could be that you see a little bit (!) of dye transfer during the cleaning process. If you see too much dye transfer, then immediately stop! Try to clean it as dry as possible, which means do not use too much liquid. Also, and in this rare case, I‘d actually recommend to use a leather brush as on aniline leather there is no top coat which you could damage with such a brush.
In regards to expectations it‘s important to be realistic. As I said above, aniline leather is (highly) absorbant. Realistically, we cannot reverse years of neglecence as we cannot get dirt, oils and fats out of those leathers which has really and deeply absorbed into the leather. As said above, aniline leather doesn‘t have a top coat on it which would prevent the dye from fading. So, realistically, to bring those seats back to their original appearance, you would need to go through a re-dying process (which is delicate on aniline leather).
Thank you for your excellent dissertation on many things “leather”. You have developed the topic with great depth and attention.
I've been a subscriber for a long time, but I'm getting ready to fold. Literally the same exact videos over and over. I've learned a lot from Darren but I'm done learning about how to clean "leather."
I get it. But what you don't get is everything I do is part of a much bigger strategy and a very holistic strategy. I have two websites. My goal is to make a dedicated video for each page of my website to further help people understand in video format if they choose, once they have found my dedicated page at my website discussing specific topics. When people want to learn about anything, they will use a wide variety of ways in which to find info on that topic. ergo: I have many pages on my sites about car leather. But people search out this topic with endless terms: best car leather cleaner, automotive car leather, how to clean car leather, leather car seats, leather car upholstery, ad-infinitum.
One of the important things in life is we learn from repetition.
I appreciate all your information I was wondering if you ever used autobright leather and vinyl spray
What cleaner would you recommend for nuluxe which is artificially leather that is extremely good at cleaning but at the same time safe to use? I already have surfex hd but not sure if it's safe?
Hey there, I have a brand new 2022 BMW 2 Series with sensatec. I actually prefer it to leather cuz it looks brand new for years to come, I read a couple articles stating that I shouldn't use leather conditioner on it. But I really like the Chemical Guys vintage leather conditioner and cleaner. Chemical Guys says it's fine to use on vinyl, it looks great. What is your opinion?
Hope you can help. I have a 2023 Mercedes E class with Macchiato Beige MB Tex interior. The driver’s seat bolster has picked a blue stain from my jeans and I can’t seem to get it completely off. The dealer wants to stain it ( or paint it) but I’m not comfortable with that. Can you recommend a product to clean (remove) the discoloring?
VERY helpful video. Thank you!!!
great video and tips as always good friend. b well
hello i have car that a detailer used alot of armor all the dealership said it is to much used on the consul and door panels (which they said is wrapped in leather) however, it has a very sticky feel and pasty feeling due to the extreme heat and created a whitish residue as well. Is there anything that clean this? ( i saw your videos about leather and top coat used over it and using cleaners and not conditioners but nothing about sticky interiors). Please advise if you can. I appreciate and help you may offer.
I like vinyl more than real leather in cars, i own a mercedes and it has vinyl which is great from my point of view
Just for your information, Porsche’s do have an option for Natural leather, it’s expensive but spectacular. It is tough to take care of, it scuffs, and needs real leather care routinely, but it feels and smells fantastic. Also the older Ford F-150 King Ranch pickup has real saddle leather. They don’t any more because no one took care of it properly and the seats become like hard rocks
2014 chev impala moca leather. from FL TO MN thoughts?
With my very first encounter with German luxury vehicles it was obvious they were not using natural leather. Between the texture and the lack of natural leather smell I could tell the difference immediately and this was in the 80's.
How do I get blue from jeans off my Macchiato Beige MB Tex vinyl?
Is nappa leather also coated? I thought it has full grain.
Your video's are great and I subscribed to your channel. My only feedback is...no need to repeat your point multiple times on most of your video's, I get it the first time. Stress your point once and move on. You will be able to cover the same material in about half the time which keeps the interest of the audience longer. And yes your video's will be shorter in time. Just my $.02. Cheers.
How would you go about cleaning “re-dyed” leather?
James O'Brien makes sense, I was thinking more in the context of showing up and discovering a customer’s car has improperly re-finished leather.
@James O'Brien This is your answer, Straight off the Lot Mobile Detailing.
James O'Brien I hear you but I’ve had this problem before with my wife car. The dealership had some bum dye my wife driver seat and they didn’t put not one clear coat on it. They tell you it’s leather but the color was black under the grey dye 😲. I say it’s plastic
If it's dyed.. whatever you do don't use Tuff Stuff
SAME WITH...Basketball
Premium Leather AND Composite Leather
Same thoughts. It’s usually all marketing. For example chemical guys leather cleaner and non visible non smell interior cleaner. It’s a same stuff just a letter cleaner has a leather smell to it.
opel corsa 2016 edition cloth seats
Somehow I missed what the BEST cleaner is.
I heard don't use microfibre on MB TeX....true?
True, at least for my friend's AMG GT per his user manual. Just check your manual and you will see.
I usually Smell the leather where people sit and they all Smell the same .
Is coated leather the same as vinyl?
no.
"Coated" leather is normal automotive leather. The coating is merely a very thin layer of protective covering to minimise wear, sunlight, humidfity, stains etc. Vinyl is basically 100% PVC/plastic
@@Hattonbank Thank you! What I'm still wondering is if the coating is porous. If so, I would want to be careful of any cleaning liquids. If not, then indeed leather cleaners and especially conditioners are useless.
@@brightonmusic Automotive leather goes through a total process lasting 6 weeks from receipt of the hair covered hides straight from the abbatoir, to the final inspection.
After the tanning process has been completed, which imparts the strength into the material, plus resistance to humidity, heat, sub zero temperatures etc., the leather is still in what looks like its natural state, but has no colour, except that caused by the chemicals used in the tanning process, and no wear properties, so it can still, at this stage, absorb liquids and moisture.
It is then spray painted to the final colour required, and finally has a clear matt lacquer coating applied which provides the real protection against customer wear, UV rays (important in high temperature, high sunlight parts of the world), spills and stains and general abuse.
This lacquer is the key to the lasting performance and appearance of the leather and it is impervious to moisture ingress. Once this lacquers protection wears off, which it can do after long use or abuse by the driver/passenger, the colour coating underrneath will quickly wear through to the material itself, which will continue to wear rapidly.
There are many brands of cleaning liquids for sale out in the marketplace, broadly of two types. The most benign are basically water and soap mixtures, You are paying for a soapy mixtutre that you could do yourself. The other type is more aggresive and may have a solvent content that cleans the leather by gradually skimming off some of the lacquer surface. It will look good at first, but it will need to be repeated and before too long there will be no lacquer protection left, leading to rapid deterioration of the leather.
The only leathers that need "feeding" or conditioning are the natural aniline types, rarely ever used in cars except on some very limited edition luxury models. These have no paint or lacvquer, just a dye that permeates the leather to give it colour. These types of leathers will age with wear and the environment, and will change in appearance over time. Customers who buy aniline furniture or even autos are generally advised of this prior to purchase, but some still complain when the appearance changes over time.
So in conclusion the only thing that is needed to clean leather is warm soapy water (not washing up liquid), a soft cloth soaked in it, a gentle circular motion, and finishing off with a soft cloth to dry the surface.
This is the recommendation of practically every automotive tannery in Europe and North America.
Two key points to remember with leather.
Do not wear denim on light colour leather seats. Denim has poor dye retention, the dye will migrate from the denim into the lacquer due to warmth from the body. It is impossible to remove without abrading the lacquer surface.
On car seats, it is usually the outboard seat bolsters that wear first because that is the main point of contact as people slide into the seat.
It is best to drop into the seat instead of dragging yourself across it, this minimises wear. It is not so easy if it is a high off the ground vehicle (SUV, 4 x 4) or if the person is heavy.
@@Hattonbank Thank you so much for this detailed, wonderful explanation!! With your permission I would like to share this with others and identify you as the source.
Two remaining questions I do have is what is "washing up liquid"? Would baby shampoo or dishwashing liquid be OK to use?
Thanks again!
Too much talking in your recent videos. I like your older videos better where it's less talking and shows more of the actual work being done.
Thank you for your view and we can't please every viewer.
You've made the same video about 4 times in the last month.
Thank you for your view and your comments.
And if you have watched all of them, I am willing to bet you learned some of the endless nuances of this ONE subject out of the thousand other subjects of car care. The answers really are in the details. Hard to cover every detail in a single video.
You can smell it right away
Jesus. We get it. There is vinyl in expensive cars. I spent 10 minutes waiting for you to recommend a good cleaner and all o got was a lot of rambling. Look “succinct” up in the dictionary. It will do wonders for your videos.
TheDaver33c he did, use whatever you want because it doesn’t really matter as long as it gets clean. Cleaning regularly will prolong your leather or vinyl seats better than any special conditioner
Title of the video: “What is the Best Cleaner?” In the entire video, that question was never answered.
Your also trying to hit that 10 minute mark
So who cares
I care.
@@ShineLikeaProAZ You care because you are his buddy.
@@alphacharlie65ms Yes he is my friend. Do you not have friends?
I care.
@James O'Brien I've learned everything from Darren. Today my car is 2 years and half and it looks more new than in the shop when I've bought it.
My other online teacher is Scott from Dallas.