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Leather Cleaner

7K views 31 replies 21 participants last post by  LenMcC 
#1 ·
What Leather Cleaner do you recommend using for the Evora S's leather trim? I do not want to ruin it, as it has much softer leather, in my opinion than the old Elise. I have Meguiars leather cleaner, however, it is several years old. Like eight years old, I am not sure if it is still good. The Zymol brand that I usually use, has their leather cleaner made by Turtle Wax. Not sure if that is good to use.
 
#4 ·
It's considered a high-quality product for both cleaning and conditioning, but I wouldn't know how it compares to commercial brands.
 
#12 ·
leather cleaner

Several years ago when I had the Elise, someone on this site recommended Tanner's - Leather Conditioning Cream, and Leather Cleaner. I've used both. Good stuff.
 
#13 ·
I think I'm the only one but,..... I use a damp cloth, let fully dry and then use mink oil. Wipe on, let sit for a few hours, wipe off and buff lightly with a towel. Everything is satin finish, supple and water protected. It is especially good for the sills to prevent (or minimise) the bubbling of the leather due to moisture.

Here in Seattle (like the English motherland) it is pretty moist. Maybe you guys in the south don't need the moisture protection like we do.
 

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#15 · (Edited)
Sorry but those are crap. I bought one as an emergency after getting my car back from the dealership. While I'm sure may do a good job as a protectant (I generally like Maguiar's products), the advertised "non-greasy" was just a flat out lie.. They are almost as shiny as Armor All. It took a good bit of buffing over everything to restore the stock appearance. Then I tossed them in the bin.

I'm sticking with my Zymol Leather Conditioner.
 
#16 ·
Anything turtle or meguiar or eagle one product is guaranteed to be quite crappy. My rule of thumb is if it smells floral, then it's crappy. All the stuff I use have very neutral odor.

To really preserve the leather you have to use cream conditioner. This requires a lot of patience.

First you have to clean the dirt using a cleaner. I use Autoglym Leather Cleaner:



Then moisturize the leather with a conditioner:

The quick and easy is Blue Magic Leather Conditioner. Apply, let sit for 15mins then buff off. Very neutral odor.



The die-hard stuff is Connolly Hide Food. This one you really need to rub into the leather. Let sit and "melt" into leather. Then buff off. I have seen this stuff done wonders to minor scuff marks as well.



Trust me, the good stuff goes a long way.
 
#22 · (Edited)
The die-hard stuff is Connolly Hide Food. This one you really need to rub into the leather. Let sit and "melt" into leather. Then buff off. I have seen this stuff done wonders to minor scuff marks as well.



Trust me, the good stuff goes a long way.
A second for the Connally Hide Food. It works better when purchased through Moss Motors:

MossMotors.com - Restoration Parts And Accessories For British Cars

I have been using Hide Food on my Land Rover and Lotus for years now, and it keeps the leather soft and supple. Fill up on Lucas Wire Harness Smoke while you are at it.

BTW, the Lexol stuff will slowly darken the leather. Not a problem on black cars, but I would be wary using Lexol on any lighter colors leather.
 
#17 ·
Leatherique is what the concours folks use on their champion winning Bentley, Rolls, Della Hayes etc. Yea its that good.....
 
#21 ·
I have used Lexol for a very long time and loved it.

I still do use it for just about everything..but I decided to give the mothers leathertech stuff a try on my seats and sills..

I was blow away by the amount of brown dirt that was coming off on my microfiber towel, compared to the lexol cleaner. The cream cleanser stays very flat, doesn't get greasy and absorbs nicely to soften the leather. I would say the lexol makes the leather a bit softer, but can be waayyy to sticky/greasy, so I have to let it sit forever after buffing out, and even then in the humidity here it stays sticky. The mothers is no problem. Big bonus is the mothers smells amazing :)

this is in reference to both brands' cleaner and conditioner used together...

I am going to continue using both-the lexol spray makes it easier to apply and it is a bit cheaper for the parts that don't get as dirty/much use. I am going to stick with the mothers for the seats and sills as I am really happy with the results
 
#23 ·
#25 ·
RTFM guys refer to page 102 of the manual it says, the manufacturers of the the leather do not recommend the use of any hide 'food' and prohibit the use of detergents or furniture creams and polishes.

if you have to the manual states just use toilet soap or soap flakes to clean the leather then use fresh water and polish with a dry cloth......
 
#28 ·
A little flame:
There is a difference of cleaning a dirty leather seat or attempting to nourish the leather.
Basic rule: leather is a natural product and does not like water. If you do, dry it well and use a leatherSEATS adviced product. (No attempt in giving advice in that, done it before, but my favorites are not for sale in the US. Zymol sounds good). The thing in the manual (to my opinion) applies for heavy, dirty seats, as a first step in cleaning. And got nothing to do with proper leathermaintenance.
Btw (i do not want to sound flaming): we, the Lotus enthousiast, all ignore a lot of Lotus maintenance/repair/OEM stuff, because we find that in the real world, our cars are great, but better stuff then originally advised is for sale.
Great reason to mistrust the owner's manual now too...
Second: not all leathers are the same. Shoepolish will do the job, as what shoe polish does to your shoes. But you don't sit on your shoes, the shoes are not in the sun all day, and most shoes are thrown away after 2 years anyway. So why compare products if the application is different?

Ps: yes, i do not own an Evora or the manual.
No, my truth is not THE truth. Only the internet has the truth.
Yes: i have tried my share of carcare stuff. Some cheap stuff works, some don't. I do not take risks anymore.




CarbonElise
 
#30 ·
#31 · (Edited)
I just picked up some leatherique and will probably hit my interior before the summer. I found this tutorial online with respect to application etc. and it seems helpful for others uses as well:

Leatherique Leather Care How-To | Ask a Pro Blog

Any other recommendations with this product?


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App
Its a great product. I use gloves to apply it then put the car out in the heat all day. Then use the cleaner to remove the oil and your done. I feel it kept my dash from cracking.
 
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