Condition your leather seats!

[Perfectlap]

holy cow its cold up here in metro NYC! it was about 10 degrees last night jumped into the car to go watch a movie and noticed the leather was suffering from the extreme weather, looking very dry like your skin gets after spending too much time in below freesing weather. Warmed up the car until it was nice and toasty and got out the Lexol. Instant relief.
Do your Boxster or Boxstore-it a favor and get your seats some relief.
Klasse VLRP is another excellent product for your seats and leather steering wheel

[RandallNeighbour]

An upholstry shop owner told me that none of the expensive internet products work as well as Lexol, which is inexpensive and available most everywhere. I sure wish I'd known this before I bought all that Leatherique product!

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

An upholstry shop owner told me that none of the expensive internet products work as well as Lexol, which is inexpensive and available most everywhere. I sure wish I'd known this before I bought all that Leatherique product!

Hi,

You didn't make a mistake with Leatherique! I have used all the products out there at one time or another and nothing beats Leatherique. Lexol leaves so much crap (especially silicones) behind that it clogs the pores in the leather and leads to premature Drying and Hardening. I wouldn't use that stuff on a Dog Collar!...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[deliriousga]

Leatherique is all I use on my seats. It brought my 18 year old, neglected, hard-as-a-rock 928 seats back to life and ready for a re-dye. It keeps the Boxster seats clean and soft with no residue at all.

I have read recently that a very good leather care product is Color Plus Leather Care Soffener (spelled correctly!). They have a web-site www.colorplus.com.

[Perfectlap]

leatherique is not cheap! a 26 ounce bottle (should last 20 years) with shipping is almost $40!
anyone want to go 50/50?

[Ghostrider 310]

My family were shoemakers long ago, an uncle who is 80 still can fire on a fresh set of soles like factory. He told me Lexol has been around for a long time and is among the best. I use it and I think it works well. Forget about the McGuires leather product, it smells good but I think it actually dries the leather. I'm using it up on the truck seats now...

[Brucelee]

I use both Leatherique and Lexol.

I really like the Leatherique cleaner/light conditioner.

[AUDIOGUY]

I have actually used an Eagle One product some type of conditioner. It works great, smells neutral and doesnt leave a residue. You actually apply it by hand like lotion on skin. Once it is worked into the seats, take a clean towel and buff off the seating surfaces. It was relatively inexpensive 8 to 10 bucks or so. Try it!

Joe
01S
Triple Black

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unless you remove the leather from the seats and condition the "raw" back side of the leather, you really are not doing much for your seats by conditioning them. It makes us as car owners feel better that we're doing something, but unfortunately, the effect is negligible.

Leather used for upholstery is dyed with pigment dyes which hides the flaws and the grain in the leather, as opposed to aniline dyes which allow the grain to be seen and the leather to age, darken and develop a patina. Aniline dyes also allow any natural flaws to be visible, which most people don't want to see. Consumers want leather exclusiveness but with "vinyl perfection". So, they use pigment dyes, which is very much like painting your leather with acrylic paint. It coats it, rather than just colouring it.

After dyeing with pigment dye, upholstery leather is then further sealed with lacquer, or similar flexible sealer, so as not to allow spilled drinks, etc. to stain the seats, and to keep the seats from looking worn. It also makes for easy clean up...just like vinyl. Between the pigment dye and the sealer, virtually nothing will soak into the leather...including conditioners, until this sealer coat starts to wear through or crack.... or is removed.

What benefit you are seeing is probably from the massaging action of working the conditioners onto the leather, which, by working the leather with your hands, you are breaking in the leather and keeping it flexible. This is why the driver's seat tends to stay more pliable than the others. Also, in winter, it is the nature of leather to be stiffer than in summer.

i used a natural bees wax type of product (heritage) which worked very well with my old savannah interior but haven't done it yet on grey interior of S

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by creseida

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unless you remove the leather from the seats and condition the "raw" back side of the leather, you really are not doing much for your seats by conditioning them. It makes us as car owners feel better that we're doing something, but unfortunately, the effect is negligible.

Leather used for upholstery is dyed with pigment dyes which hides the flaws and the grain in the leather, as opposed to aniline dyes which allow the grain to be seen and the leather to age, darken and develop a patina. Aniline dyes also allow any natural flaws to be visible, which most people don't want to see. Consumers want leather exclusiveness but with "vinyl perfection". So, they use pigment dyes, which is very much like painting your leather with acrylic paint. It coats it, rather than just colouring it.

After dyeing with pigment dye, upholstery leather is then further sealed with lacquer, or similar flexible sealer, so as not to allow spilled drinks, etc. to stain the seats, and to keep the seats from looking worn. It also makes for easy clean up...just like vinyl. Between the pigment dye and the sealer, virtually nothing will soak into the leather...including conditioners, until this sealer coat starts to wear through or crack.... or is removed.

What benefit you are seeing is probably from the massaging action of working the conditioners onto the leather, which, by working the leather with your hands, you are breaking in the leather and keeping it flexible. This is why the driver's seat tends to stay more pliable than the others. Also, in winter, it is the nature of leather to be stiffer than in summer.

Hi,

You're correct... to a point. Many Products will not penetrate the various Fillers and Dyes as you mention, but some will. Leatherique is one of these...

Happy Motoring... Jim'99