'How To' Restore your Leather

[ericglo]

platoribs,

I am not sure. I looked for the stuff the other day to check the ingredients, but I could not find it. From your description, I would say probably not a big deal. Lanolyne is lanolin, I think, and surfactants are needed to clean. I don't know for what the polyolefins are used. If the ph is around 9, then that would help. The cleaner is probably abrasive enough to get down into the grain and clean the leather. In the end, I don't know.

I do have a question. Why don't you try my method and mixture? I cleaned my car and it took maybe fifteen minutes.

Eric

 

[platoribs]

platoribs,

I am not sure. I looked for the stuff the other day to check the ingredients, but I could not find it. From your description, I would say probably not a big deal. Lanolyne is lanolin, I think, and surfactants are needed to clean. I don't know for what the polyolefins are used. If the ph is around 9, then that would help. The cleaner is probably abrasive enough to get down into the grain and clean the leather. In the end, I don't know.

I do have a question. Why don't you try my method and mixture? I cleaned my car and it took maybe fifteen minutes.

Eric

Eric,
I finally tracked down your post and have saved it for the future. The only reason I used the hand cleaner was I saw this thread and thought "I bet there is something better than 409, Bon Ami, etc...", So I went home and came accross the GOJO, Hmmmm I thinks, good for hands, good for leather seats, I had it so I tried it and was surprised by the results, just looking for some opinions from someone knowledgable like yourself. I will definately use the solution you described, and will also be watching for any new releases from your book of care, thanks for contributing.
Regards,
Chris

 

[ericglo]

Platoribs,

I read the ingredients to several of the GOJO cleaners. I would not use them. I noticed they had propylene glycol and some other stuff. That will strip the finish off the leather. Try my solution, it is cheaper and more gentle than the abrasive cleaners. Incidently, I think the pumice is doing the same thing as the 3M scuff pad, which is getting down into the grain.


Eric

 

[MARTINSR]

I did try the 409 as recommended in the first post. It cleaned like a mad man but did bleach it a little (mocha). My seats do have some worn areas that the "coating" is gone I think, so the 409 didn't do anything that bad anyway.

After seeing that the 409 did cause some bleaching, I got the Lexol cleaner. I have to say, is doesn't clean worth a **** compared to the 409. It is almost worthless against my seats dirt. I have only done some of my right seat bottom so I am going to try the Simple Green to get to the middle of the road as far as aggressive.

It kills me because my car is very clean (just bought it) and the there are only one small tear in a door panel (just found a replacment at the bone yard yesterday). The seats would be beautiful of they had been taken care of. But, hey, here I am knocking the thing and my buddy gave it to me for almost free. I just love this car so I can't knock it that much.

I am thinking about having the guy who comes and repairs interior panels in cars at work (I am an autobody tech) to dye the seat bottoms. My only problem is, he can't get the color right on the money. I am a stickler for color match so that is the only thing that is holding me back.

 

[ericglo]

MARTINSR,

Try using a 3m delicate duty scrub sponge. That will get into the leather and clean it.
I know someone in Modesto who has a color computer. He could match the color for you and do the work. I think the company is Advanced Interior Restoration.

Eric

 

[Racer X]

Also, there is a small chunk of leather missing from the rear seat, not just a rip or tear, but a hole in the seat. can this be patched somehow? My brother was the previous owner of my SHO and he was about cars. He tried to wire his own stereo system in with the JBL system and in doing so, cut out a 3 in square of leather from behind the arm rest in the rear seat to route wires through . Ya'll think it would be hard to find leather to match the mocha color in my SHO?

Either your brother owned my SHO, or one of his friends did, because my SHO is missing the same piece of leather. It's not even hard to run wires under the seat...

 

[caseywan]

I black leather seats, and I use black shoe polish on the parts that have turned white. I have to do it every once in a while cause the shoe polish kinda wheres off. But it looks great if you just do it before a show or something.

 

[SHO-93-ATX]

Bon ami for sure!

I am still sticking w/ my Bon Ami, its not abrasive to the leather, and pulls what i would say " the oxydation" right out of the leather. Ive even used it on nasty stratch ups my car had, and pulled them right out... this stuff definatly does the trick for 79 cents a can!
You gotta try it to beleive it!
i really recommend it-

BTW im going to clean my leather right now

 

[Venom SHO s7]

where do you find this Bon Ami stuff?
its in a can?

 

[whfla]

I might get flamed for this, but oh well.

Here is how I cleaned my leather after 2-1/2+ years of being neglected.

1. Scrub them with a tooth brush and regular 409 cleaner* used liberally. EDIT: Use Simply Green or Bon Ami first before trying 409, 409 might bleach seats, it did not on mine but another is having problems with his seats bleaching. Do it in small areas and wipe frequently with a clean terry cloth. ( I went threw about 40 of them for the whole car.)

2. Spray distilled water liberally after fully cleaning a seat and wipe off.

3. Let dry.

4. Apply high quality leather conditioner. (I used Meguiar's leather conditioner cream)

As you can see from the pics, it did wonders for my seats. Now this is a last ditch effort before you spend of a grand to have them recovered. This will not fix rips/worn spots. It took me about 12 hours to do the whole car. I should have gotten pics of each seat if I was thinking right, I was just amazed out how the seats were turning out.

* I tried using Meguiar's leather cleaner but it did not cut the grit out

BEFORE:

After:

you can save yourself all that labor by going to your local carpet/upholstery supply house and get the CHEMSPEC leather cleaner , you wont believe your eyes !! wipe on wipe off , i have been using it for years at my job and it is the most unreal product for cleaning leather ever invented !! cheap too , you can also get it at jondon.com ! good luck !!

 

[SmyleySho]

My stupidity.....!!! Dont use Mean Green either .....LOL......My seats looks like MJ...... :ruhroh: It turned my seats Light beige...... Can u say seat covers

 

[SHO-93-ATX]

Bon ami should be at your local convience store, or grocery store, or super market. ****- walmat probably has it. its only 79 cents a can... and with a tooth brush and some water, damn it works great, also restores oxydation on your car, and takes your those ugly some what deep scratchs

Bret J.

 

[black93sho]

Where in a store can you find Bon Ami. I have been looking in the household cleaners dept but havent been able to find it.

 

[SHO-93-ATX]

pretty much anywhere... walmart usally. K mart, someplaces might not carry... some might. just try the big stores even some party stores or mini marts might carry... its only 79 cents a can. and does the job excellent.

 

[95ATX/Milwaukee]

Mink Oil

Gents,

I know this is a long post, but Jason (Miltown) can verify what treating my full leather once in late spring and once in early fall with HIGH QUALITY mink oil can do! It's about $6.00/glass tin and about 3/4 of that will do an entire full leather interior. I work it well into the seams and rest of the leather, and 15 minutes later after sitting I wipe it down...it WORKS!!!!

Mike

 

[SHOrespect]

I used 93nighthawks leather cleaning technique (using the 409, toothbrush etc.) It really cleaned the leather and got rid of the ugly, brown color in the leather and softend it up a bit but I still have all of my cracks. It only took me about 1 hour to do my two front seats (includind putting on my conditioner). So did I not work on it long enough like you or are my seats just really bad (although they look the exact same as yours in the pic before you cleaned them) Or is their a special technique I am not using because the whole purpose of me doing this was to get ride of all the cracks but I didn't get rid of one! I am frustrated because of your perfect result so can you help me out a bit and give me some tips please.

 

[93nighthawk]

What was the temperature while you were you working on the seats?

If it was cold, then the cracks won't come out. You need the seats to be very warm so the seats will be malleable and release the dirt causing the cracks.

I spent at least an hour on each cusion cleaning (not conditioning) It takes a lot of time, sweat, and rags to get all the dirt out of the cracks.

As for working the tooth brush, you want to go parrelel with the crack, then 90 degrees to the crack, then circular motions, repeat until crack disapears.

 

[SHOrespect]

I used the same method that 93nighthawk used (using 409, toothbrush etc.) It worked really good at clening the seat and softened up my seats up a bit but what I cant understang how come none of my cracks came out like yours did. I spent propably about 1 hours cleaning my two front seats including putting on the conditioner. My seat are in the same condition as your but I don't get it. Did i not spend enough time cleaning my seats or is their some sort of secret to it because the whole reason I cleaned my seats was to get the cracks out but I got kind of dissapointed. So can anyone give me some tips because I would really like my seats to turn out like 93nighthawks

 

[SHOrespect]

What was the temperature while you were you working on the seats?

If it was cold, then the cracks won't come out. You need the seats to be very warm so the seats will be malleable and release the dirt causing the cracks.

I spent at least an hour on each cusion cleaning (not conditioning) It takes a lot of time, sweat, and rags to get all the dirt out of the cracks.

As for working the tooth brush, you want to go parrelel with the crack, then 90 degrees to the crack, then circular motions, repeat until crack disapears.

thanks alot

 

[SHO-93-ATX]

yeah it takes a while to remove the cracks... seriously try the bon ami! you all will be suprised