Just wondering what you guys use to keep your interior nice and tidy and how often? Just ordered myself a lexol leather and vinyl spray and cotton applicator

 

I use Lexol Conditioner and cleaner on the leather and 303 Aerospace protectant on the dash, etc. Invisible glass for the windows.

 

How often and how's the conditions?

 

leatherique is the best in my opinion but its a bitch to do..

rub with hand, have it sit in the sun for a few hours to soak up the juices, then do a warm towel wipe down.

 

i use meguiar's leather cleaner and 303 for the dash... the 303 is nice but it doesnt look as shiny as I was hoping for... It does the job but I might be in the market for other products

 

Unless a Premium Leather option was purchased the type of leather upholstery used by ~ 95% of OEM is a multi stratum covering over the leather hide; the top strata is the surface pigmentation (colour) and an abrasion resistant urethane. Real leather has a recognizable fragrance that is missing from polyurethane and plastic. Simple cleaning, hydration and protection are the steps that will prolong the life of finished leather.

Top-grain premium leather is mostly used in prestige European automobiles; Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lotus, and Rolls Royce, US Cadillac and high-end German automobiles such as; Audi, BMW, Daimler AG, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche, for most of these vehicles premium leather is standard OEM specified equipment, but for most it’s a ‘premium’ package that costs upwards of 2,000 USD . This is the niche market sector both Leatherique and Connolly were originally formulated for.



"Proper Finished Leather Cleaning and Care" - http://www.autopia.org/forum/guide-d...ning-care.html

 

1) Wipe plastics and seat surfaces down with a Woolite & Water mix to clean them ( 6/1)
2) Wipe seats down with a warm water dampened m/f.
3) Do seats with a leather conditioner ... most any OTC will do as your treating the coating not the leather.
4) Dress the plastics with any of the white dressings. I like Meguiars #40.

 

All I do is wipe down with warm water and soap (microfiber towel).

Then apply Optimum Leather & Vinyl Protectant.

 

Poorboy's natural look dressing on the vinyls and Lexol cleaner and conditioner (brown and orange bottles) for the leather. In that order.

 

For touchups I like the california duster, it takes the dust of all of the dash and interior plastic quickly. Griots garage plastic cleaner for clear plastic covers on nav and instrument pods

 

I use the Meguiar's Gold Class leather cleaner/ conditioner for the seats. Then Armor All carpet cleaner for my carpet mats, and also used it when my friend got soda on my headliner (yes, it pissed me off to no end). Armor All Interior detailer for dash and door panels if it looks like a cleaning is needed. Then Eagle One 20/20 for the windows

 

Armor all interior stuff dries the dash and door panels btw. Bad stuff

 

Wives tale ^^^^ And total unsubstantiated crap ..

 

I don't trust a company that used Silicone (dry) to clean vinyl/leather. They have changed it, but that didn't happen till they got sued. Now they used a water-based Silicone. They just recently changed it.

They caused hundreds of cracked dashes and cracked leather seats.

 

So you would use 303 instead? Or maybe Meguiars #40?

 

Both work well. I like Optimum Vinyl & Leather Protectant from the referral from several people. So far so good.

Can't go wrong with either one(s).

 

Well I'm going to enlighten you just a bit , it bothers me that you posted this "Armor all interior stuff dries the dash and door panels btw. Bad stuff " based in unsubstantiated old informathing then contradicted yourself in your next post by saying "They have changed it, but that didn't happen till they got sued. Now they used a water-based Silicone." They just recently changed it. They caused hundreds of cracked dashes and cracked leather seats. <--- even this is unsubstatntiated because the end result of the suit isn't known. If they changed it ... is it still bad because of supposed past history?

Don't get me wrong .. I'm not pro Armorall , I'm pro correct information.

BTW here is a little info that if you wouldn't use todays armorall might make you rethink what you do use.

Perhaps it is time for all to understand the "difference" between a "dimethal silicone fluid" and a "poly dimethal siloxane" resin dressing.

The "latter" is commonly referred to as a "PDMS" dressing.

A dimethal silicone dressing is a resin that is migritory and quickly evaporates from a surface, and a hydrocarbon solvent is usually required as a "carrier", due to the molecular nature/etc of the silicone resin/fluid.

On the other hand a PDMS, IE, poly amino dimethal siloxane. will emulsify into water, no need for a "hydrocarbon solvent" as a "carrier" and emulsifier of the resin.

Most of, if not all, no matter the "brand on the lablel", or "marketing hype" which are what is marketed as "water based", etc, are of the PDMS family.

Be it Mequiar's, Automagic, ValuGard, 303 and yes Armorall and most "white in color" dressings marketed by many others, including the "boutique" products.

With the advances in modern chemistry, it is possible to produce a "dressing product" that is not "milky" in liquid color, but "clear".

All one has to do, if they wish to be aware of just what they are using or buying, is look at the "label", and the hazodus contents.

If the product carries a warning regarding "petroluem distillates", then it is most likely a "dimethal silicone", as the resin, which is what really ends up on the surface.

There of course, other things to consider, etc, however, what I have posted is some simple, easy to find, if you look, chemical information regarding "dressings".


The present ArmorAll only differs from many other PDMS dressings, (polydimethalsiloxane) by percentage of the resin mixed into the water that is it's carrier to the surface.
Be it Armorall, Eagle One, 303, Zanio, Mequiar's, Mother's, etc, all the "white-water based" dressings are PDMS.

303 has a higher resin content, the maximum that can be used, which is why it cost more.
Most of the mass marketed PDMS are usually around 18 to 20%, most professional dressings are between 22 and 27%.
Cost is an issue for professional detailers, and even the higher resin 303 does not last "that" much longer than a, say 24% content.
Just looks better for a couple of days.
The "UV" protectant adverstising is pure bunk, it is not possible to actually put "UV" blockers in these types of resins and if it could be done, the product would have to be marketed at about 3 to 4 times a higher price, as a UV components is very, very expensive.
The claim of "UV" protection comes from the resin barrier created and the additional shine, which reflects the damaging UV's.
The real advantage of using a PDMS is protection from the far more damaging ozone that is present. This protection is only there as long as the product is.

 

I don't know if that is a quote or anything, but I'm for pro-correct information also and that quote proved nothing except prove me right. Armor All, before, contained dimethal silicone aka the PT distillates aka dry-based silicone. This caused dryness, yet "shininess" to the surface. It doesn't dry it to the point of cracking, but it is basically slightly worse than just water and a towel. Armor All DISAGREED (fail chemist/which is why I have the problem) that there stuff was causing any damage (it did slightly-false advertisement at the time also that it protected vinyl/leather). I'm not contradicting myself, I was just stating that they have changed the way they made it after they got filed suit.

Now they use water-based-polymers to 'enhance the shine', and use a lightly based PDMS which does protect leather, but not as good as a "top brand" that is a completely true PDMS. PDMS is old stuff as they used to use this in the WWII and mainly in the 70's on army planes. A true PDMS is completely waterborne.

 

My friend is the one who told me about Armor All (and other old quality detailing stuff awhile back) in the first place. He's a chemist, would've sound so much better if he said it though. :/

 

And your post #12 above was correct information? And I quote "Armor all interior stuff dries the dash and door panels btw. Bad stuff" Implies the current product is no good.

Thats my point .. nuff said...

 

Then I reiterated that it was before, and that I can't trust a company that refused to change it till they got sued. Just cause I didn't order my sentences as well as I should, you got the point...

 

Cool ... least that is cleared up ... nothing wrong with thier products today.. just didn't want misinformation out there.

Where you order and what you order is totally up to you. If you never order from a company thats been sued your supply of anything will be pretty limited.

You would be suprised on who owns who.