Okay I've never had leather so how do you take care of it? Any products that's good? Rocommendations on how to clean it? I was thinking of just using a damp cloth, but I want some protection from the weather. Any advice?

 

As always, Autopia is a good place to start looking. http://www.autopia-carcare.com/cockpit.html

However, you don't necessarily have to buy from it. Personally I am not really into those exotic imports. Some of domestic products work very well at lower price. One piece of advice: stay away from any Armor All.

 

I have parchment leather and when I went to get the car at the dealership after some warranty work they left greasy fingerprints on the seat and center console. The owner manual says to use saddle soap to clean the leather so I got some Kiwi outdoor saddle soap from target, followed the directions and it worked great. I'd follow the owners manual and stay away from other leather cleaners. I bought some leather cleaner for my Honda from the dealership and it doesn't work nearly as well.

 

Saddle soap huh? I gotta try that.

 

i use megauirs spray leather cleaner. it smells good too. and the leather is ooo so comfy afterwards.

 

A couple other options are Lexol leather cleaner and their conditioner. Or Leatherique products. Both are good choices

 

I got some 303 Aerospace Protectant. Made the inside look great.

 

303 is fine for the vinyl parts but it doesn't help the leather.

 

Thanks guys, I will have to try them out to see what I like best.

 

From what I've read:

Is saddle soap good for leather?


No. Paste saddle soaps are a mixture of oil and soap. Soaps are alkaline, and damages the leather used in automobiles. The soap causes it to turn dark and also removes the tanning agents. Using saddle soap will lead to hardening and cracking, as the leather is de-tanned.

 

From the owner's manual:

Clean the leather with a soft cloth dampened with clear water, then buff it with a clean, dry cloth. If further cleaning is needed, use a soap specifically for leather, such as saddle soap.

The directions then pretty much match the KIWI directions. I wouldn't recommend using saddle soap for regular cleaning, but it worked great getting greasy finger prints and dirt stains off the leather. The saddle soap contains very little soap and the spots I used it on are indistinguishable from the rest of the leather. I've used Lexol and didn't much care for the results.

 

Not trying to be harsh, just want to get the facts straight:

You can't remove 'tanning agents' from leather that is chrome tanned. (This is the type of tanning used for the majority of car interiors.)

What you do remove from the leather when you clean it is the finishing compound. These are usually waxes or oils to enhance the leather's look and feel added as a last step.

Using saddle soap actually helps prevent cracking and those dark lines you see in leather by effectivley removing dirt and oils (from your skin). However, after using the soap, the leather is unprotected against the sun and abrasion. You should follow up with some type of leather conditioner to help replace the finishing compound.

The problem with cleaners like Lexol is that they don't effectivley remove dirt like saddle soap will. You end up just rubbing the dirt back into the leather.

 

I just picked up my TSX (tan leather) last week... and my girl friend sat in it with her new brown suede jacket... the brown/yellowish stain got on after a 15mins ride!

errr...
Gotta try this 303 thingy that everyone is suggesting.

I can't believe it, my frist weekend and already, my seats look messed up

Anything that I can put on those seats to avoid further damages?! Some kinda coating?

 

Why???

Why stay Away From Armor All???

Just Curious?

 

or does anyone else know why not Armor All?????

 

It's shiny