Originally Posted by TOGWT

Three-Step Leather Care-
.
1. Cleaning 2. Conditioning 3 Ultra Violet Radiation protection

1. Cleaning- use a soft horse hair brush (Groit's Leather & Interior Brush) and/or a vacuum to remove any dust, apply a cleaning solution (Water /Woolite® or Dreft® 6:1 ratio or stronger) on to an applicator pad and apply to one area at a time (i.e. a seat back). To remove stubborn dirt or grime gently agitate the surface with a boar's hair cleaning brush (this will not harm the leather) then use a clean, damp Microfiber towel to rinse.

Maintenance cleaning- use a cleaning solution (Water /Woolite® or Dreft® 10:1 ratio) on to an applicator pad and apply to one area at a time

Notes:
With all cleaning products, always test a small, indiscrete area first to ensure it won't discolour or stain the surface, and ensure that the pH of the product is suitable for the material.

2. Initial conditioning - for the initial conditioning of uncoated leather, and/or if you are cleaning for the first time use a Leather Rejuvenator. (http://www.Leatherique.com) [Use Zaino Z-10 Leather in a bottle on coated leather] paying particular attention to area that are exposed to the most UV radiation, i.e. backs of headrests, seat shoulders, and then apply to the rest of the seating surfaces starting at he top and working your way down.

Allow the product to be absorbed into the hides for several hours on a sunny day, or overnight. Warmth makes the leather fibres pores open allowing the proteins and collagens to be absorbed readily. Park the car in direct sunlight, cover seats with black plastic trash bags, and roll up the windows to create a steam room to allow the Rejuvenator to fully penetrate into the hides.

2a. Conditioning- recommend a preventative maintenance routine three to four times a year, once prior to the winter season to prevent cold temperatures cracking the leather, and once before the heat of the summer to prevent deterioration and shrinkage by heat, which result in continued cracking of leather. In addition to regular cleaning, leather requires replacement of natural oils; Collagen-based products like Leatherique restore the lost moisture and maintain its natural flexibility. The smell of leather comes from oils evaporating out of the hide.

Conditioners are for leather which is porous, vinyl is not, do not use a vinyl product as a conditioner on leather as vinyl requires much stronger cleaning agents than leather and above all try to avoid raw silicone oil based products, as the silicone oil will dissolve the leather's natural oils and tend to make the leather sticky, silicone oils also have a very high electrostatic (static) attraction to dust and dirt particle.

1.Conditioning products should be applied to a warm surface to help the oils penetrate the coating (warm with the suns heat or a hairdryer) allow sufficient time (preferably overnight) for the oils to permeate the coating and reach the leather underneath.

2.It is possible to over-condition leather once the hide has absorbed the product it will saturate the foam and the hides stitching and may cause it to fray /disintegrate or over-clean your leather as this may lead to premature cracking and discoloration. Most leathers are treated at the tannery with a protective coating to help protect against staining. Excessive cleaning and conditioning can remove some of the protective properties. Carry a small spray bottle of water and a clean micro fibre cloth so if you ever spill something onto your leather, spray the affected area and wipe it as soon as possible, you should then treat the affected area with leather conditioner.

3.Conditioning oils will penetrate the fibres more efficiently if they are warmed first; place the plastic container in a microwave before using. For best results warm the leather also before application (vehicle heating system, hairdryer, or the suns heat Allow sufficient permeation time (4-6 hours) or overnight if possible, especially with coated or spray-on dye leathers.)

Schedule: Once every 30-60 days, Arizona, Florida and Texas, especially in summer, for northern climates between 90-120 days, use a leather conditioner to restore these natural oils and keep the leather soft and supple. (Criot's Leather Care, Autoglym Leather Care Cream, Zanio Z10 Leather in a Bottle or Zymol Treat leather cleaners are all good maintenance products)

3. Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR) Protection - you should consider additional sunscreen protection (especially if you own a convertible) leather conditioners typically do not offer any UV screening. The best solution is to alternate between a leather conditioner and a, ultra violet radiation (UVR) protection (303™ Aerospace Protectant). One month use a conditioner to keep the leather healthy and supple. On alternate months mist and wipe the leather with a UVR protection. After application allow 60 minutes for product to cure, then using a 100% cotton cloth to lightly buff surface

4. Leather Protection Cream - a water- based protector for all leather types except Nubuck. It's not a typical conditioner. It uniquely provides protection against oil, water, and alcohol based stains, as well as providing resistance to the effects of daily soiling. It places an invisible, breathable barrier between you and the surface of the leather. Unlike leather "conditioners", this cream will NOT make your leather shiny, sticky, or leave any type of film on the surface. It leaves your leather exactly like it was when new.
http://www.topoftheline.com/leather--conditioner.html

Originally Posted by S L I C K

What product fulfills the following stipulations:

1. Will remove dirt, body oils, etc. from my leather seats.
2. Will have a slight leather smell (i.e. how it comes from the factory).
3. Will give my leather seats a natural look and feel (i.e. how it comes from the factory).
4. Will be easy for a noob to apply.

I tried searching, but I couldn't find anything that fulfills the above stipulations. Thanks a lot!

Originally Posted by S L I C K

I used a slightly damp MF towel and very gently rubbed the dirt/body oil off. Then I went over it with a dry MF towel. Good as new!

Originally Posted by S L I C K

The leather seat side supports in the 2007 Acura TL have a texture to them (i.e. you can feel the texture when you run your hand over the leather; you can clearly see the texture also) and thus have small crevices that dirt/body oil can get caught in. Well, I have small specks of dirt/body oil in these crevices (in a small area) that I can't seem to get out. I tried going over it with a damp MF towel and I got some of the specks out, but there are still some left. How would I go about lifting these specks of dirt/body oil out of the crevices? Would a leather cleaner work better than the damp MF towel? Do I need to maybe use a brush instead of the MF towel? Thanks!

Originally Posted by exceldetail

Are you talking about the seem area? Open it up with you fingers and vacuum it out.......Or are you taking about the perforated area of the seat. Ive never had any issues with TL seat cleaning.......They clean up pretty good!

Originally Posted by neodragon0l

how often do you guys use this stuff?

Originally Posted by exceldetail

As for actual cleaning, i prefer just a warm water dampened microfiber with maybe just a touch of APC or cleaner. Then follow up with a yellow foam applicator for the protectant/conditioner.....