Leather

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The dude

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Anyone here clean and condition your leather seats? If so what are you using? Im thinking of trying lexol
 

Cookieman00x

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Leatherique, you can get it on amazon.

I would not use soap as it removes the natural oils in the leather and will accelerate drying out of the leather.
 

Trainmaster

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After watching a dozen videos of short Latino "master detailing experts" smearing goop on Honda leather seats to "feed and nourish" the leather and other such nonsense, I had to find the truth.

I know most leather seats are completely sealed - coated from the factory with a plastic finish.

So I spoke with the guys at The Seat Shop today; they make EXCELLENT replacement leather covers for our cars. While they of course sell "leather conditioner" they agreed that since the seats are essentially painted leather, all they need is cleaning. The conditioner just sits on the coating "and makes it smell nice".

The problem I had with conditioner is that it made the seats shine like Armorall and darkened the creases, scratches and wear marks. I tried Lexol, and it didn't shine too badly but it did turn the scuffs on my tan seats black. It smelled real nice.

I'll take Ford's advice - and just keep them clean with soap and water.
 
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Cookieman00x

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vinyl is painted, leather is dyed.

If its a coated vinyl you can use all the soap you want. Not on leather though.

Where does ford say to clean with soap and water?
 

Trainmaster

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Ford's Owners' manual says clean with a "damp clean cloth or a mild soap and water solution".

The Seat Shop people say that "Scrubbing Bubbles Bathroom Cleaner" is by far the best cleaner for rare use when taking lots of dirt and oil off leather seats. They caution, though that it's very strong and shouldn't be used often. Ford cautions against "strong household cleaners".

Moisture's actually great for leather, it's the drying out that causes cracks. The problem is that with the painted and sealed leather, moisture isn't absorbed from the surface. That's why the "conditioners" do nothing to the actual leather except coat the surface paint. Maybe they protect the paint. The stuff is sealed so it's stain resistant and has a uniform color.

Now the King Ranch leather is a different story. That can be conditioned as at least in certain years it's not painted.
 
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GAINMOB

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Here's the thing about the leather in our trucks... unless u have KR... all the seats are vinyl in the truck with the exception of three front seats... the front seats only are leather on the front of the seats... so if you're sitting in the driver seat only what your back and but touch... the rest of that seat is vinyl... just look at where the wrinkles are on the seats... clear indication and the back seats no matter how much they're used won't have wrinkles in the seats

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powerboatr

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our KING RANCH has dyed mocha colored seats front two rows are all leather...
i gently wash them with a dab of leather cleaner from lexol and a warm soft sponge.
let them dry and condition with lexol, put it on midly heavy and let it soak in, over night if i can
then buff with a soft cloth the next day. it smells like a saddle shop and seems to be keeping the leather soft and subtle..i do however have a place that i wore the dye down in a spot about the size 1/4" round from my pants belt loop, but its hard to notice unless your are looking for it.
rear row get mothers vinyl leather conditioner to keep the tops from drying out.

NOW when i sold the 2013 KR F150...i saw it a few days after we traded it in. the seats were liberally coated with something that really brought out the grain and and reddish brown in the leather, looked brand new...it was FORD leather conditioner??? my book recommends lexol as well

i have no idea who makes fords leather stuff, but it looked fantastic
 
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