Looking for advice on the best products to use for cleaning/maintaining vented leather and black interior. Also looking for advice on what to use on chrome wheels for cleaning/maintaining.
Any help is appreciated.
^^
what he said… but the answer you want is lexol and mother’s mag polish since you can get both locally… make sure you understand how to use them so you don’t dry out the leather and put metal polish on a wheel which might be clearcoated.
+1 for the Lexol
woolite?
if you’re going to play that game, be sure to dilute, also remember it’s a cleaner, not a protectant, so you’ll need a conditioner still.
http://www.autopia.org/forum/detailing-product-discussion/104075-cleaning-leather-woolite.html
note:
From a well respected (in my book) source…
Woolite® has a number of issues that do not lend to long term quality care of interior car parts and components. Using a detergent that is meant to be flush rinsed (i.e. rinsed until it runs clear) in a situation were this is not possible, is not recommended as when it dries it will attract dirt and contribute to re-soiling. Household detergent soaps tend to be formulated with a sodium sulphate to enable foaming, this salt content may not be safe to use on leather upholstery, as this can compromise pigmented leather and / or its polyurethane covering.
In all honesty, i have never used it, but have heard it recommended so many times, i fell into the trap of recommending it myself. This was/is rather uncommon for me, and pretty uncharacteristic of my business practices as well.
Personally, i have always used a dedicated leather cleaner or just a damp microfiber towel.
I’ve always used Lexol and have been very happy with it.
if you’re going to play that game
note:
Direct from on of the largest suppliers of automotive leather:
Eagle Ottawa Leather Company :Leather Care
Automotive leather is typically finished with coatings which protect the surface from the sun’s damaging rays as well making it resistant to soiling. The finishes used in automotive upholstery leather are unique – much different than furniture, garment or shoe leathers. Leather is extremely resilient and easy to clean and maintain.
Before cleaning leather upholstery, vacuum it to remove dust. To clean leather, simply use a clean, soft and lint-free cloth dampened with lukewarm water and mild soap. Use a gentle, circular motion – do not rub the leather or apply extreme pressure when cleaning.
Wipe the leather again with another clean, slightly damp cloth to remove soap residue. Dry with a soft cloth.
To maintain its resiliency, leather should be cleaned whenever it becomes soiled. Dust and dirt may harm leather if allowed to work into the finish.
Woolite is about as mild as it gets. Lexus specifically recommends using a wool safe detergent (20:1 dillution) in their owner’s manual.
I got the Woolite tip directly from the leather care tag attached to headrest in a customer’s Cadillac-and at the time, Woolite was specifically recommended. Been using it on customers and my own cars since 1995 with absolutely no issues.
just added for those too lazy to follow the link and only read what is in this thread. In my typical “less is more” post fashion, that was a question as I’ve heard a lot about using woolite on leather, thanks for the link, very helpful
that doesn’t counter the “flush-rinse” nature of woolite argument which trumps this IMO
Huh? Its two opinions. Also in the same thread are posts that MF towels should not be used because they will damage leather and that using conditioners are going to lead to just as much resoiling as using a diluted version of woolite. Did you read the whole thread or stop when you thought you had seen a compelling argument against it? Even the person that posted your quote conceded in the original thread?
I stopped when I saw the compelling argument… I didn’t go there for information on MF towels and I don’t trust everything I read, only what makes logical sense.
Your posts are not making logical sense. There was no reference from anywhere , other than “something you read” supporting the information. It is good that you just need one or two multi-syllable words to convince you information is authentic and you no longer need to read the rest of the debate. I’d take the personal experience of one of the more prolific Autopian’s over scientific conjecture from someone I’ve never heard of. But that’s just me. :shrug:
it’s not where I got it from, it’s not who said it,
it’s the fact that it makes logical sense that I trust it.
unless somebody on there countered with a logical reason I’m sticking with it. it’s a topic I’ve researched before and to be honest, I forgot why I didn’t trust woolite. So I searched autopia to remember why and when I found the info again I just posted it.
somebody who’s been doing this for a long time better also have a reason to counter the valid point - I haven’t seen it yet. Perhaps the reality is that the woolite when 20:1 is so mild that you’re at the point where it’s equal to lets say dish soap at 100:1 and it’s not the fact that it’s woolite that helps… who knows… but the logic against using it is there so I don’t.
Where is the logical reason?
Woolite is between 1 and 10% sodium lauryl sulfate. Now dillute 10:1 per directions, and you are exposing the leather to 0.1 to 1% sls. There is no documentation that I can find anywhere, that indicates that SLS in this concentration, or any other for that matter, is a concern for leather. Odd considering it is in just about every detergent out there. Cleaning directions for automotive leather indicate to use a mild detergent and water.
What do you think Lexol cleaner is? Magic in a bottle? No, its a mild soap, with some auromas and colorants baked in.
Either way, people can decide for themselves. This is like arguing against claying or polishing your car because it is abrasive, and abrasives wear off paint. :shrug:
it comes down to a game of PH balance and lexol will do a better job because the balance it right… I don’t think that you’ll destroy a leather interior using the diluted woolite, it’s just not the right product. kind of like hacking osx and putting it on a PC.
the little I know about sls (including quick research) is that it’s used in leather production to dry it out and clean it (at a non-dyed, non-finished product level). it probably works pretty effectively but it’s still not the right product really…
and man, you really will argue anything to death
I expect your reply to include an analysis of the atom formation in woolite. 
I use Lexol Cleaner and also the Conditioner in my G35 and the seats look, feel, and smell as good as new, I recommend their products.
so i didnt think i need to start a whole new thread for my question but, im looking to vacuum, vinyl, lexol (leather cleaner, and conditioner) and do the windows on a lexus ls430
what would you charge someone to do this?
$30 if you are not shampooing the carpets.