What is best for leather these days?

[ionbeam22]

The leather in a car has been infused/top coated with vinyl like substance. This stuff fills the pores in the leather making it smooth and non-porous. The truth about leather car is that most of it is non-sense except for things you don't want to use on car leather.

For car leather, your best bet is to use a car leather type product, which is more or less leather scented armor-all. These products will clean the surface, leave a nice smell, and the silicone emulsions in the product help seal/protect the surface (which is not 100% non-porus). Gel-like products are more substantive.

For real leather NOS: A cream like product such as Zymol leather cream (available at target) is a good pick. Good for leather, and harmelss to vinyl. Use some Mr Leather (http://www.mr-leather.com) every now and then to infuse silicone which gives a nice handfeel and water protection.

For real leather in harsh enviroments: You want a leather oil type product such as Fiebings neatsfoot oil compound which is a mix of reactive oils which will seep into the leather and stay there. For further protection, you can then apply a wax containing product, such as Hagerty's Vernax, which does a remarkably good job on leather in my experience.

If you use real leather care products on vinyl coated leather (as found in a car) it will create a mess since there is no place for the oil to go! The leather is saturated with top coating. This should be an immediate clue that stuff like Lexol is overpriced snake-water.

 

[Chris B.]

I have used Lexol on all kinds of leather car seats and it always soaks in and does not leave a saturated top coat. Have you even used it? Also Neatsfoot oil is not considered a good porduct for car leather as it can be made up of any oil that meets the Military spec set back in the 1930's for Neatsfoot oil. Some of these oils are not good for leather and can turn rancid and destroy the leather.

 

[ionbeam22]

Lexol doesn't leave much of mess on sealed leather because there is nothing to it. It's a very dilute emulsion of water, oily stuff, more water, leather fragrance, and a wetting agent. Like I said, Lexol is overpriced snake-water.

Are you sure ye Lexol soaked in, vs say getting spread out in thin layer, wetting the surface, and plating out a very thin layer of oily material while the water evaporated.

The concept a dilute water based emulsion of fatliquor is deeply not new. If you read the instructions on Lexol's website, its pretty clear whats going on if you know the chemistry involved.

http://www.lexol.com/auto.html

Most important instruction.

Quote:
The entire leather interior of your car should be treated and then allowed 20 to 30 minutes to absorb the oils and preservatives. After this time, use the clean dry towel to vigorously rub down all of the leather surfaces and stitch lines to remove any excess conditioner.


Note that I specifically said neatsfoot oil compound not straight neatsfoot oil. Pecard's Shoe/Boot Oil, or Fiebings Neatsfoot Compound would be an example of what I'm talking about.

These products are made of sulfated/derivitised oils/lanolin/fatty materials which will seep into the leather, and happily stay there due to mutual attraction to the charged proteins in the leather. Other oily products (straight NF oil, mineral oil, heavy silicones) will gradually seep back out of the leather, which is why they are not as good.

If you apply real leather care products, to car leather, you will get an oily mess. If you don't get an oily mess, that tells you something about the product, its active ingredients, and its %age of active ingredients.

Car leather is a [censored] combination of soft vinyl and leather. The main trick is to use a mild cleaner which will be harmless to the vinyl and to whatever leather it may contact through cracks/pores in the surface.

 

[Chris B.]

I still have a hard time believing Lexol is snake oil. Volvo(makes some of the best leather seats) reccomends it along with all high end car manufactures. Top detailer in the country some of which charge well over $1000 per detail use Lexol. Custom saddle makers use and reccomend it along with some of the best custom leather garment makers too.
There are just to many people in the leather industrie using Lexol for it to be junk snake oil. The reason it is so popular is that it does the job of protecting and nourshing leather. I use it because my Dad has used it on his restored 67 Camaro for the last 20 years. The leather seats are 20 years old and have a lot of use and they still look new. My 1997 Tahoe has 200,000 miles now and the leather looks show room fresh with no cracks and are nice and soft. All I use on it is Lexol every few months.
You will have to do better then that to convince me other wise. Can you show me some links to any modern leather(30 years or newer) that were destroyed by Lexol? I'm not giving you a hard time I just want to see your point of view....I just don't see it yet. Are you a chemist? How do you understand how Lexol is made up or works? It is a trade secret so the public will never know what Lexol really is.

 

[ionbeam22]

Originally Posted By: Chris B.
I still have a hard time believing Lexol is snake oil. Volvo(makes some of the best leather seats) reccomends it along with all high end car manufactures. Top detailer in the country some of which charge well over $1000 per detail use Lexol. Custom saddle makers use and reccomend it along with some of the best custom leather garment makers too.


Lexol is mostly harmless, you are just paying $10/pint for a product which is ~95%+ water, with the remainder being some fatliquor emulsion and typical cleaning product ingredients.

The product "works", but it is expensive for what you get and in no way mysterious.

If you want to brew up some Lexol yourself, call up Atlas Refinery, (http://www.atlasrefinery.com/) and explain what you are trying to do.

Quote:
There are just to many people in the leather industrie using Lexol for it to be junk snake oil.

Define leather industry. People who make leather, or people who use end items made of leather?

I'm not giving you a hard time I just want to see your point of view....I just don't see it yet. Are you a chemist? How do you understand how Lexol is made up or works? It is a trade secret so the public will never know what Lexol really is.


No its not a secret, its just obscure to folks outside the cleaning products/HII/Personal Care/Leather chemistry industry.

Leather is made soft by infusing it with fatliquor, which is an emulsion of charged self-eumulsifying oils. Essentially you tumble the leather in a drum with a dilute solution of hand lotion.

All lexol claims to be is that same material. Which is used by ye olde leather industrie in rail car sized lots.

Quote:
The oils in LEXOL have been modified to facilitate effective distribution of microscopically fine oil droplets which can be more readily absorbed into the leather fibers than the comparatively large droplets typical of raw oils or less fine emulsions. LEXOL’s smaller oil droplets combine with the fibers, because of their affinity or adherence that is lacking with other oils. Thus the modified oils in LEXOL are kept under control and are retained in the area of application. In this way, LEXOL is able to nourish the leather and its fibers while protecting against migration, or seepage, into adjacent materials or surfaces.


Essentially describing a dilute emulsion of fatliquor (sulfonated oils) and/or silicones.

Quote:
LEXOL does not contain any chemical solvents. As an aqueous emulsion, it achieves several objectives: (1) fiber penetration and nourishment; (2) absorption and retention in the leather; (3) control of migration or seepage. Unlike most organic solvents, LEXOL is nonflammable, odorless, non-toxic and non-sensitizing to the skin. Also, LEXOL does not impart a greasy or tacky feel to the surface of the leather.


Again, describing a good fatliquor with desired handfeel properties.

Taken as a whole, it is just leather scented armor-all, except somewhat more expensive.

 

[Chris B.]

Would you agree that Lexol does a good job maintaining and protecting Leather even if over priced for what it is?

I still have some on hand but I'm going to look more in to Pecards as Ihave used it before. Their Leather Dressing but it is much harder to apply then Lexol. It is very thick stuff. What would you reccomend in the Pecards line up for leather car seats?

 

[ionbeam22]

Originally Posted By: Chris B.
Would you agree that Lexol does a good job maintaining and protecting Leather even if over priced for what it is?

I still have some on hand but I'm going to look more in to Pecards as Ihave used it before. Their Leather Dressing but it is much harder to apply then Lexol. It is very thick stuff. What would you reccomend in the Pecards line up for leather car seats?


My guess is that you would want their "leather lotion" product. You might also want to get some of the "high gloss" lotion or creamy dressing. But to be honest I've never used their product line.

IMHO your best bet is to just call the company and ask. Trust me, they want to help you pick exactly the right product.

http://www.pecard.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?S...ry_Code=lotions

Quote:
Use on newer non-glossy leather. A wax-free water-based formula, cleans, conditions, preserves and weatherproofs all smooth finished and vinyl coated leathers. Safe for WHITE leather. (Do not use on suede)


Their straight dressing claims to have wax in it. So it might give you a different appearance than their leather lotion which claims to be wax free. They make a cream version of their standard dressing which I would imagine is easier to apply.

Personally, I like the look of waxed leather, and if you ever get your hands on a can of Hagerty's Vernax, I think you'll be impressed.

 

[shokhead]

Lexol user here.

 

[Gradient]

Originally Posted By: ionbeam22

Personally, I like the look of waxed leather, and if you ever get your hands on a can of Hagerty's Vernax, I think you'll be impressed.


Is this the "Hagerty's Vernax" product your recommending?

 

[Nitrox]

Recently purchased some Leatherique. Online research inidcates that silicon based leather products are a no-no.

 

[Chris B.]

Originally Posted By: Gradient
Originally Posted By: ionbeam22

Personally, I like the look of waxed leather, and if you ever get your hands on a can of Hagerty's Vernax, I think you'll be impressed.


Is this the "Hagerty's Vernax" product your recommending?


I would guess not. The PH is way off for leather. It's intended for wood only.

 

[Chris B.]

Originally Posted By: Nitrox
Recently purchased some Leatherique. Online research inidcates that silicon based leather products are a no-no.


Is Leatherique silicon based?

 

[ionbeam22]

Originally Posted By: Chris B.
Originally Posted By: Gradient
Originally Posted By: ionbeam22

Personally, I like the look of waxed leather, and if you ever get your hands on a can of Hagerty's Vernax, I think you'll be impressed.


Is this the "Hagerty's Vernax" product your recommending?


I would guess not. The PH is way off for leather. It's intended for wood only.


Find a can of Vernax, and you'll see it that it discusses using it on leather. I'm not sure why you would reach any conclusions about the products pH?

Anywho like I said, it's a good product for applying wax to leather, (e.g leather that would benefit from wax)

 

[bretfraz]

Originally Posted By: Chris B.
Originally Posted By: Nitrox
Recently purchased some Leatherique. Online research inidcates that silicon based leather products are a no-no.


Is Leatherique silicon based?


No silicone oils in Leatherique that I know of. I've used it quite a few times and it's never had that cheap oily feel to it.

 

[Gradient]

Originally Posted By: Chris B.
The PH is way off for leather.

What is the pH of the Hagerty Vernax?

 

[USA1]

In another detail and wax thread, Zaino Z9 (cleaner) and Z10 (conditioner/protectant) is very good. I sent away for some; haven't gotetn it yet.

 

[rcy]

Originally Posted By: bretfraz
My fave are the Zaino leather twins. Ya just can't beat Z9 and Z10, especially the aroma. I get clients who specifically ask me to apply Z10 just for the smell.

I've always liked Mothers leather care products. If you can find their cleaner and conditioner (separate products), they're excellent.

Leatherique is great for deep cleaning and rejuvenating, but I think it's too expensive for regular maintenance. Same with Leather Master, great products but spendy.


+1 on the Zaino. It really smells like leather in a bottle..

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

Originally Posted By: shokhead
Lexol user here.


+1

 

[demarpaint]

I tried Lexol for the first time, I used it on a pair of leather boots. I knew it would change the color, it made them darker which is what I wanted. I wear them around and wasn't to concerned. It softened them up and they actually look pretty good. As soon as it warms up I'll try it on my leather seats in the Jeep.

 

[shokhead]

Will Vinylex spray work on the tires as good as anything else?