Using household products, cheap supermarket cleaners and 'old wives'
remedies are very short sighted when it comes to cleaning and caring for
leather and can become very costly in the long run as problems they
generally cause will be costly to put right. (although it does keep
people like ourselves busy as we rush round fixing problems caused by
using the wrong things!!!)
Firstly check the type of leather you have so that you understand the results that are possible:
http://www.lttleathercare.co.uk/whatkind...
You need to use a good quality water based foam leather cleaner. (LTT
Leather Shampoo) With light coloured leather dye transfer from clothing
can be a problem although using a good quality leather protector (LTT
Leather Protect) will help inhibit this.
For dye transfer (which can be a real problem on pale coloured leathers)
and ingrained dirt you may need a much stronger cleaner like Strong
Cleaner or Maxi Cleaner (this should be used with caution)
DO NOT use anything containing oils, waxes or silicones. (Most
'conditioners' contain waxes or oils) and furniture polish (pledge)
contains silicones which will eventually destroy the finish on the
leather. Most car cleaners also contain oils or waxes so should not be
used as they leave residues on the surface of the leather which attract
more dirt which eventually leads to cracking.
BABY WIPES are the worst thing you can use as they will destroy the
finish on your leather. This has been verified and proved to be the
case. They are actually a very strong product and this is why they break
down the finish. Leather is not like skin and should not be treated as
such.
Saddle soap should never be usd on upholstery leather or garments it is
meant for saddles which are very different from todays finished
leathers.
A lot of leather wipes contain chemicals which will also destroy the
finish or leave residues on the leather which will damage it. They are
not cheap in the long run as you would need a lot to clean. A bottle of
foam cleaner should do your car about 3-4 times.
Fairy liquid contains more salt these days to get dishes clean and this
will break the finish down on your leather. This has been verified by
the manufacturers (as with the baby wipes).
Magic Erasers should not be used unless you are going to renew the
finish on you r leather. We have tested these recently and they sand
away the top finish on the leather.
Lux flakes (although they used to be a good thing to use) now contain
ingredients that will damage the finish on the leather and cause it to
peel off like a skin (we have seen these happen hundreds of times at
customers who have been ill advised by shops)
You should also follow cleaning with a good water based leather
protector which will act like a 'scotchgard' and inhibit dirt and stains
from being absorbed and make cleaning easier the next time.
Conditioners are totally unnecessary and only a product push by
manufacturers.
Dry leather needs rehydrating with water and oils and waxes should not
be used as the natural oils do not dry out of leather. Wiping over with a
damp cloth regularly will help to do this.
It is important to maintain a regular cleaning regime cleaning dirt off
the surface regularly and inhibiting the absorption of body oils into
the leather with a protector is the best way of doing this. The only
'moisturizer' a leather needs is from water.
The alternative is a brand new product on the market called Lazy
Leather. This is the latest technology in cleaning and combines an
effective cleaner with a protector. It is quick and easy to use and
should be used as a maintenance product once your suite has been cleaned
or from new if you have just bought it.
Using incorrect care products is usually the cause of deterioration in
the leather as unfortunately most car care products contain waxes and
oils or silicones which do not do the leather any good.
Further cleaning instructions and a care leaflet are available here:
http://www.lttleathercare.co.uk/freecare...
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