leather

[candy turbo]

been using ltt ultra maintain on my leather seats , it cleans them ok but leaves them looking a bit "dry" and matt any one recommend some thing to give them a more supple look ?

[WhiteGTI]

Have you tried the Gliptone products - Liquid leather? The cleaner and conditioner work wonders!

[ollie288]

^^ I also use this. 

[stealthwolf]

LTT is a superior product to Glipitone.

do you have the full kit or just the maintain?

[candy turbo]

ive used gliptone liqid leather and it is good , ive only got the maintain is there some thing to go after that in the kit to give it some condition ?

[JPC]

i really wouldnt recommend putting any of these products that "feed" the leather. Just keep it clean.

Most of the leather in cars these days is full of plastic, and definately in our golfs. its probably the lowest rent leather you'll find! that means any products that "feed" it, just sit on top of all the artificial coatings rather than soaking in, as it would in traditional leather.

So when you sit on it, all that happens is that your arse shines it all up and it looks like a shiny mess!

Just keep on top of it with a mild cleaner.

[Rich]

i really wouldnt recommend putting any of these products that "feed" the leather. Just keep it clean.

Most of the leather in cars these days is full of plastic, and definately in our golfs. its probably the lowest rent leather you'll find! that means any products that "feed" it, just sit on top of all the artificial coatings rather than soaking in, as it would in traditional leather.

So when you sit on it, all that happens is that your arse shines it all up and it looks like a shiny mess!

Just keep on top of it with a mild cleaner.

Correct

[NEWEY]

Just keep on top of it with a mild cleaner.

what would you suggest Jay?

[Top Cat]

Candy's Recaro leather is not to bad quality, all i use is a wet microfibre, unless they are getting large gaps between cleaning i cant see why you would need anything else. 

[JPC]

anything from Ltt, Gliptone is good. the Zaino leather cleaner is good. I dont want to suggest the swissvax, but it is a brilliant leather cleaner.

[Garth]

Most of the leather in cars these days is full of plastic, and definately in our golfs. its probably the lowest rent leather you'll find! that means any products that "feed" it, just sit on top of all the artificial coatings rather than soaking in, as it would in traditional leather.

So when you sit on it, all that happens is that your arse shines it all up and it looks like a shiny mess!

Just keep on top of it with a mild cleaner.

You're right there. I couldn't believe how crap quality the leather in the mk5 is  
I came from a 3 series BMW with lovely soft leather. Compared to that, the Golf seats are like plastic! Having said that, it's half vinyl anyway, bloody VW accountants  

Oh, and I use Gliptone products and find them to be excellent 

[candy turbo]

i really wouldnt recommend putting any of these products that "feed" the leather. Just keep it clean.

Most of the leather in cars these days is full of plastic, and definately in our golfs. its probably the lowest rent leather you'll find! that means any products that "feed" it, just sit on top of all the artificial coatings rather than soaking in, as it would in traditional leather.

So when you sit on it, all that happens is that your arse shines it all up and it looks like a shiny mess!

Just keep on top of it with a mild cleaner.

thanks jay , top advise as usual , is the audi nappa leather the same as vw ? or should i treat it differently ?

[Garth]

is the audi nappa leather the same as vw ? or should i treat it differently ?

The nappa leather in my A3 S-Line was WAAAAAY nicer than the VW stuff and responded very well indeed to liquid leather cleaner and conditioner 

[JPC]

Most leather in our cars is matt when it is new and looked after correctly. Leather with a shiny or glossy look is usually due to build up of dirt together with abrassion (constant sliding in and out) and this is often exacerbated by the use of 'conditioners' that contain waxes and/or oils which only sit on the surface and attract more dirt.

Leather does not require 'conditioning' with anything other than water.

Keep your leather clean by protecting it with a leather protector and then regular cleaning.
Adding 'conditioners' which generally contain oils and waxes will change the appearance of your leather over time as dirt will build up on the surface and cause a sheen.

Using the correct care methods and products will not alter the factory finish.

Your type of leather is 'coated' leather. This is essentially a 'painted' leather with a clear coat finish over the top. The leather may or may not be dyed through with aniline dyes prior to the finish coating.

Essentially it is this top coating that needs looking after. Cleaning is vitally important as the top coat will wear away if allowed to become dirty. Dirt on the surface will aslo become ground into the finish by constant abrassion.

'Conditioners', balms, feeds etc (traditionally oil and wax based) cannot penetrate this finish so are not worth applying - they can also leave behind residues on the finish which will only attract more dirt if allowed to remain.

A protector will make the finish easier to clean and also inhibit dye transfer etc on pale coloured leathers.

Leather however finished has to remain breathable and it will allow the movement of moisture back and forth (transpiration) so the use of water based cleaners and protectors will keep the leather correctly hydrated which is essentail to keeping it in good condition.

The routine for correct care should be
Protect from new (Auto Ultra Protect)
Maintain with a regular clean or maintenance product (Auto Ultra Maintain)
Deep clean with a foam cleaner once or twice a year (Auto Ultra Foam)

This will prolong the life of the finish on the leather