Shiny Leather

[evilweasel]

I have a problem starting to develop in my new IS that I have seen in other cars I've owned and tried to stop to no avail. My steering wheel and leather gearknob are getting a bit shiny, as opposed to the matte leather finish when they were new.

I know its the natural oils on my hands working into the leather, so is there a product out there that will prevent this from getting worse, and possibly improve the leather condition back to full matte? Somebody must have had some success somewhere. On previous cars I've tried everthing from Autoglym and ecloths to Fairy liquid and scouring pads, all with similarly dissapointing results.

I'm even thinking of replacing the gearknob with a mostly chrome one and getting a half wood wheel if I can't find a half decent solution. Any ideas anyone?

[dibsLPG]

hi mate, The best thing to use is Leather Balm, The stuff you would use on the house leathers.. :D or Leather wax.. :P

I brings the original leather feel and smell.. Works for me.. :D

Dibslpg

I have a problem starting to develop in my new IS that I have seen in other cars I've owned and tried to stop to no avail. My steering wheel and leather gearknob are getting a bit shiny, as opposed to the matte leather finish when they were new.

I know its the natural oils on my hands working into the leather, so is there a product out there that will prevent this from getting worse, and possibly improve the leather condition back to full matte? Somebody must have had some success somewhere. On previous cars I've tried everthing from Autoglym and ecloths to Fairy liquid and scouring pads, all with similarly dissapointing results.

I'm even thinking of replacing the gearknob with a mostly chrome one and getting a half wood wheel if I can't find a half decent solution. Any ideas anyone?

[evilweasel]

Any reccomended brands? What do you use? Won't leather wax or conditioner add oils back in to leather and make it shinier?

hi mate, The best thing to use is Leather Balm, The stuff you would use on the house leathers.. :D or Leather wax.. :P

I brings the original leather feel and smell.. Works for me.. :D

Dibslpg

I have a problem starting to develop in my new IS that I have seen in other cars I've owned and tried to stop to no avail. My steering wheel and leather gearknob are getting a bit shiny, as opposed to the matte leather finish when they were new.

I know its the natural oils on my hands working into the leather, so is there a product out there that will prevent this from getting worse, and possibly improve the leather condition back to full matte? Somebody must have had some success somewhere. On previous cars I've tried everthing from Autoglym and ecloths to Fairy liquid and scouring pads, all with similarly dissapointing results.

I'm even thinking of replacing the gearknob with a mostly chrome one and getting a half wood wheel if I can't find a half decent solution. Any ideas anyone?

[TOGWT]

I would suggest you clean of the oils / ingrained dirt and then proceed thus:-

Leatherique's Prestine Clean (Leatherique.com) or fill a fine misting spray bottle with a 1:1 Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) / distilled water solution spray the paint surface, leave it to dwell for 30-45 seconds, agitate before wiping the leather surface with a clean, dry 100% cotton towel. (DF Alpine™ http://www.dftowel.com)

With 70% strength isopropyl alcohol in order to obtain a 1:1 ratio (50/50 % mixture) use 2 parts alcohol to 1 part distilled water (See relevant sections for usage and dilution used.)

Leather Three Step Care: (Cleaning, Conditioning and (UVR) Protection):

1.Cleaning- use a soft horse hair brush (Groit's Leather & Interior Brush) and/or a vacuum to remove any dust, apply a cleaning solution (Water /Woolite® or Dreft® 6:1 ratio or stronger) on to an applicator pad and apply to one area at a time (i.e. a seat back). To remove stubborn dirt or grime gently agitate the surface with a boar's hair cleaning brush (this will not harm the leather) then use a clean, damp Microfiber towel to rinse.

Maintenance cleaning- use a cleaning solution (Water /Woolite® or Dreft® 10:1 ratio) on to an applicator pad and apply to one area at a time

Stubborn stains- dependent upon the leathers condition or how dirty it is consider using a leather-cleaning product. (Leatherique's Prestine Clean, Zaino Leather in a bottle, Groit's Leather Cleaner or Autoglym Leather Cleaner)

2. Conditioning- recommend a preventative maintenance routine three to four times a year, once prior to the winter season to prevent cold temperatures cracking the leather, and once before the heat of the summer to prevent deterioration and shrinkage by heat, which result in continued cracking of leather. In addition to regular cleaning, leather requires replacement of natural oils; Collagen-based products like Leatherique restore the lost moisture and maintain its natural flexibility. The smell of leather comes from oils evaporating out of the hide. Conditioners are for leather which is porous, vinyl is not, do not use a vinyl product as a conditioner on leather as vinyl requires much stronger cleaning agents than leather and above all try to avoid raw silicone oil based products, as the silicone oil will dissolve the leather's natural oils and tend to make the leather sticky, silicone oils also have a very high electrostatic (static) attraction to dust and dirt particle.

3. (UVR) Protection - you should consider additional sunscreen protection (especially if you own a convertible) leather conditioners typically do not offer any UV screening. The best solution is to alternate between a leather conditioner and a, ultra violet radiation (UVR) protection (303™ Aerospace Protectant). One month use a conditioner to keep the leather healthy and supple. On alternate months mist and wipe the leather with a UVR protection. After application allow 60 minutes for product to cure, then using a 100% cotton cloth to lightly buff surface (Zaino Z-10 contains UVR protection)