PJ S

If it is suede leather, then more often than not, a simple wipe with a damp white microfiber or cotton cloth will suffice, along with regular vacuuming to remove debris. A suede/nappa brush can also be used. www.lttsolutions.net/product.asp?product=27 If the fabric is faux-suede (Alcantara) then as above, but products from www.james.nl are worth considering - you'll find the UK agent there, as well as advice on how to treat certain types of stains.

Sounds like the plastic used for the passenger section could be different or thinner - which makes sense for the airbag cover, and as such, is fading through natural UV bleaching. I'd suggest you invest in a bottle of 303 Aerospace Protectant, and use it regularly to restore the colour as best it can, and to prevent further UV damage from occurring.

i only use a very mild cleaner that was supplied with my home sofa's.the furniture clinic's protection cream is recommended for car interiors and has the uv protection. I picked up some product from LTT Solutions - one of the partners is a highly respected authority on leather in the industry, so have high expectations when I manage to get a chance to use it. Maybe when your FC stuff has run out, you should give the LTT ones a try. Still struggling to appreciate the Lexus leather is open pore and not coated like what seems the norm.

Well, unless you're right DG, then I'm right - if you know what I mean. If the leather Lexus uses is NOT protected, and therefore open pore like Bentley, RR, etc, and your home sofa, then the conditioner will have just been removed when you wiped over it. That's presuming the leather cleaner you've used previously, assuming FC's isn't the only one used, has been a bit too strong, and removed the protective layer. If that's the case, then regular cleaning (weekly/fortnightly depending on how long your sat on them, etc), and conditioning, should prevent them drying out and cracking, creasing as much, and generally looking tired. Even additional use of something like 303 Aerospace Protectant would be beneficial to prevent UV damage.

With respect guys, your seats won't be able to make use of the conditioners your using - these are designed for open pore leather, not the sealed/protected leather in mainstream cars. Think RR, Bentley, and the bygone era Classsics - this is where the conditioners will be absorbed by the leather etc. FWIW, I've just grabbed a kit from LTT Solutions, and will be testing it out soon. One of the partners is deemed an authority on leather care, and regularly provides consultation to various companies employing leather in numerous sectors of industry. I'm not saying the 'known' names above have rubbish products, but just that some of it will be fairly benign rather than truly functional. I'll keep you abreast of how the products perform.

Are the perforated panels actually leather, and not Alcantara?

they want £23.20 deliverered for 16oz,too much i fancy. Well, £18.70 for PO packet - but yeah, a bit wee bit more than £15 from the ebay chap. That said, I'd suggest an investment of 2 of those bottles, because you will go through it doing all the bits that it is useable on. Alternatively, there's Motorgeek.co.uk, but I'd call Mike and let him know both are £2 cheaper, and see if he'll match them. He's a good lad, and I point people in his direction since I've always had supreme service from him, especially on the Cyclo polisher and bits.

Compare to The Polishing Company, before automatically choosing them.

Another for the 303 vote, but also switch to Einszett Cockpit Premium depending on what takes my fancy. 303 is very versatile as it'll do tyres, wipers blades, rubber seals and black exterior trim. Does leather seats too.

Claying is useful on brand new cars, never mind ones a couple of years old - so in your case, definitely. As for being lazy - if you don't want to build a right arm like Popeye's, then just get some Auto Balm and it'll mask most of the swirls. For really clean paint, some panel wipe or IPA (isopropyl alcohol) diluted 50% will do the job, prior to putting on the LSP (last stage protection/product). As for carnauba lasting months - highly debatable and very dependant upon weather and other environmental attacks (bird poo, tree sap, etc), let alone which brand. Some waxes are measured in hours rather than weeks, never mind months! Read and absorb the info contained therein - http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/ind...showtopic=50864

Looking good finest1 - told you it would! Like mine, it's fairly evident that the claying alone lifted a good bit of the dullness, and restored a bit of life back into the paintwork, before the Balm does its bit. The dirt is likely from ingrained grime in the paint pores, which with the Balm having chemical cleaning properties, is lifting that out. It's something a few have remarked on, on Detailing World, but I can't say I've ever noticed it. That said, to clean the pad, simply bung in the washing machine along with your mf towels, and wash with liquid detergent (no fabric conditioner or tumble dry sheets!) at 40-60ºC. Do an extra rinse cycle and spin, then leave in hotpress overnight. Tumble the towels for 5 mins with heat, and leave in the tumble dryer for the 10 min cool-down phase. Stick those in the hotpress, and you'll be ready to go the next day. You're right about a second layer - nice and lightly applied this time, but bear in mind it's not a miracle product. There's only so much it can mask, and the petrol station sodium lights will show a car's paint as it truly is - warts and all. One thing you can try on your Dad's car, is get some IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) and dilute 50% with deionised water, or Panel Wipe from a local motor factors. (IPA from Maplin, Chemists, Pharmacy) This will, when used prior to Auto Balm application, remove any remaining dirt the shampoo hasn't been able to shift, and make the paint as clean as possible for maximum adherence - applying to all LSPs (last stage products/protection), although if you opt for a carnauba wax, a paint cleanser/pre-wax glaze such as Dodo Juice Lime Prime Lite will add a certain wetness. Sealants, on the whole, and AB especially, work best straight on paintwork, and in AB's case, already has more depth/wetness than most other sealants, so saves the need for glazes and a wax topper. It's not recommended to use wax over Balm, as the carrier solvents in the wax, could and likely will remove AB - but as always, feel free to experiment on a small area first to see how it looks and performs before doing the whole vehicle. Remember you can use the used clay on your windows and wheels, as too you can the Auto Balm, along with chrome - try the passenger side of the windscreen, and see what I mean.

Autoglym Super Resin Polish if by hand - Dodo Juice Lime Prime if by machine, assuming not going down the full machine polishes route, in which case take your pick from Menzerna, 3M, Meguiar's, Mark V, Einszett.

IPA (diluted 50% with deionised water) - available from your local pharmacy/chemists.

303 Aerospace Protectant/Fabric Guard

Me thinks you're in the wrong section - not unless you want advice on removing fresh bird bombs and bug guts at the road side with a microfibre cloth and spray bottle of water and Quick Detailer. Maintenance is probably a better place, I'd have thought.

Haven't you invested in a leaf blower to dry the car with? If you had, then they'd not have stuck, since you'd have blown them away before they touched down. D'uh! Get with the program Rob! Still would've taken 2 odd hours, but think of the fun you'd have been having battling with the blighters.

Seems just fine, although you could save yourself the drying after rinsing before you clay - might cut down on lube used.

Well, it's not considered necessary to wax over AB due to it having the wax-like properties which is the primary reason people put waxes over sealants, but aside from that, BH themselves are unsure if the carriers in the wax you use, will interfere or interact with the balm, and therefore reduce the performance of either or both products. By all means try it, but be prepared that the negative may outweigh the positive.

Please see link below as to the autoglym test. http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=69078 Ah, thank you. From the link, and by one of the most respected members: So, not tested against AB, and the thread was actually about a hand polish rather than something which would hide swirls as a temporary measure. I'll say this again, here, SRP is fine, but you would not want to deswirl a large portion of a panel or the car by hand. Small areas - yes, but even then, you're barely affecting the damage unless they're really fine. Any thing half deep, and you need to move up to something proper and better suited - like Menzerna 106FF, which incidentally Dave did a bit of a shoot-out of ones normally mentioned in the same breath as a machine polish, and it took some 3-5 hits to effect a reasonable result. SRP also produces quite a bit of dust, and won't have the longevity of AB, not even with EGP or a carnauba wax over the top of it. Therefore, given what the OP is aiming to achieve, AB is the most cost effective option, by the time a wax is factored into the SRP equation, and it will mask more of the swirls, last longer (weather and parking conditions being the determining factor on how long that actually is) and it will go further before a new tub is needed, since it requires so little per application. Oh, and I have pulled Dave about his having a tub of unopened AB, and never having tried it out - especially with the extra press BH has been getting in the past month or so. He also has misrepresented AB by saying "on a par" - there's a number who've stated it trounces SRP for swirl masking, which I couldn't confirm since I'd only used it on good paintwork until recently at a local Jag/AM dealer, on the front wings of an X-type during my demo of it and the clay. I find it most curious since he has a LOT of other products to put it up against, etc - but still it remains untouched. Maybe he feels I do enough to "help" BH gain approval on the site, that he steers clear of it, and concentrates on the various others - I don't know. Hopefully at some point in time, soon, he will get round to unscrewing the lid, and make his opinion known on it, and we'll see how that correlates with the other members who've already been getting stuck into using it. It would seem the link I was referring to does back up the SRP being very good at swirl removal - more so than I remembered, and to which I gave more credit to Menz than it deserves. http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=10656 Of course, nothing stopping one using both SRP and AB, but as they effectively do a similar thing, regarding masking, I'd go with one or other, unless I was prepared to use the SRP for polishing, then remove it using a paint cleaner like IPA diluted 50:50 with deionised water to leave the best possible surface prep for AB to adhere to. Strictly speaking, the AB might not need it, given the chemical cleaning it seems to have - but I'd probably err on the side of absolute certainty.

Link to the test you mention? - can't say I recall it, and would be surprised if they had AB as part of the candidates, so it'd need to be put in context with what's being discussed here, especially since I've said it outperforms SRP on the masking aspect.

Wash, clay, then wax/seal it - polish is paint correction done after claying and before waxing/sealing. Auto Clay - direct from www.bilthamber.com - tell them I sent you, and you should get a small discount for being a forum member. Or if £1 saving isn't worth it, then online rather than via the phone, or Elite Car Care, Pro-Detailing, or Ultimate Finish, if you plan on buying a few other bits and bobs at the same time.

Yeah, that wouldn't whisk a light batter unfortunately. Good for lazy application of buffing off a wax/sealant that is fairly easy buff - not all are. As above, RO/DA (Americanism meaning Dual Action) is the safest option for amateur and professional alike. Something like the Meguiar's G220 is your starting point, but if in no hurry, hang tight a few more weeks or so - I've planted a seed in a member vendor to do something. More news when it's pertinent. In the meantime, you can do a bit of cosmetic correction by getting a clay bar (Bilt Hamber Auto Clay is my choice and recommended one) along with Auto Balm, which has more swirl hiding capabilities than Autoglym Super Resin Polish. That'd tie you over until the purchase of the machine and range of pads and polishing compounds is made. Between those two, plus a change in washing/drying technique and products to minimise adding fresh swirls will help tremendously. A good sheepskin mitt (sheepskinshop.co.uk) with Auto Wash, Einszett Perls, R222 (P21S), 4-Star shampoo, and washing one panel at a time, before rinsing (2nd bucket required) thoroughly, with a pre-rinse before tackling the dirt, will go a long way to making swirls less of an issue - so long as a good microfibre towel is used as well. In fact, you'll need a couple for drying and buffing.

Due to lengthy ISP issues, I was unable to respond in the following thread......http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=50107 Without getting into a war of words, I'm happy to stand up and be counted. I know for a fact that between 2 users of the Auto Balm, on single stage paint, that the applicator pad as ended up the same colour as the paint to which it is being applied to - this is not the case (obviously) when used on clearcoated paintwork. Therefore, it is removing a sliver of paint, which is something only a chemical polish will do. Until recently, Bilt Hamber were unaware of this - which suggests none of their Classic car users have single stage paint, fed back this info, or that the company owner/chief chemist used/tested it on anything other than a clearcoated car. It doesn't mean the product doesn't do it, just because it's not mentioned on their website! Maybe the use of "all in one" is a bit stretched - not intentional - since it doesn't actually remove swirls, due to having no abrasive element, but then Klasse AIO, to my knowledge doesn't either, and it was this that I was referring to rather than AG SRP. Fair point, although it could be construed you're hiding behind a pretence of conjecture, but I'll take you at your (bolded) word. I have no affiliation with the company whatsoever, except being a strong and vocal proponent of their products because I think they're fanbloodytastic. If that gets me slated as having an agenda, in the pockets of, or whatever, then fine - I can live with that. For what it's worth, I'll explain how things are with Bilt Hamber and I....... I bought and paid full price for another Auto Clay at the time, and my reward for going and getting the sample bottles, sending them off, etc was the remainder of the 5L container sent to me - which after 70 bottles were done by eye (60 ml probably) left me with 800ml, give or take. Thread in full - http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/show...8932&page=2 So, there you are, and now you know the full ins and outs of why I talk about BH in the way that I do. I'm not, nor have ever said BH are the only decent products out there, but for me they are the benchmark setters, and I will have other one to try/test soon, which other members on DW talk about fondly. So, if they outperform BH, I've no reservations in saying so - BH do not own my opinions, irrespective of being one of a small group of new product testers. I guess THAT is my true reward for being so vocal, and putting them on the detailing map over the past 6 months through constantly suggesting others give their products a try. Hopefully now we can continue without aspersions being cast, enjoying whichever product gives the pleasing end results we're looking for. Thank you.

I'm not quite sure I'm with you.....??? LPL is a glaze/pre-wax cleanser, akin to Meg's #7, and others - I wouldn't advocate another wax under the Collinite, as it's carriers would in all likelihood, remove it. And as much as I have a fondness for Dodo, they know that I consider the colour charging aspect as more of a marketing gimmick than pure substance. Still, good products, with more to come, but I don't get hung up about car colour when it comes to recommending using their wax, since I've yet to see any difference on any colour of paint. Hope that clarifies my earlier post.

AG GP is one of their better products, but you might also have a look at the Einszett GP too. I've always used 303 Aerospace Protectant on rubber trim and wipers, with good effect - first I've seen mention (that I can think of) of GP's use on the blades to. Also, if you ever consider doing the windscreen and sides/rear with something a bit more permanent, then look no further than the Carlack glass kit - very good from what I've seen and heard.