WOW! You really did your homework. This is an outstanding source of detailed information on the entire gamut of leather and leather care. It's well written, well researched and extremely informative, and worth the time it takes to read it. We all have our preferences in leather care products. I prefer Lexol pH-Leather Cleaner as a gentle but effective cleaner for all kinds of leather, except suede or nubuck, and Lexol Leather Conditioner which I have found from my experience to be one of the best conditioners on the market. It will never, in my experience, discoulor or damage the leather it's applied to and it has really renewed some very seriously damaged seats! Thank you for the exceptional effort!
I had looked at several protected leather care products trying to understand what ingredients they use. 1z uses "natural waxes" and Four Star uses lanolin (chemically similar to wax) as the barrier to protect leather.
some manufacturer's leather is so shitty, it barely lasts you three years...and guess what those 3 manufacturer's are...
Jon, thanks so much for posting that. I don't think there's any area in detailing where more misinformation is spread than about leather care. Thanks for taking the time to set the record straight. Hopefully people read this and get educated in what is a waste of time and money and what will work. I appreciate you touching on using a vapour steamer to clean as well.
Automotive leather care is a subject surrounded with misinformation and myth. Products such as leather (Saddle) soaps, oil-based Conditioners, Neat-foot oil, and Hide Food still prevail as top sellers, albeit most are made for equestrian tack. These are very different leathers with drastically differing care requirements. The exact reason for this type of misapplication is unclear. It’s possible that there is an association with old world quality (i.e. European automobiles with leather upholstery and real burl wood interiors) with these types of products, despite the fact that the automotive industry has been using water-based polyurethane covered pigmented leather for many years. As materials and production methods that are used change; we need to adapt our product usage and application methodologies to change with them I think the problem is that it’s hard to come to terms with the fact that after paying a premium for ‘the leather upholstery package’ when what you have is a shaved leather hide with a pigmented finish to provide an even colour, which is then covered in urethane. A far cry from the natural leather hides expected. These same people see detailers cleaning the leather in a Ferrari with Leatherequi or Connelly leather treatments and want to use the same products in their vehicle; without realizing that different products are necessary to care for different leather finishes . Always remember you are dealing with the finished coating on the leather and not with the leather hide itself
I have spent a lot of time looking at what various makers put in leather "conditioners" sold for automotive applications. Who do you think are the top sellers? Meguairs? Mothers? Lexol? I do not see that many OTC using traditional oil-based leather conditioners. I see even fewer non-OTC they seem to be mostly water based. Lexol has said they use a synthetic oil that can permeate the protective layer like water to rehydrate the leather. When I asked Four Star about oils, they said the only oil in their conditioner is a trace amount for scent. I had used a Meg's one touch product which said it did not any fats but yet it left my protected leather more slippery. As I noted above, the products I see have additives like lanolin or waxes that act as the barrier to protect the leather which is an important aspect in protecting leather. The question is do they harm the polyuretane coating and they rehydrate the hyde (if needed). I do not think it is the oil-based conditioner that is the practical issue but other ingredients that leave the surface slippery, change it sheen (protectants do that in varying degrees), and other aspects. You name a specific product but my guess is there are many that could do the job.
Myth buster - many leather products market themselves on how they feed leather. In fact your car's leather seats are first coated with a very fine emulsion to give them the desired colour and then a clear coat. So for best longevity you should be keeping that coating as well protected as possible. These same companies would also have you believe you should feed your car's acrylic or polyester urethane paint finish with olive, cantaloupe, sunflower and coconut oils, lanolin ... Urathane doesn't need any of these to function
I do not disagree that lanolin does nothing for the top coat except to act as a barrier. The question is does lanolin have a negative effect on the uretane barrier while providing the protection since it is akin to a wax? We know the urethane is water permeable so it is not waterproof. The same is true for waxes found in the 1Z product also marketing for use on top coated leather.
Lanolin German, from Latin lāna, "wool", and oleum, "oil" also called Adeps Lanae, wool wax, wool fat, anhydrous wool fat or wool grease, is a greasy yellow substance secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing animals, with the vast majority of it used by humans coming from domestic sheep. Chemically akin to wax, it can be used as a skin ointment or water-proofing wax [1] Lanolin has two problems; it's the oil that covers the fleece. Secondly, there's no way for it to reach the hide. So it remains on the surface where it is easily transferred to any material (clothing) it comes in contact with. The complaint that most leather conditioners are greasy is typically attributable to the use of Lanolin. It’s chemically akin to wax, insoluble in water, it forms a thick emulsion. To my knowledge it will not 'harm' polyers, but not my first choice for protection of urathene / leather
Lanolin behaves like a wax. 1z, a product you mention in leather care, has waxes. I do not understand the math. I understand judyb's purist principle but anything else seems all the same (one wax for another). I do not think it really matters in the real world as long as it is cleaned regularly.
Trace amounts of wax avoid abrasion( it also is very dependent upon the quality of the wax used) as opposed to a wax-based product.
This is what Four Star said about lanolin in their products. Lanolin is not bad for leather as long as it is at a low percentage. It has a small amount of glycerin to help aid in the softness and spread ability. I do think some minimal slipperiness is beneficial to reduce possible abrasive like when sliding in and out of seats.
That's what these forum's should be about, an exchange of ideas (without posturing / egos) Sometimes a Mech and a Chem Engineer can agree :thumb:
