HOW TO CLEAN, PRESERVE AND RESTORE YOUR AUTOMOTIVE LEATHER INTERIOR  AND ALL ITEMS CRAFTED OF FINE LEATHER

Leatherique Professional Leather Restoration company has been in business almost 50 years, and we specialize in proper leather care products world wide.   The question we are asked most often is why should I care for my leather, aren’t the cheap commercial products sufficient?   The answer is, if you cared enough to buy fine quality leather, you should care enough to use quality leather care products to actually nourish the hides, and not just sit on top and look slick and shiny.  

Our leather Rejuvenator is unique because it is not a commercial surface dressing.  It is not a petroleum distillate, silicone, wax, or other product that is just going to sit on top of your leather and look shiny.  It is actual nutrients that will be absorbed directly into the leather hide to nourish it, plump it, restore luxurious suppleness, and expel the years of dirt to the surface.

Rejuvenating your car interior or any item made with fine quality leather is an easy process.  Please carefully read directions before beginning application.  Use protective gloves and eyewear.   

Step 1. Vacuum the surface of the upholstered piece or interior well or use a soft brush to remove large particles of dirt, paying particular attention to seams, folds, and cracks.   

Step 2. Apply the Leather Rejuvenator liberally (about 2-4 oz. per seat) with a Sponge Brush or your hands; massaging the oil well into all the surfaces and natural folds of the leather, this puts natural ingredients, not harsh cleaner, back into the leather and forces out dirt.  You may also use a soft sea sponge, or a soft paint type brush.  One of our Rolls Royce friends, Chuck Hull of Simi Valley, California suggests a spray bottle, which can be purchased at the local home center.  Also apply the Leatherique Rejuvenator liberally nearer the stitched areas as the conditioner will be able to migrate laterally well into the hide.  Park the car in the sun with the windows rolled up to create a “steam room” for as long as practical, several hours or a day.  (Allow the Rejuvenator to be absorbed into the fibrous side of the leather before putting the top down in a convertible.)  Direct sun is the worst enemy of any automobile interior or home upholstery.  Do not place home or office leather upholstery in direct sun.   For “cardboard hard” leather, several applications will be necessary.  Patience will be rewarded with good results.

Step 3. After the ph correct proteins and collagens from the Leatherique Rejuvenator have permeated back into the pours and fibers of the leather, strengthening and nourishing them, the surface may be tacky, sticky, gritty, or have a white haze.  This is simply the dirt, grime, air pollution, perspiration, salts and other toxins that have floated out of the leather to the surface.  Apply Prestine Clean with a SOFT lint free cloth.  For tough dirt or vinyl or vinyl tops, brush the cleaner into the grain of the leather or vinyl with a soft bath brush or toothbrush.  Let stand for a few minutes, usually by the time you are done with the next piece, and wipe the surface with a soft cloth  Your car or upholstered leather piece will appreciate the “face lift” and will have the new leather smell restored.  Prestine Clean will not remove the Leather Rejuvenator permeated into the leather.  This process may be used on MB Tex vinyl areas to soften and condition.  Even flexibility on rubber window trim can be maintained with Prestine Clean.

Any vinyl should also be cleaned with Prestine Clean and a soft toothbrush to scrub grain.  The Prestine Clean was originally formulated to clean and soften MB Tex in Mercedes Benz autos.  Because vinyl is the same color all the way through, thorough cleaning of even the dirtiest vinyl will produce amazing results, leaving the vinyl clean and supple.

Many owners of exotic and classic cars buy the Prestine Clean by the gallon to also clean their tires and rubber areas.  Tires are left clean, their life is extended and there is not that glazed donut look left on the outside of their tires.  Because silicone based products harden leather, vinyl, and plastic, Prestine Clean is the best choice for proper cleaning and maintenance. 

LEATHER FACTS

We strongly advise against saddle soap.  It is formulated to remove heavy trail dirt and sweat from horse and rider and it has been known to remove the dye from the leather. Avoid products that contain petroleum or mineral oils, as they cause leather fibers to rot prematurely.   If your dye is worn away, call about our simple to use Leatherique Leather Dyes.  Our cleaner and conditioner have a capillary action.  The proteins, cleaners, and conditioners find their way deep into the pores of the leather and force out the dirt, perspiration, air pollution, unnecessary oils, and other toxins that destroy the fibers of the leather, destroying its strength and flexibility, and causing it to deteriorate. For tough, heavier stains, we do make leather cleaner to remove the stain from the surface of the leather.  The remainder of the stain will need to be “floated” out of the leather with Rejuvenator Oil.  Badly stained surfaces probably need to be re-dyed.  Call, email, or fax your specific Leather care questions to us anytime.

BLACK STAIN IN CRACKS and CREASES

Folks often call us about black staining in creases of the leather.  If after using Rejuvenator and Prestine clean with a soft tooth brush, you still notice dirt in your creases, it may not be dirt.  Because leather fibers are not created in a flat plane, but were formed on a curved area on the animals back, it is natural for the leather to crease and fold as you sit on it and through normal wear.  As this creased area rubs together, it also rubs the dye off the surface and creates bare leather.  This friction often creates a tear in the leather.  By using Rejuvenator and Prestine Clean you are keeping these areas plump and supple, so they will be more relaxed and not as prone to creasing.  If the creasing has formed you may wish to use some of Leather Klear Kote in those areas to give the hide protection against abrasion and keep it filled in so dirt does not accumulate there and the two surfaces do not rub to create a tear.

 Key Benefits to cleaning and nourishing your hides with Leatherique Rejuvenator and Prestine Clean

• Leather hides are conditioned & cleaned safely, easily, and gently.  No hard scrubbing or harsh chemicals.
• Leatherique Rejuvenator does not contain the cheap chemicals that trap dirt and discolor it.  Your leather is left feeling luxuriously supple as leather should feel.
• Because there are no petroleum or mineral oil fillers of any type in the Rejuvenator, any residual remains in the fibers, continuing to nourish the leather itself for months.  Don't forget keeping leather healthy and flexible is what extends its life and makes it more beautiful.
• This is absolutely "Simply the Best" way to care for your leather, used by museums, collectors, restorers, decorators, and auto enthusiasts World Wide.