The tan leather is in great condition, no cracks or tears or anything. Just kinda wish the leather could be a little softer.. any advice on a product that might help?

Leatherique Rejuvinator Oil and Pristine Clean.

Leatherique Rejuvinator Oil and Pristine Clean.

+1. I have had excellent results on my dads bmw and my acura

Leatherique. Definitely.

Just noticed that you're in NJ, where the temps, no doubt, are starting to drop. The ideal situation for the Leatherique Rejuvenator is to slather it on and massage it in, then roll up the windows and park the car in the hot sun for 8-12 hours. It still works in cooler temps, just works better with some heat involved.

Just noticed that you're in NJ, where the temps, no doubt, are starting to drop. The ideal situation for the Leatherique Rejuvenator is to slather it on and massage it in, then roll up the windows and park the car in the hot sun for 8-12 hours. It still works in cooler temps, just works better with some heat involved.

I took the e39 on vacation to the beach a couple of summers ago. August in North Carolina. It was hot. We got to the rental cottage and got unloaded about 1 PM. I slathered on the RO and went to the beach. I came back a couple of hours later and the RO was soaked in. It must have been 140 F in the car. So I put on another coat and most of it was gone in a couple of hours.

Last winter I really wanted to treat my seats, so I put a small electric space heater in the car with a digital thermometer. I ran the heater until the temperature was about 80 F and set the heater to keep it there. I let "cook" for a few hours and the RO was absorbed.

I ran the heater until the temperature was about 80 F and set the heater to keep it there. I let "cook" for a few hours and the RO was absorbed.Man, you're braver than me. I would've been afraid that I'd overcook it. :eek:

Leather Care / Cleaning / Maintenance–my first question when asked for recommendations on leather care / maintenance is; what kind of leather finish is it? There are three main types: Natural (Uncovered) Covered and Unfinished (Nubuck)

Before using a leather care product a detailer needs to know the material they are working on, and wither the product chosen is compatible with the material and will not damage it. Diagnosis is the key, not guess work. Before deciding on what products to use you need to ascertain what type of leather finish you have and wither the leather has a polyurethane covering, or is (un-coated) natural leather, as the cleaning / maintenance varies as to type; although they all require a water-based product to re-hydrate, a suede type leather like Nubuck is the exception.

Many of the newer vehicles do not use natural leather hides anymore Approximately 80% of vehicle manufacturers are using (thermoplastic) polyurethane covered pigmented leather for their interior upholstery. Pigmented leather simply means that the finished leather or polyurethane covering has been coloured (you’ve never seen grey cows have you?)

Automotive leather upholstery is made from natural chrome tanned hides, and some are then further sealed by a durable polyethylene covering to make it more viable for automotive seating protecting the hide from abrasion from clothing as well as the dust / dirt introduced by the vehicle’s AC system. It retains the softness of natural top-grain leather but resists fading in direct sunlight, which besides body oil is leathers worst enemy.

The complex tanning process of chromed tanned hide’s results in the fat liquoring and oils necessary to keep the hide soft and pliable being locked in and therefore there is no need to supplement them. Traditional type conditioner’s cannot penetrate the finished hide, but rather sit on the surface until they are removed by contact with clothing or evaporate. The same is true of most oil-based conditioners, but they will also have an adverse effect on polyurethane.

Water-based leather acre products will permeate the finished leather or the polyurethane covering as its molecules are much smaller; oil has larger molecules than water and are unable to penetrate

I had always advocated the oil-based leather care products as the most advanced but after attending various seminar's and some intensive hands-on as well as theoretical training in leather care (inc tanning, care, restoration and preservation) I would like to share the knowledge / experience gained to help dispel the hype and myths surrounding automotive leather care / maintenance; we all need to continually learn, and share what we learn about products and changing processes. As things change; we need to change along with them.

Honest opinion or merely advertising? Commercialism brings with it concerns of honesty and true representation. In other words, it’s difficult to know what is true when someone is motivated by income, i.e. directly targeted at product sales, more so than an unbiased opinion

My best advise; research other options and products, test them and then make an objective decision based upon factual information not hype or brand loyalty. After all, how can you fully understand and properly use any product unless you have all the facts? I would also strongly suggest that you verify any information that I or anyone else shares with you.

I am neither a vendor, nor a salesperson pretending to be an educator, I'm a detailer / author, and therefore there is no reason for me to hype products to gain market share; just to provide a factual and honest source of information; These articles are written to help detailer’s make informed decisions when selecting leather care products for automobiles - http://www.detailuniversity.com/

Man, you're braver than me. I would've been afraid that I'd overcook it. :eek:

Naw, just watched it close until I was sure it would be OK.
:)

[SIZE=3]Many of the newer vehicles do not use natural leather hides anymore Approximately 80% of vehicle manufacturers are using (thermoplastic) polyurethane covered pigmented leather for their interior upholstery. Pigmented leather simply means that the finished leather or polyurethane covering has been coloured (you’ve never seen grey cows have you?)



TOGWT,

Do you know if BMW is in the 80% of car manufacturers that use the thermoplastic covered leather or the 20% that uses natural leathers?

Steve

Identifying characteristics-(Uncovered pigmented): has a random shade colours and grain pattern; it will scratch easily; water drops will darken its colour (temporarily)

Identifying characteristics-- to determine if your leather is protected with polyurethane covering; lightly scratch the surface to see if it leaves a lighter colour, or if cleaners and conditioners remain on the surface. Liquids will not penetrate protected leather. These leathers will also have sheen or even shine. It's like looking at wood with a lacquer finish opposed to a wipe-on oil finish. These leathers are more common in the automotive industry

Soften (to produce a Patina or soft hand) –
All finished leathers (inc. covered) have already been permanently preserved in the tanning process and do not need conditioning products to replace oils etc maintenance should comprise simple cleaning and re-hydrating. Leather Master Vital Leather Softener -http://www.topoftheline.com (http://www.topoftheline.com/)

Cracked or peeled covered leather; the cause is usually from body oils and perspiration that have permeated the surface and are dissolving the finish. This product is not a leather conditioner per se; Leather Master’s Vital penetrates the leather. (Except Nubuck) It’s a water-based product used to soften, re-hydrate and restore the leather’s patina, by making the larger droplets into a microscopically fine emulsion it can be readily absorbed into the leather fibres. It can also be used when doing repair work to help soften the area.

Once the leather surfaces have been cleaned, apply the product to a clean micro fibre towel and wipe a very, very thin even layer on the surface. It is better to apply several thin layers than a heavy application. Allow each layer to dry and be absorbed.

Alternative product - Leather Master™ - Aged Leather Revitalizer http://www.topoftheline.com (http://www.topoftheline.com)

Protection -this product provides a water-based protection for all leather types (except Nubuck) and will help to re-hydrate the leather hide, while providing protection against oil, water, and alcohol based stains, as well as providing resistance to the effects of daily soiling It places an invisible, breathable barrier between you and your leather. Protect your leather first, and then follow a routine of cleaning and re-protection, this way you are not actually cleaning the original surface, but cleaning from the surface of the protection
Leather Master™ Protection - http://www.topoftheline.com (http://www.topoftheline.com/)


¬hope this helps¬