The Cadillac Allante Keiper-Recaro leather seats

I received an inquire about the maintenance of leather seats.

You are looking at my '88 Allante seats, car made in Nov of 1987, seats dated a
few months before that. The seats and skins you are looking at are 20+ years old,
wear the ORIGINAL leather skins to this day, New cars with leather seats need
maint if you want your seats to look like this.

What follows is my response of how i maintain the leather seats on several cars, all the
seats look like as nice as these, all around 20 years old.


http://www.cadillacforum.com/upfiles/2893/FC9979F95AEE468BBE1A12105D9C19DB.jpg


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by Stealth

I am not sure what is in those leather wipes. a lot of people these days swear by products that wont disclose ingredients and make their cars shinny and cool.

Instead, I am about making the leather outlast the car itself. All I know about McGuire's is that they dont use animal products .. petroleum? silicone? i dont know. I am not saying it is a bad product, I just dont know what they use or the effect after 10 to 20+ years. For the use of lanolin, mink oils, aloe, neatsfoot, bee's was, we know.

To do a light cleaning, I recommend soap and water. You will also find it recommended by the old world European car guys .. a very very mild warm soapy solution and a cotton terry cloth towel. That is it. use the solution to wipe off dirt, then using clean warm water, rinse using a clean cotton terry cloth towel.

If it gets seriously soiled, i use the Eagle One. I put it on, let it soak in, wipe it off excess bringing with it the dirt and grime. What remains is just perfect for the best of leathers.

Lanolin, neatsfoot oil, mink oil, bees wax, aloe vea are the ingredients of anything you want to use to make the leather last 50+ years .. today, my seats look and feel the same as the day the car rolled off the show room 20 years ago. The 1st four are animal products, aloe is plant product .. no synthetics..

If the leather seems to be drying I use the Bick4 .. or pure neatsfoot oil if it really got bad. The Bick4 i get a a tack and saddle shop (horse supplies), usually available close to the horse race tracks..

IF needed or a couple times a year, I do the Eagle One, apply heavy by hand (no towels) .. then lay the car in the full sun and bake it into the leather.

Lastly, the car seats have TWO wear spots at the entry, where you rub going in or exiting, the two panels/bolsters at the edges, back and seat .. advice? lotion those two spots weekly, keep them slippery and they will not "grab" your clothes and will not wear as fast. Some use a bit of "Bee's wax" to keep the entry leather slippery. IF you dont know what i mean, look at any number of cars 5+ years old and see where the driver wears and rips the leather. There are always a few hundred such cars on eBay, worn leather bolsters.



note: many leather owners swear by using soft flannel instead of cotton terry cloth. IMO, that will work as well, probably requires a little more elbow grease but then again, you may get a nicer final finish, specially if you are using a bee's was mix.






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For those that have SILICONE on the interiors, I strongly suggest you remove it ASAP.
The longer it remains, the more permanent the damge to leather will be. Leather dries out and cracks.

the damage to vinyl surfaces is even more severe. Ever see a cracked dashboard?
Usually Armor-All is to thank for that.




Silicone and adhesive removal composition

United States Patent 5863884
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5863884.html

Abstract:
A composition as a strong surfactant such as a fluorosurfactant for breaking down the adhesive bond and removing cured silicone and other adhesives. The fluorosurfactant demonstrates improved effectiveness and rate of removal of these adhesives over all other known products currently available.




[/align] [/align] Both Dow Corning and 3M make "silicone removers" based on the patent above.
I know that often, Walmart and Target carry the 3M product.

I dont need them or use them but again, some use saddle soap to clean.
As I stated, the mild soap solution cleans even the carpets nicely.

But, as we all have our preferences, and for those of you that swear by the store saddle soaps, check the ingredients.

Here is one recipe that seems safe - and you get to make it:



HOMEMADE SADDLE SOAP You can give your leather goods the care they need to stay supple and clean with this recipe. You can give your leather goods the care they need to stay supple and clean with... [hr] [/align] by Elsie Spry

Leather aficionados who want to keep their prized boots, bags, shoes, belts, chairs, harnesses, and saddles in top condition need saddle soap.

Not only does it clean away dirt and grit that dull leather's luster, but it also supplies the oils and waxes essential for long-lasting suppleness and protection.

To make inexpensive saddle soap at home, you'll need two pots, one of stainless steel or heat-resistant glass... a stainless steel spoon . . . short, wide-mouthed jars or empty commercial saddle soap containers . . . beeswax . . . pure flake lye ... castile soap shavings . . . water... and pure gum turpentine. (Beeswax and pure flake lye can be found at a hardware, candle, or grocery store.)
.......... ........... .......

When you use the saddle soap, have ....................




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the rest of the recipe is at:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/DIY/1985-01-01/Homemade-Saddle-Soap.aspx