Leather seat care

[egibson606]

This is my first vehicle with leather seats and I'm wondering what's the best way to take care of them. I have read alot of conflicting things about this on the internet.
What's everyone doing or have done with toyota leather seats?

 

[mayonayze]

I use zaino; mostly because i’m addicted to the smell. Which isn’t great, but whatever

 

[LCOceans]

Great question.
Does anyone have experience on what type of leather cleaner/conditioner is best to maintain the leather over the years?

 

[Beach Cruiser]

I have used Lexol Leather Cleaner and their conditioner on my vehicles with leather for years and it seems to work well. The last was for the 8 years I owned a Mazda 3 at 80K miles the seats looked new. Traded it for Big Blue and immediately gave him a few coats of conditioner, after 1200 miles, the seats still look new So it must be working.

 

[micah]

I have used Lexol Leather Cleaner and their conditioner on my vehicles with leather for years and it seems to work well. The last was for the 8 years I owned a Mazda 3 at 80K miles the seats looked new. Traded it for Big Blue and immediately gave him a few coats of conditioner, after 1200 miles, the seats still look new So it must be working.

So what part of our “leather seats” actually leather?

 

[Beach Cruiser]

So what part of our “leather seats” actually leather?

The specs say the seats are leather trimmed and the shifter is leather in the LC/LC Premium. I conditioned the entire seat.

 

[Altitude]

I have used Lexol Leather Cleaner and their conditioner on my vehicles with leather for years and it seems to work well. The last was for the 8 years I owned a Mazda 3 at 80K miles the seats looked new. Traded it for Big Blue and immediately gave him a few coats of conditioner, after 1200 miles, the seats still look new So it must be working.

I also use Lexol. Their Vinylex protectant is also great, it’s an Armor-all like product.

I do find though that modern leather seats require less intervention than the ones I remember from the 90s and earlier.

 

[LCOceans]

In the FE I think the whole seat is leather.

 

[micah]

Even though I like the seats in the LC model they are definitely not all leather. I believe it’s only the vented portion.

 

[Bluey]

Leatherique, is really good on leather. I learned about it from the Porsche forums. It’s quite intensive but totally worth the time and effort. I was able to remove shine from steering wheels and driver seat bolsters. It is different in that you apply the conditioner first, let it soak for at least 24 hours and then clean it off with the cleaner. Brought out the original leather smells in a 20 year old Porsche. It also made it soft again. I’ve used it on chevys, jeeps, and Audis. I haven’t used it on a Toyota yet. It is very good but a lot of work.

Leatherique — Leather Care & Restoration Products

Premium leather care since 1962. Protect, condition, and restore automotive, furniture, and other fine leather. Trusted by collectors and professionals worldwide.

www.leatherique.com

If you get some buy it directly from them. I feel like the ones on Amazon are either fakes or diluted.

 

[Rocket]

Leatherique, is really good on leather. I learned about it from the Porsche forums. It’s quite intensive but totally worth the time and effort. I was able to remove shine from steering wheels and driver seat bolsters. It is different in that you apply the conditioner first, let it soak for at least 24 hours and then clean it off with the cleaner. Brought out the original leather smells in a 20 year old Porsche. It also made it soft again. I’ve used it on chevys, jeeps, and Audis. I haven’t used it on a Toyota yet. It is very good but a lot of work.

Leatherique — Leather Care & Restoration Products

Premium leather care since 1962. Protect, condition, and restore automotive, furniture, and other fine leather. Trusted by collectors and professionals worldwide.

www.leatherique.com

If you get some buy it directly from them. I feel like the ones on Amazon are either fakes or diluted.

I second the Leatherique. Used it on my 36 y/o Ferrari seats and the smell is amazing

 

[Roonie]

leather honey leather conditioner

 

[Blue Bear]

In my experience Colourlock leather cleaners and protectants work better than anything else on the market. I typically only use Colourlock once or twice a year for a deep clean on my leather. (Sidenote - Swissvax and ColourLock are two different names for the same stuff. You can buy either and they are the same thing.) In between I'll use a light spray of P&S Interior Cleaner (cheap and effective) and wipe off the leather with a microfiber towel which keeps the leather clean. Colourlock/SwissVax isn't cheap, but I've had my bottle for several years and still have some left. It doesn't take a lot to clean effectively. Be sure to get the bristle brush to use with the chemicals.

A few years ago my daughter bought a used 2008 Camry with a light gray leather interior. We used ColourLock Leather Cleaner to clean the leather and applied ColourLock Leather Shield to keep the leather supple. See the pic below for a half & half before and after pic. Fast forward to earlier this year when we sold the Camry and the people who bought it couldn't believe how good the leather looked.

In the pic below only one section of the seat has been cleaned (it should be obvious which one!)

 

[Nuke]

I user Leather Protectant Serum by Chemical Guys. Available online via Amazon. Not cheap, but I believe a quality product. However, not a cleaner, or multi-purpose as some other products allege, but only a preservative treatment.