Leather Protection-2012 MDX

[Damien]

Hi Guyz,
I bought 2012 MDX with Tech Package a week ago and I'm looking for Leather protection, so thought of asking if ecoguard/ecoshield is good enough or I can do manually.

Please share me your thoughts.

Regards,
Damien.

[symmetrical]

IMO there is no true one-time leather protection. Leather over time needs care and maintenance. Whether its once a month or once every 6 months, it depends on what it is exposed to. Typically if its exposed to the hot sun often daily, then it will probably need more cleaning and conditioning. But if its garaged then it probably only needs minor maintenance.

The worst thing that can happen is hardening in which at that point will be hard to bring back to life.

In my previous '02 Acura RSX Type-S, after 6 years of use it was still soft and supple and all I used was over the counter leather cleaners like Meguiars leather conditioner.

[MnMDXDave]

Originally Posted by symmetrical

IMO there is no true one-time leather protection. Leather over time needs care and maintenance. Whether its once a month or once every 6 months, it depends on what it is exposed to. Typically if its exposed to the hot sun often daily, then it will probably need more cleaning and conditioning. But if its garaged then it probably only needs minor maintenance.

The worst thing that can happen is hardening in which at that point will be hard to bring back to life.

In my previous '02 Acura RSX Type-S, after 6 years of use it was still soft and supple and all I used was over the counter leather cleaners like Meguiars leather conditioner.

Completely agree. Leather needs cleaning/conditioning that a one-time treatment cannot do. I use Lexol cleaner and conditioner a couple of times a year (my X isn't in the sun much but the seats do pick up dirt).

[skinny2]

Have you found anything that helps keeps them from getting denim dye on the parchment leather? Mine are about totally blue at this point....I need to clean them and was going to try a protector of some sort. My wife bought all new jeans awhile back so I'm guessing they're just rubbing off more easily than in the past because we
ve never had seats get this stained in only a couple months.

[symmetrical]

Originally Posted by skinny2

Have you found anything that helps keeps them from getting denim dye on the parchment leather? Mine are about totally blue at this point....I need to clean them and was going to try a protector of some sort. My wife bought all new jeans awhile back so I'm guessing they're just rubbing off more easily than in the past because we
ve never had seats get this stained in only a couple months.

I am reading great things about Leatherique's Pristine Clean, maybe give that a shot. It's just on the expensive side compared to other leather products.

[symmetrical]

Originally Posted by MnMDXDave

Completely agree. Leather needs cleaning/conditioning that a one-time treatment cannot do. I use Lexol cleaner and conditioner a couple of times a year (my X isn't in the sun much but the seats do pick up dirt).

Thanks! I also hear good things about Lexol. In fact I was going to order some as maintenance. Do you have any issues with stickiness?

[omnuts]

The lexol combo (cleaner/conditioner) works well with no issue of being sticky.

[G. COLTON]

Originally Posted by symmetrical

IMO there is no true one-time leather protection. Leather over time needs care and maintenance. Whether its once a month or once every 6 months, it depends on what it is exposed to. Typically if its exposed to the hot sun often daily, then it will probably need more cleaning and conditioning. But if its garaged then it probably only needs minor maintenance.

The worst thing that can happen is hardening in which at that point will be hard to bring back to life.

In my previous '02 Acura RSX Type-S, after 6 years of use it was still soft and supple and all I used was over the counter leather cleaners like Meguiars leather conditioner.

It is more then just your opinion. All leather, regardless of year of vehicle, needs continual care.

George

[lion9mdx]

Lexol works nicely on my 2005. As others have said, keep up on conditioning; you really can't restore the leather once it cracks.

Salt is very bad for leather, so make sure to cover the seat if you get in the car after exercising.

[Keo]

I've become a big fan of International Aero Products. Saw/heard them on Adam Carolla's Car Cast podcast last year, and every product I've tried has been absolutely Excellent, and very easy to use. Home page

[krypttic]

Applying leather products to your MDX seats is next to worthless. Since there is a vinyl protective layer over the actual leather, the chemicals never reach the material they were designed to work on. The best you can do is keep your seats clean with a dilute solution of Woolite and water and apply a vinyl protectant to limit fading.

If you apply conditioner or other expensive products to treated leather, it just wipes right off and you're throwing away your money. If you choose to put something on your seats, use a vinyl or plastic protectant that you would use on your dash or door panels. These will protect against UV and make your seats last longer.

Some premium vehicles (new and old European mostly) have uncoated leather in the cabin. For these, leather products are certainly worth it. In your MDX, not so. Here's a link to a good article with an explanation: Automotive Leather

[Keo]

krypttic, Good catch!

No wonder Japanese cars never smell great inside! New MDX is our first Asian car in over twenty years. Our Bimmer and Benz interiors always looked and smelled great because of frequent leather treatment.

By the way, I've used 303 a lot as well, and have found it to be excellent - especially useful here in Arizona because of the UV protectant.

[krypttic]

I'm puzzled by all the people that swear by the Lexol or other conditioners they used on their seats (including many of the posts above). What criteria are you using for your endorsement? If it's anything other than smell, you might want to re-evaluate.

Using conditioner on the seats does nothing but make the car smell like leather (and lighten your wallet). It's like using expensive conditioner for your hair--while wearing a baseball cap.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo

[symmetrical]

Originally Posted by Keo

krypttic, Good catch!

No wonder Japanese cars never smell great inside! New MDX is our first Asian car in over twenty years. Our Bimmer and Benz interiors always looked and smelled great because of frequent leather treatment.

By the way, I've used 303 a lot as well, and have found it to be excellent - especially useful here in Arizona because of the UV protectant.

Smell? German cars smell like crayons to me. I have been in volkswagen, bmws, and mercedes and they all smelled like crayons to me.

[Keo]

Wash your hands...