Leather Seats: how they easily get dirty

Ummm, that should not be the case. Of course, I have a black interior, but I carefully examine my cotton applicator after I apply my Zaino. And no, my seats don't get very dirty. Your saddle seats may show dirt more, but then again, my black carpeting shows a heck of a lot more dirt than YOUR light colored carpeting, so maybe we are even!

Yes, it is not uncommon for tan leather seating surfaces to show dirt quickly, and yes "bluejean ruboff" is a common culprit. The best solution is to stay on top of the issue via maintenance with a good quality leather cleaner/conditioner and to enjoy the patina as the leather ages - as the tag says:

"Because leather is a natural material it varies in color and texture. The leather retains natural marks or scars which reflect the authentic look of natural leather"

I guess so....

Yeah the "bluejean ruboff" is the biggest culprit at this point. So having a beautiful toy like an X comes with some maintenance in order to keep it looking fresh and nice huh....this annoys me cause the first thing I do now everytime I get out of the car is look back at the seat...sort of like, well you know...hahahahaha....

So what is the best leather treatment/process I can provide my seats with? Zaino?

Hey octavian:

Do you have the weathertech mats? If so then it should be easier to maintain your dark-n-lovely interior by just shaking the mats out from time to time....If not then I think this would make it easier for your black carpeting not to show/absorb dirt.

Re: I guess so....

MDXplosion said:

...So what is the best leather treatment/process I can provide my seats with? Zaino?...

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You can do a quick search over in the Detailing forum for leather cleaner, leather conditioner or leather care and some alternatives will pop up.

I use Lexol cleaner and Lexol conditioner and am happy with them. I honestly can't tell you how well it really cleans cuz my interior is black, too.

People are using the Zaino, too, and are happy. I imagine the Zaino smells pretty good as well.

Yep, I have Weathertech mats which are great but, while "custom" for the MDX, still leave some areas of black carpeting uncovered and which seem to magically and magnetically attract every piece of light colored stuff in the universe.

As far as leather cleaners go, Worm has pointed out the Detailing section as a good source of info. There are many choices.

I like Zaino and Griot's leather cleaners and conditioners because they absorb quickly, smell like leather (Griot's a bit more) and are not greasy....and don't clog the seat's pores if I slather on too much.

donsev said:

Yes, it is not uncommon for tan leather seating surfaces to show dirt quickly, and yes "bluejean ruboff" is a common culprit.

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I've had a Chevy Tahoe for six years with tan leather interior that has seen tons of blue jeans (I worked as a wrangler) and have never had a single instance of "blue jean ruboff". And it's not like chevy is known for there high quality. Strikes me as odd that the MDX is having this problem.

Exactly!

odd that the MDX is having this problem
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Exaclty my point Alvin....I have a BMW M3 with a light-light gray leather interior and it wasnt until 2-3 years later that I was experiencing any dirt on my seats. So it is very odd how the X and the leather that comes with it marks up so easily and gets blue-jean ruboff....maybe the leather isnt of the same quality? I am not sure but I do know that it shouldnt mark so easily...especially by jeans!!

I venture that the susceptability to blue-jean ruboff would have nothing to do with the "quality" of the leather, but *may* have something to do with final surface preparation coating (i.e. it may come from a finishing agent, or protectant). It has been very apparent on: 1999 Lexus RX300, 2000 Mercedes S500, and now the 2001 MDX

Alvin, I would guess that your jeans probably have very little "blue" left in them after working as a wrangler

I have saddle interior in mine and have not yet noticed any problems. I have very light saddle interior in the Lexus & had nearly the same color saddle interior in the Toyota & never had a problem with those.

I did experience a problem with my 89 Acura Legend with Saddle interior - it absorbed a ton of dirt & transferred the color of my belt (dark brown) to the back of my driver's seat. I couldn't get the stains out of the 89's leather interior.

Hopefully my MDX will be ok

Re: Re: I guess so....

TheWorm said:

You can do a quick search over in the Detailing forum for leather cleaner, leather conditioner or leather care and some alternatives will pop up.

I use Lexol cleaner and Lexol conditioner and am happy with them. I honestly can't tell you how well it really cleans cuz my interior is black, too.

People are using the Zaino, too, and are happy. I imagine the Zaino smells pretty good as well.

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Say Worm - recently purchased the Lexol products to clean up and make my "old car" look like new prior to selling. Do you or anyone else have any recommendations how often you use the Lexol on the new MDX?

I typically use the cleaner every 8-10 weeks, and the conditioner every 4-6. To be honest, I don't actually know the "official" recommendation.

*may* have something to do with final surface preparation coating

Donsev:

I am not sure exactly what is causing it (I dont actually believe it is the quality of the leather) but I think your right in the sense that maybe they didnt treat my leather correctly or they did and used a product that doesnt actually get the job done or has some agent in it that is causing it. Either way I am not sure but I am taking it back to the dealer and have them treat it again and find out which product they use. Also have them prep again since I dont think they did a good job of it

MDXplosion,

FWIW, after a handfull of cleanings with the cleaner/conditioners, the seats do seem to be less susceptible to staining (again, whether we are removing something that is causing the problem, or adding a better protector, I don't know)

Not Leather?

I may be mistaken but I believe the part of the seat where you sit is not leather. It is some type of synthetic. I know that the 3rd row seat is completely synthetic.

jmk, no the opposite. Everything your body touches, seat (perforated and smooth) and back (same thing) is all leather. You can feel the difference in, for example, the seat pocket covers behind each of the front seats are "leatherette". Same scenario for rear seats.

Third row, ahem, you are correct....is "leatherette."

Leather

Oh ok, thanks for the info.

Best cleaner

Lexol is so far my favorite. It is easy to wipe on and off. Used Hyde Food before. You can get it from Jaguar dealers. It is a great cleaner/conditioner, but reguires way too much work to clean off.

Lexol

Lexol is so far my favorite

Hey ooty did you have any initial problems with your leather getting dirty fairly quick and then you tried Lexol and it did the job for you? Or did you just start using it as a treatment to keep up with your leather and found that Lexol was the product you would much rather go with? Basically I am looking to see if you had a problem with the leather and if it was dirty before using Lexol (and if Lexol got rid of the dirt?) or your just treating it and find Lexol easier to apply and remove than most products?

I am trying to see and get suggestions of which product is best to treat my saddle interior with in order to keep it clean and free from jean rub-off and conditioned aswell. If not then looks like I will have to result to the lamb/sheep skin seat cover.......for the winter until I decide on which leather cleaner and treatment to go with. Any feedback would be appreciated.

MDXplosion

My 2 Cents on Leather Cleaning/Conditioning

All leather gets dirt and grime from clothes/food etc. In addition leather dries over time. When leather is first processed there are natural and added oils that are retained when installed on a car. Over time with body oils, sun, salt and other contaminants the leather dries. This results in cracks. Now you may ask how does this relate to Lexol and cleaning.

Well the answer is simple: If you keep your leather clean using leather cleaner, then there is less chance that it might attrack dirt. In addition after the first year of the car I start using the conditioner to ensure that the leather remains moist and retains its natural oils. Otherwise you can get cracks and what I call "Streaks" in the leather that cannot be cleaned.

I hope this little synopsis helps.

Ootyboy