Our most popular is Connolly Hide Food. We also carry the Leatherique and it was all the rage a couple of years ago. Seems to have slacked off and gone back to Connolly since then.

 

Just read this thread because I f*ed up and moved a set of tires recently - the towel I laid down in the back seats didn't quite cover everything and those rubber tires have left a black mark on both edges of the seats. I CANNOT seem to be able to remove them, and I've tried just about everything!

Any ideas/suggestions?

 

Wrote a short response, but got denied on the post. Had a suggestion for you for your stains.

I tried to follow up with an email, but you set your profile to private, so i couldn't email you. Send me a PM for more details.

 

PM sent.

 

What? My Lab mix has TWO drawers of knick knacks (toys)! Any Lab mix worth his salt has a drawer of knick knacks at home! (Unfortunately no sea sponge in there though.)

 

Re: leather cleaner (and conditioner)

A short intro. I have been and am daily engaged in working with leather. I have a 23+ year business that cleans, conditions, does custom finishing, as well as produces custom leather goods.

I have worked on everything but a Submarine.....literally. Cars RR to Toyota, Auburn boat tail speedsters, Aircraft, Yachts, furniture, garments.....etc.....even Dirigibles.

I'm sure you get the picture.

My 20+ years of experience says there is no better product than LEXOL cleaner followed by LEXOL conditioner. The parent company to LEXOL is Summit Industries and they specialize in making skin care products for quadra and paraplegic human beings.

There LEXOL product is literally made to human skin care specifications.

Good 'Ol' saddle soap with liberal amounts of 'elbow grease' is still very, very good as well.

The situation or 'problem' I see so often is that most people don't use either of these products in the most (recommended) productive way.

The key, short explanation if I may, think of the leather as a bundle of 'soda straws' with a pudding skin on the top. These soda straws, collagen protein fibers, get filled with daily 'stuff' and get stiff and stiffer as time goes on.

Here in So. Cal. I equate it to going in the Ocean and when you come out of the water if you don't rinse your hair it will get stiff from the salts left in it......same with the leather. The cleaners are designed to 'float' out the 'salts' (read 'stuff') that has accumulated in those protein fibers.....the ones that resemble soda straws in there ability to be filled up.

I say 'float' the 'salts' out because when you clean your leather you should not be 'close' with the soap, the water, and the 'elbow grease'

The cleaning soap.....saddle or (as I prefer) LEXOL cleaner should be applied with a wet sponge, not dripping....just soaked and then given a squeeze and lots of soap.

You should apply the water (via sponge) and soap in liberal enough amounts that you work up a lather akin to shaving cream on the surface of the leather. This lather will continue to 'drink into' the leather....keep applying more soap, water, and labor to create more lather until the lather 'free stands' on about 30 to 40% of the surface. Ringing out the sponge as you go to get rid of the 'funk' that you're 'floating' out of the leather.

When this is done the leather will feel much, much softer............no....you're not done.

This is 'dead skin'.....you've gotten all of the 'stuff' out of the soda straws/protein fibers
now it's time to re-hydrate it.....that's where the conditioner comes in.

Wipe off the, now, freestanding foam/lather.....and you can wait or not....chances are you're going to be looking for a break right about then as you have been 'at it' for about 2 to 4 hours.....yep......with LExoL (cleaner).....if you choose Saddle soap (very good stuff too) then you will have been 'at it' for 4 to 8 hours.....

Wipe off the free standing lather and then apply the LEXOL conditioner....by hand, with a small brush, pad, sponge....what ever your, now,.....very,very soft hands would prefer.

Put the LEXOL conditioner to 'to flood'.....don't spare the juice! literally slather it on and let the leather drink up as much as it wants. Don't be surprised if you repeat this 'slather it on' process 2,3 or more times....it's thirsty....let it drink it up.

When the leather will no longer absorb the conditioner....let it set for some time....30 min. to an hour or so. Now buff off what ever excess is on the leather as well as what ever haze has appeared and you now have correctly cleaned and conditioned leather.

If after this whole process the leather feels a bit sticky to the touch then what has happened is the 'soda straws' have been filled to overflowing ......like a muffin top.

Just take a small bit of the cleaner and give them a light (very light) cleaning this will remove the excess 'bloom' and then buff the leather off with a soft cloth.

That, Gentlemen and Ladies, 'fellow' Jag enthusiast, is the hundreds of years old, tried and true way to clean and condition/take care of all 'finished' leather

Remember: cleaning and conditioning your leather is like washing your dog out side except your cleaning and conditioning a 'dead cow'......don't spare the cleaner, conditioner, or elbow grease

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First car 1957 XK140 DHC.....current Jaguar (and love it) 2003 S Type R Quartz exterior, light grey interior

 

I like Gliptone.