Hey gang!

My 525i is the fourth car I have with leather interior, but I still don?t know how often I need to clean the leather. Any idea what?s the best leather treatment? Can someone help please?

Thanks!

 

No idea, but I averaged about once a year with my last one and no problems in eight years.

 

Serge007:
I use the BMW leather conditioner/cleaner. It works very well cleaning off dirt, doesn't leave any oily film or smell. I use it every other month, no problems.

 

I clean it every other week with soap and water using non-abrasive sponge. It not only makes your leather same as new, but also makes it non-slippery. It's the best solution so far.

 

I used Lexol last weekend, and the leather didn't react well. I've used it for years with excellent results, but the new leather didn't like it. It soaked in too fast to wipe off and was kind of streaky. I'm going to try another brand - juan2mini says BMW works well - maybe try that one.

Tw- to four times a year seems to do the trick for me, depending on usage of the car, do you have kids, pets in the car, etc.

 

I was doing it once a month, but since have gotten pretty lazy. I still try to at least clean the driver's seat and steering wheel every now and then.

 

Here's a link to previous threads on the forum.

If the cleaner is soaking into the leather, it's a diferent kind of leather than was used before. Read the FAQ below to determine the proper cleaning method.

CLEANING DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEATHER (from Leatherfurnitureshoppe.com. ) Check out their leather cleaning/conditioning products. Their cleaning products use the codes mentioned in the FAQ for proper application.

Pigment dyed, Finished leathers.
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Recommended Cleaning: use a wet cloth to keep dust and minor spills off the surface of the leather. Fats (butter, oil, chocolate, etc.) require a fine leather upholstery cleaner specifically made for furniture leather like Leather Master/Stain Safe ? products. Build a lather of soft cleaner on a sponge and clean the soiled area and pat dry. Go back with a conditioner to keep the leather moisturized. Recommended cleaning frequency, 3-4 times a year.

Aniline Plus or Semi Aniline finish.
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Recommended Cleaning: Use a wet cloth to keep dust and minor spills off the surface of the leather. Fats (butter, oil, chocolate, etc.) require a fine leather upholstery cleaner specifically made for furniture leather like Leather Master/Stain Safe ? products. Build a lather of soft cleaner on a sponge and clean the soiled area and pat dry. Go back with a conditioner to keep the leather moisturized. Recommmended cleaning frequency, 3-4 times a year.

Waxed, Pull-ups, Saddle type.
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Recommended Cleaning: use a wet cloth to keep dust and minor spills off the surface of the leather. Fats (butter, oil, chocolate etc.) remove excess with a spoon or clean white cloth. Allow any remaining residue to sit and dissipate or permeate into the leather. If a high concentration is left, a drying agent like talcum powder or Leather Master's Degreaser ? can be used. Use Leather Masters Oleosa ? to clean and condition and Wax-On@ for reapplying wax removed by scratching. Recommended cleaning frequency 3-4 times a year or more as desired.

Nubucks, Suedes, Bomber type.
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Recommended Cleaning: Use a wet cloth to keep dust and minor spills off the surface of the leather. Fats (butter, oil, chocolate, etc.) remove excess with a spoon or clean white cloth. Use a Degreaser ? like Leather Master ? to draw any excess from the soiled area. A Nubuck soft cleaner is highly recommended for cleaning of this exquisite material for general soiling. Frequent brushing with a suede brush or 1000 gr sandpaper will keep the nap up. Recommended cleaning frequency 3-4 times a year or more as desired. Note: This leather will develop a patina and sheen from body oils returning many pleasant memories.

Full or Pure Aniline. (except Nubucks or Suedes).
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Recommended Cleaning: Use a wet cloth to keep dust and minor spills off the surface of the leather. Build a lather of soft cleaner on a sponge and clean the soiled area and pat dry. Go back with a conditioner to keep leather moisturized. Fats (butter, oil,chocolate,etc.) remove excess with a spoon or clean white cloth. Allow any remaining residue to sit and dissipate or permeate into the leather . Recommended cleaning frequency 3-4 times a year. Use Leather Masters Maxi Kit ? for cleaning and conditioning. Note: This leather may develop a patina and sheen from body oils returning many pleasant memories.

IDENTIFYING LEATHER TYPES
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ANILINE:CLEANING CODE A
also called NATURAL,PURE,NAKED,OR UNPROTECTED.
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Ways to identify ANILINE:For care and maintenance purposes, check to see if the surface has been brushed (has a texture like velvet) or not. This is the point at which people have difficulty distinguishing NUBUCK from ANILINE.

There are several ways you can identify an ANILINE Leather:

Lightly scratch the surface to see if it leaves a lighter color scratch mark. If it scratches to a lighter color, it is ANILINE. This is not the only test to do because some NUBUCKS will do this also.
Wet your finger and lightly rub it into the Leather to see if it darkens. It should darken lightly, but dry invisibly.

"Pull-ups", are leathers that have a deep richness to them from fat liquors applied during the tanning process. These leathers have a unique characteristic, a "Pull-Up" effect when the leather is stretched it will tend to lighten up in that area but the color returns when heat is applied or friction from rubbing a cloth or your hand in that area. These leathers also tend to scratch easy but have an "Old World" effect or "Aged" look. Products recommended here included "Oleosa" ? and if the leather has a wax coat apply "Wax On" ? to replace this wax that is removed with fingernails from use.

PROTECTED:CLEANING CODE P
also called FINISHED,SEMI-ANILINE,EVERYDAY,PIGMENTED OR PAINTED.
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Ways to identify SEMI-ANILINE (PROTECTED):

PROTECTED Leathers are the most common Leathers, and for most consumers the most practical. Lightly scratch the surface to see if it leaves a lighter color scratch mark. If it does not scratch to a lighter color (this means the color remains the same), then this is a Protected Leather.

Use SOFT CLEANER and clean the leather. The cleaner should stay on top of the finish and should not darken the Leather.
The surface should have some sort of sheen to it. It is like looking at wood that has a lacquer finish compared to a wipe-on treatment.

NUBUCK:CLEANING CODE N
also called CHAPS,DISTRESSED,BOMBER OR SUEDE.
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Ways to identify NUBUCK:

The surface should have a texture similar to velvet. You move your hand across the surface and, if it leaves shading traces similar to the effect when you vacuum a carpet in one direction and then in another, it is Nubuck.
Wet your finger and rub it lightly on the surface. The surface will darken and also will dry to a slightly darker shade.

Note: I have no interest (financial or otherwise) in any of the above mentioned web sites.

 

Hey guys,

Thank you for your response! I?ve been using Armorall Treatment (comes in a tube with applicator pads), and so far the leather looks good. It kind of shiny at first, but once it dries off the leather looks good and feels like new. Plus you can feel some sort of sealant on top of it. I just wasn?t sure how often I could do it.

Once again, thanks for your advice!

 

Why kind of soap?

Thanks

 

I do mine once a week. With the kind of environment I work in I have to clean the driver side. What can I say, I am a maintanence technician.