Best leather softener and preservative?

[StylishOne]

My interior is a bit stiff and it’s white also so don’t want to ruin the color.  I used to use Neatsfoot oil on black interiors .. not sure on white leather though.. Suggestions? 

Edited February 3, 2023 by StylishOne (see edit history)

[f.f.jones]

While you are thinking about treatments to restore leather, how about vinyl softeners and restorers.

I have a 55 year old Buick Wildcat convertible with a stiff (and getting stiffer) original interior. It's still not torn nor significantly cracked and the seams are still holding, but unless I can soften it up, it wont last much longer.  Any help would be appreciated.  P.S. Color is burgundy.

 

 

 

 

[bryankazmer]

Vinyl softeners are called plasticizers.  They are added during initial mixing, at an elevated temperature to get them to absorb.  A small molecule goes in easily, but then comes out easily.  So difficult to put in molecules make for better long term use. After years of use, it's likely that some of the vinyl resin is oxidized, and that some of the plasticizer has migrated and volatilized.

 

So your PVC resin will no longer hold as much plasticizer as originally.  And it is likely to exude afterwards if you try to put much in.  It may be possible to soften it a bit, but you risk ending up just making the surface sticky.

 

With all that discouragement, if you want to try an inconspicuous spot, try epoxidized soybean oil.  It was not your original plasticizer, but is a comment secondary one.

[CHuDWah]

3 hours ago, StylishOne said:

My interior is a bit stiff and it’s white also so don’t want to ruin the color.  I used to use Neatsfoot oil on black interiors .. not sure on while leather though.. Suggestions? 

 

I like plain old saddle soap.  It can darken leather but there are some brands made especially for light colors - course test first.  Here's a rundown of several brands:

 

The Best Saddle Soaps

[41 Su8]

Lexol cleaner, then Lexol conditioner.             John

[8E45E]

If its genuine leather, Connoly Hide Food.    https://carzilla.ca/products/connolly-hide-food-leather-conditioner-11oz

 

Craig

[StylishOne]

Yes it’s leather .. I’m not sure why the vinyl guys showed up but guess we all need advice! 

[58L-Y8]

Fiebing makes a variety of leather conditioner and preservation products:

2. Leather Care - Fiebing's

[60FlatTop]

I have used the Fiebings dye and found it a good product. The leather preservation products should be equal.

 

I have been using Connoly Hyde Food since the 1990's, always did a fine job.

 

One forlorn Mark VII Jaguar I had was pretty sad under the old fabric seat covers. I massaged in DL hand cleaner with both hands. It is loaded with lanolin. They looked fine and was pretty cheap.

[alsancle]

This interior was done by my dad over 60 years ago.   He had a friend who was a professional upholstery guy do it with and train him.   All of our cars with leather interior get rubbed with Lexol Leather Conditioner about once a year.   They all have held up great.  Don't wait for the leather to start drying out,  maintain it.

 

 

[SC38dls]

We’ve used Lexol conditioner on all our leather saddles and tack for years. My daughters first saddle that is 40 years old is still soft and supple. A saddle takes a lot more wear and tear than a car seat does. It is a very good product. We even use it on a brand new saddle or bridal before they ever get put on a horse. 
dave s 

Edited February 3, 2023 by SC38dls (see edit history)

[zepher]

Lots of great info in this thread. 

Posting mainly so I can always come back to this for info.

[arcticbuicks]

the people next door here have a team of Percherons and decades old harnesses,they use a leather conditioner ,cleaner ....then saddlesoap,and check the Glycerine ingredients they say,is what works,and they also use vegetable oil......best product they say is Neets foot oil from farm store.........*and its not just a spray n wipe .......its hours of working it * which ever you use

Edited February 3, 2023 by arcticbuicks (see edit history)

[Walt G]

A friend who is an upholsterer and reads these forums told me to use Fiebings when I bought the Packard touring I have nearly a decade or so ago after I bought it. My suggestion is to apply what you like BUT it works best when the hides are warm- so park the car in the sun to get the leather warmer and let the pores perhaps open up a bit. I did this and it seemed to work a bit better then using anything when it is damp or colder at the location where you store your car.

[arcticbuicks]

My sister is a leather and textile expert who works for a company selling leather to car companies all over the world,she says......which i had no idea....there are different layer cuts of leather also,and she says some leather is cheap right from new like typical cheaper 80s 90 s american car leather and gets hard and cracks and not much hope,there is so much more to it like how the hide was taken stored and treated etc before it went in your car.....and not all last the same

[TAKerry]

Does lexol change the colour? I have oyster seats in a car that could really use a conditioning but would hate to discolour them. I have used neats foot and mink oil on my work boots for years to keep the leather in good condition but they seem to darken a bit. On work boots and perhaps horse tack it may not be an issue, but car seats are a different story aesthetically.

[alsancle]

2 minutes ago, TAKerry said:

Does lexol change the colour? I have oyster seats in a car that could really use a conditioning but would hate to discolour them. I have used neats foot and mink oil on my work boots for years to keep the leather in good condition but they seem to darken a bit. On work boots and perhaps horse tack it may not be an issue, but car seats are a different story aesthetically.

that is a good question. We have one car that has very soft gray leather. And I applied some to a piece and it looked like it was going to change the color and I stopped. I’m not sure what to do in this case. The cars that have the less soft leather it seems to work fantastic on.

[arcticbuicks]

i can find out ....but might take time......or you could try a place out of sight too my guess

[TAKerry]

Thats where I thought the connely hide food may be of an advantage. I will look into that product a bit further.

[rocketraider]

I went out into deep water on this but figured Rolls owners would know.

 

https://www.rollsroyceforums.com/threads/best-leather-conditioner-and-cleaner.324/

 

One thing I learned from that thread is that Connolly leathers are surface dyed. I would have thought for sure high-end leathers like that would have been vat dyed. Also some comments about Hide Food's formula being changed in early 2000s.

[arcticbuicks]

she controls leather testing and quality etc at 'Eagle Ottawa LLC' auburn hills USA.......if i can get her to find out,it will the right info we all need.......and my sis was telling me high end cars use bull hide only which is high quality......and some vintage cars had pigskin but rare.......the best cuts go to steering wheels and shifter knob type things

Edited February 3, 2023 by arcticbuicks (see edit history)

[rocketraider]

I've seen Eagle Ottawa products in auto parts and leather goods stores. I no longer own a vehicle with leather upholstery so haven't tried it. Just tossed some 25 year old Lexol a couple days ago. Amazingly still liquid with no "off" smell.

[arcticbuicks]

@rocketraiderI have had 3 rolls in the 1970s years [one near new] and Rolls leather isOMG horrible i found,and you will see many advertised saying hard dried cracked leather,or new leather just done lol.....rolls owner like to say colony hides -give me a break !  { its crappo leather } ....and actually i should add......the whole cars were horrible too bloody hell junk......a 70s Imapla Chevy is a far better car or a grand marquis or Caprice Classic in the same 1980s years are a far better longer lasting trouble free car ......and all the rolls drive like grandpas 53 Buick............im serious ....its true lol

Edited February 6, 2023 by arcticbuicks (see edit history)

[SC38dls]

I believe Lexol will darken leather. The saddles would get scratched and have a much lighter look to the scratches after cleaning with a good saddle soap using the Lexol would almost eliminate the scratches. Some would even become a little darker if the scratch was deep causing the leather to be ruff. Most of the saddles & tack we have was a deep brown with one set being light brown and one set a very dark almost black color. That being the case on lighter colors I would think lanolin might be your best option. Try it in a very hidden place no matter what you use. 
dave s 

[StylishOne]

Thanks guys. It’s an all white leather interior  and  while no show car I don’t want to make it worse ! Of course rear seat n passenger seat pretty nice .. drivers seat not that nice .. 

[60FlatTop]

1 hour ago, arcticbuicks said:

I have had 3 rolls in the 1970s years and Rolls leather is horrible

The Scot who came up with the "All you can hear is the ticking of the clock" campaign was named McDonald and he hooked the company up with a growing source of hides.

 

2 hours ago, arcticbuicks said:

.a 70s imapla chevy is a far better car or a grand marquis or caprice classic on the same 1980s year is a far better longer lasting trouble free car ......

In 2012 I was seriously looking at Silver Spurs with the guidance of a well know RR mechanic from western New York (Rochester). On a sudden impulse my heart was stolen by a very clean 1994 Chevrolet Impala SS. End of Silver Spur story.

 

A couple of months later the RR mechanic and I were pulling out of my driveway in the Chevy. I told him "I bought this instead of the Spur we were talking about". "You are a very smart man" was his only reply.

[Bloo]

A shop owner I worked for said don't put anything on it. He said the stiffness is caused by dirt and all the crap people put on trying to soften it up. It works at first, and then the "softeners" dry out inside the leather and make matters worse. "It's skin, treat it like skin. Just clean it" he said. Here is what he taught me to do.

 

Go after small areas at a time with a nail brush and a bar of glycerin soap, and as little water as possible to dip the brush in to get the soap wet. This is easiest with the type of nail brush that clips around your fingers. Wipe with a clean damp cloth to remove the soap and grime. Keep water to a dead minimum. Redo until the cloth wipes clean, and then move on to a new spot. I do about a 6 inch square at a time, but you'll need to play that by ear. I did this every month or two to a 69 Cadillac with original black leather. Over a period of about 3 years, the leather, which looked good but was hard as a rock in places softened up considerably. The more crud you can get out the better it gets. The leather was really nice by the time I sold the car. I have cleaned up a lot of cars this way, and they seem to improve, although none of them started out as hard as that Cadillac.

 

A year or 2 later a trimmer from the UK told me essentially the same thing. The only thing he recommended after cleaning was "a tiny bit of luggage wax on a damp cloth if you need a little bit of shine". Now, apparently that is a UK product because "luggage wax" gets you plenty of blank stares in the US. I was able to deduce later on that it is apparently beeswax softened with water.

 

Of course if the leather has turned into the consistency cardboard that you can poke your finger through this won't help. Your mileage may vary.

 

[dship]

I've always used Lexol Leather Conditioner with great results.

[StylishOne]

Thanks guys. It’s an all white leather interior  and  while no show car I don’t want to make it worse ! Of course rear seat n passenger seat pretty nice .. drivers seat not that nice .. 

[Buffalowed Bill]

What I use really depends on the leather. All leather are not the same. Some are vat dyed and some are color coated. Regardless I have used Lexol with equally good results on all my cars. 

 

I use needs foot oil on some of my darker interiors because it has a tendency to darken the leather slightly. I also apply it to stiff or dried leather. On the latter I just rub on the dried leather several times a week and let it sit. it will invariably take up some of the moisture. I hen clean the surface with leather cleaner.

 

If you are really dedicated to saving dried out leather removing the upholstery from the seats and rubbing NFO in from the back as well as the front really helps. While I have never done this myself a friend and restorer has done it. Everyone agreed that the results were worth the effort.
 

[bryankazmer]

Keep in mind that modern upholstery leathers are coated - it can be hard to get below the surface

[prewarnut]

23 hours ago, bryankazmer said:

Keep in mind that modern upholstery leathers are coated - it can be hard to get below the surface

Agreed. When I redyed a modern car a few years back I purposely hit the plastic parts around the seat controls and seat back so they would all color match. Modern leather dye will stick and "paint" plastic. When it dries on your hands it's like trying to peel off dried superglue from fingertips...not happening real easy. So on modern cars since the mid 1990s leather conditioner isn't doing much - and you are sitting on paint, not the leather itself. Strip the dye and you'll find imperfections including flexibile filler you didn't know was there. That said, on older, traditionally dyed leather, I do believe conditioners and softeners will help.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Another Lexol fan here.  I usually apply it annually.  I wait for a particularly hot day, and let it set a few hours before buffing.  Works out great!

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

The best I have ever used is a home brewed concoction given to  my father-in-law by some Indigenous Canadians about 70 years ago. Dad shared a bottle with me. I have used it on boots, belts, and original very dried leather in several brass era Model T’s. It consists primarily of rendered bear fat with some herbs added. Amazed at how well it works. Leather come out very soft and supple. My supply is running low now. I bet I will NOT find this at the local “five and dime”!

Edited February 5, 2023 by Jeff Perkins / Mn (see edit history)

[gwells]

Leatherique. Check it out.

[James-Wahl Motors]

7 hours ago, gwells said:

Leatherique. Check it out.

Agree on Leatherique if you need to soften up cardboard hard dried out leather. Requires multiple applications but it works.

 

 

Lexol is good for maintenance of leather that has not completely dried out.

[Jim Mead]

What color is an oyster ?

[8E45E]

1 hour ago, Jim Mead said:

What color is an oyster ?

A shade of white, with a touch of gray in it.

 

Craig

[TAKerry]

1 hour ago, Jim Mead said:

What color is an oyster ?

Oyster seats in a white car. The oyster is a muted white colour, kinda a very light grey. 

[8E45E]

Calgary Transit's bus colors were Seafoam Green/Oyster White prior to 1974:  http://www.barp.ca/photo_index2.html

 

 

As far as non-automotive items, a clock radio I bought in 1969 was 'oyster white' according to the label on the box it came in.

 

Craig

Edited February 7, 2023 by 8E45E (see edit history)