Leather Care

[kglenn]

Just wondering what might be suggested to use on the leather in GM trucks. My seats are in good shape, but the tan leather seems to be losing color in places. Have not experienced that before on any of my other trucks. what works for you?

[jhornsby3]

With 20+ years in furniture repair I have seen alot of people use products on the market with mixed results. The one product I used for a very good all around protectant on regular taned leather and top coated leather is Lexol NF formula. I used to get it from the tack and feed stores. The thing to stay away from is anything with Neatsfoot in it. It will attack the stitching. Neatsfoot is the best for the leather but very bad on the stitching. Stay away from the Armorall products too. The top coating on the leather is a vinyl and it can dry and crack so the idea is to moisturize it and the leather both. The Lexal with do just that. Looking the label it has most of the same active ingredients as the high dollar furniture protectant. I like it because you can get a gallon jug for less money than a 4oz bottle of the spendy stuff. And it won't discolor the leather or cause a oil to come off on your cloths.

I soak a cloth. Rub it on the leather. Let it soak for an hour. Rub some more on. Let it soak. Then use a clean cloth and rub the left over in/ off and buff the surface. After about 15 minutes to 30 minutes it's good to go.
FWIW, this is what I did for my saddlee that I had for 15 years. It looked almost new when I sold it. It was a working saddle that was $3000 when I bought it. Got $3500 for it when I sold it.

Hope this helps.

John