[mcjones44us]

Hey - I'm curious what, if anything, you guys do to protect the leather dashboard and nappa leather surfaces that you come into contact with frequently like the door armrest, windowsill and console cover.

My car doesn't see a whole lot of days sitting in the sun, but I'm wondering if it's worthwhile to put some sort of moisturizing product on nappa during the heat of the summer ?

[AP]

Good question.
I’ve had leather in my cars for as long as I can remember and have never applied anything to them to protect and as they are out of the sun for the bulk of their time, it’s never been an issue
I’ve just a 550 with a leather dashboard and door uppers and was wondering this

I assume the leather is already prepared in such a way to stand up against heat and UV , so much so that I look at it think it doesn’t actually look like leather

So interested aswell in how this ages and what people do or don’t do with it

[Scott in Houston]

303 Protectant is my favorite. It doesn't leave a "shine" and isn't wet after.

[Shane_ATX]

Leatherique is the gold standard.

[NGT2]

Originally Posted by Scott in Houston

303 Protectant is my favorite. It doesn't leave a "shine" and isn't wet after.

What do you like to clean it?

[LuvMyE92]

Leatherique (as mentioned above) is often considered the best, or one of the best, as is (was) Lexol, my go-to.

However: A friend of mine who is in the furniture biz and knows more about leather than all of us combined, says that automotive leather is heavily treated, it's actually painted and so as such, most treatments and "moisturizers" are unnecessary and just sit on the surface.

Me personally, after years of owning cars with leather seats, I think that "it can't hurt" to use a high quality leather care product, especially for dashboards covered in leather (not vinyl) where they get a ridiculous amount of direct sun (I'm in the South). However, I think the real secret to keeping leather in good condition, especially seats, is to keep them clean. Wipe them down with a damp towel every time you vacuum the carpets, which you should do every time you wash the car, which you should do weekly. Yes, I'm a freak.

[Scott in Houston]

Originally Posted by NGT2

What do you like to clean it?

I use Woolite 1:6 with distilled water. It is like the secret sauce the industry doesn't want us to know about. That and a good brush works wonders.

[Gspsaku]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

Leatherique (as mentioned above) is often considered the best, or one of the best, as is (was) Lexol, my go-to.

However: A friend of mine who is in the furniture biz and knows more about leather than all of us combined, says that automotive leather is heavily treated, it's actually painted and so as such, most treatments and "moisturizers" are unnecessary and just sit on the surface.

100% correct. Most high quality leather in automobiles actually have a “clear coat”


Nappa Leather is one of the BMW leather options on cars like the 5 Series, 6 Series and 7 Series and it’s a more premium, more natural option than either of the aforementioned two. It’s a full-grain, un-split, semi-aniline leather and it features a light clear-coat finish for durability.

[Craw2theJ]

Applying anything to the dash could lead to adhesive problems under the leather and then it can separate and have a wavy appearance. If you apply any sort of cleaner or leather conditioner I would only apply the smallest amount possible and wipe off any extra almost immediately.

Also, anything you apply to any dash, leather or not, can evaporate in the hot sun and cause haziness on the inside of the windshield so be cautious of that too because that's not fun to clean.

[tjbuggy2b]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

...most treatments and "moisturizers" are unnecessary and just sit on the surface.

This is what I keep hearing. ...but if "most" don't do anything then some must. Sooo, which ones? In the research I've done, this entire topic always seems to be about what doesn't work, and never about what (if anything) does work.