maintaining a full leather interior.

I have a full leather interior with leather seats boxster red interior 996, and was wondering what you guys do to maintain this interior. I used lexol conditioner and it seemed to discolor my leather a bit.

There are several threads regarding leather care and available products, so it would probably be worth your time to search for them to see what wealth of opinion there is on the subject. Of all of the products I have used (5 or 6 common ones including Lexol), I personally like Leatherique the best.

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thank you, I will check it out again. One question I couldn't get answered on other forums was the use of leather conditioner on the leather dash is it necessary? I've heard it isn't because the leather was dehydrated to prevent it from cracking or something along those lines.

Lexol conditioner won't discolor your Boxster Red interior unless you leave it on, and even then it's not permanent. Cleaner helps lift dirt and salts out of the leather, conditioner keeps the leather moisturized and pH neutral. If you're using Lexol: First, get Lexol cleaner (orange bottle) and two terrycloth towels. Work cleaner into a lather on the surface with the first towel one panel at a time, then buff off lather with the second until the leather is dull (don't use force). Then, get two fresh towels and apply Lexol conditioner (brown bottle) one panel at a time. Spread on with the first towel so that panel looks "wet." Make sure to get into grooves and edges. Then, after ~3 minutes, buff out gently with the second towel as you did with the cleaner until the leather is soft to the touch, not sticky, and matte. If it's shiny or sticky you left it on too long, used too much, or didn't buff off all the product. Go back to the cleaner step and start again. Do this every 30 days and your leather will always look and smell new. If you're looking for something to restore moisture and the "new leather" smell after deferred maintenance then get Leatherique Pristine Clean. Lexol is fine for ordinary maintenance.

This is the best for PORSCHE.... Not sticky... not low gloss.... the best. Used on all leather parts. Lexol is too stick for Soft Porsche leather. cleaner&channelid=FROOG&utm_source=CSEs&utm_medium=GoogleProductSearch&u tm_campaign=CSE&gclid=CInIo9eIzcICFcFr7AodTxIA1w Meguiars D180 Leather Cleaner & Conditioner 128 oz. A touch of gloss for leather seats! Meguiars D180 Leather Cleaner & Conditioner is a quick, one-step leather care product that leaves leather seats with an attractive sheen. Specialized cleaning and conditioning agents are designed to safely clean and restore leather's original look and suppleness. Use Meguiars D180 Leather Cleaner & Conditioner on leather and vinyl surfaces. Meguiars D180 Leather Cleaner & Conditioner is ideal for busy detailers or anyone who wants instant results. In just one step, Meguiars D180 Leather Cleaner & Conditioner cleans and restores leather, imparting a satin gloss. Only one application is needed to get beautiful results. If you want a less glossy finish, wipe down the leather with a clean towel. Meguiars D180 Leather Cleaner & Conditioner is packaged in a gallon size, making it cost effective and convenient. Pour the creamy white lotion into a 12 oz. Meguiars Dispenser Bottle to easily dispense a small amount onto an applicator. Wipe a thin coat onto the desired surface. The finish is non-greasy. If you prefer the rich look of leather with a touch of gloss, you'll love Meguiars D180 Leather Cleaner & Conditioner. 128 oz. Used Meguiars leather cleaner. [IMG] [/IMG]

I'll mention Leatherique for the aniline surfaces, but I wouldn't use lexol anything on even an enemy's car, it's good for saddles or boots, but not for anything you'd be touching or sitting upon in your car. Another group of products is the Leather Doctor, for neglected leather, their hydrator and fat liquor products are amazing, but they aren't cheap: http://www.leatherdoctor.com/fatliquor-5-0/

I have have used Lexol, leatherique and griots garage. I would use the griot conditioner for the dash. I did use leatherique for the seats in mine recently and liked the result, but I think it's overkill for the dash.

A lot of different opinions, thank you all for the input!

I have tired all sorts of different Leather Cleaners and Conditioners with 8 years of daily use and 210km on the car. Hot Water and Microfiber Wipe down works the best once a month to keep the dirt and grime off I Lexol Leather Cleaner once a year in the spring with a Brush, never used Leather Conditioner, I feel it attracts for Dirt and Grime and make the leather look shiny

I use zaino on my full leather benz and porsche. works fine. I have never been blown away by any leather conditioner and I've tried most of them.

A lot of product recommendations here. The difference you'll make is with technique. I use Lexol as my mainstay but I'm not married to it. Just happens to be the thing I can find on any shelf in any auto parts store or big box. Overall, If you want to keep your leather nice you should clean it frequently, condition it when you clean it, and don't leave the conditioner on the leather for more than a few minutes before buffing off . That's the biggest mistake people make, leaving them with a shiny, sticky, greasy interior that looks like it came from a $50 detail job. Probably doesn't hurt the leather, but promotes things like denim transfer, dust collection, and the darkening you mention in your first post. Oh, and I stay away from stuff that has a smell. Porsche makes a leather conditioner that smells like the inside of a new shoe (not great to my nose) and detracts from the sweet fragrance their full leather interiors have from factory. Many other products share that funk so I avoid them. Leatherique smells like sour milk out of the bottle but brings out the original leather fragrance after it sets in.

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any actual factual support for this statement because I disagree that this generalization is useful (especially given the differences in various products)

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I don't like Lexol either. I use Maguire's. But I just found a small really dry spot in the upper part of my passanger side backrest bolster. I tried applying a lot of conditioner to enhance oil absorption but little improvement. What's the best solution?

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lexol darkened any fine cracks my leather had even though I removed all excess product, but every leather conditioner ive tried did this

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If the cracks are through the finish on the leather then there's nothing to be done about that, what's in those cracks are basically suede and that will darken with any application of anything. You'll need to refinish or replace the leather. If the cracks are just wrinkles, getting the cleaner worked in with a brush and cleaned fully will help them from progressing through the finish, even if they appear darker from what's being left behind (and it is being left behind). Leatherique will help the leather relax and minimize the appearance of wrinkles, but once they're there, they're there.

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My experience is that this darkening fades fairly quickly (couple of weeks).

I personally tried to avoid using anything on my Boxster Red leather dash. A dry microfiber was fine to dust it, and a couple of times I would use three sprays of Griot's leather cleaner onto a microfiber cloth to wipe it down. Don't soak it. My reasoning for this was that the dash isn't a high wear area like a seat, and isn't prone to staining. There's really no need to use a strong cleaner (though, for the record, Leathermasters Strong Cleaner is what I would recommend to take dye transfer from jeans out of your Boxster Red seats). Just my personal opinion, of course. I'm no detailer. Those guys earn their money.

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have you noticed your driver seat on the boxster red interior to have tiny cracks that become black when conditioner is used?

I found a thread a year or so back that said NOT to put any leather conditioner on the dash, door, and rear side panels. reason being that the leather on the dash has been specially treated and most of the oils in it have been removed to make it suitable for areas that see a lot go sun. I use leatherique on the seats steering wheel, shifter, and handbrake once a year. other then that i dust the dash and interior panels and keep the UV rays off. Brian

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For dry spots, I've used the leather doctor's hydrator. What I did was soak a paper towel in the hydrator, place it on the dry area, and cover with plastic wrap like Saran wrap. Check it every few hours and add the hydrator until it's absorbed (this can take 48 hours). I then use their fat liquor stuff, same procedure, and it brings it back to supple feeling leather. If you've had some conditioner on it, you may need to remove it first with one of their cleaning products. I order from them often, shipping is pretty fast. Their forum is pretty helpful http://www.leathercleaningrestorationforum.com/forum/

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Awesome thanks! Don't tell me you own a Spa!

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Haha, no affiliation with a spa or this company. I use a variety of products depending on the surface. I bought a kit for my BMW leather steering wheel and it brought it back to factory satin in a few days.

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I have not, and I had Euro GT3 buckets in mine (past tense because the car is sold, sadly!) In a previous car, I had the sport seats and used conditioner on them (Leatherique, in my case) but that car had a black interior, so I couldn't have noticed any darkness in the cracks. Leatherique is hard to use properly, but does give good results. I wouldn't put it on a dash, though, for the reasons mentioned above.

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Agreed! I've tried many products. Currently using Lexol, Leatherique and 303. I know it's good for the leather, but nothing really noticiable.

Meguiars D180 Leather Cleaner & Conditioner Since this 911 is new to me but over 10 years. I condition leather seats one a week. I will let it sit over night and wipe clean the next day. Result is a new leather look. This was my 911 C2 after 3 years using Meguiars once a month.

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It's easy to distinguish soiled, contaminated leather by it's tacky feel or shininess. They key to keeping leather soft is hydration. A simple wipe with water once per week is all you need. Over-conditioning will destroy the urethane layer eventually and the contaminants will penetrate the underlying aniline surfaces.

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once a week? You got nothing better to do?

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That's what went through my mind when I read it. But I guess I might do it more if I had more time but definitely not weekly.

Have seen no negatives using this product once a month. Will condition week on the new 911, Just until leather is fully conditioned. Then once a month.

I read NOT to use conditioners on the dash/doors because they will harm the glue used to keep the leather on! I also read that instead of expensive cleaners, using diluted Woolite is great for cleaning the leather surfaces. On the seats I've used Lexol with nice results.

Aero 303 for all dash/hard leather parts that get sun (UV protection). Zaino for all leather surfaces that are soft/touch body parts.

In my experience, over-conditioning will make the leather shiny, and can also attract contaminants. It's best to hydrate the leather, keep it clean with water and the occasional ph-neutral soap. The lexol soap is good, the other stuff is utter crap for anything you sit upon or touch, it will end up causing cracks it he leather. Steam is the ultimate cleaning for leather, leaves it nice and matte-like. How to clean your leather seats with Swissvax Leather Cleaner - by Auto Obsessed - YouTube

remember most of the leathers are painted... FWIW, I've been very happy with this on all surfaces, cleans well, provides UV protection(very important IMO) : http://surfcitygarage.com/car-care/l...-detailer.html maybe twice/three times a year

That Swissvax stuff is expensive...$160 for a bottle of cleaner? What if you mix water, baby shampoo, and 5% glycerol probably $3 to make it; I bet that's all it is.

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It is expensive, it's probably a ph-neutral, like the lexol cleaner stuff. Leather masters mild or strong is just as good. It was his technique that was good. I was looking for a good steam video, but those machines are even more expensive.

I'm with wross996tt; except I put 303 protectant on everything.

I read a ton of forums last year to research this same topic. Over and over, I found recommendations for Leatherique, so that's what I used. A messy process, but very pleased with the results. Apply it all over, close the car up, and let it bake in the sun for a day before wiping off. I can't compare it to others, though, since it's all I have used.

Do you use it on the dash and the doors (contrary to what some have suggested above)?

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Would this be true with Porsche natural leather? This is said to be aniline, though it's also said to have a light (transparent) coating, which I would think makes it semi-aniline. Either way, if I understand correctly, this means it's died through. And therefore, I would think that the cracks are the same color as the surface. Wouldn't they retain their (died) color after the application of some/all conditioners? (This is probably only relevant for the natural brown leather; the natural grey leather is almost black to begin with.)