Leather seat care.

[mangeorge]

This is the first car I've owned with leather seats, and I'm unsure how to take care of them. I've searched, and asked, and gotten a lot of very different answers. I really don't want to screw up my upholstery, so I come to the SDMB for the final word.
For cleaning, using a cotton cloth dampened with lukewarm water then drying sounds best to me for general cleaning, and going to a pro if it get's dirty or stained. Can't hurt.
But what about conditioning? My car sits outside 24/7, and gets a lot of sunshine. I use a windshield sunshade, which helps a lot, but some protectant (not Armor All) might be adviseable.
Also, what's a really good wax? Nufinish paste, according to Consumer Reports, but I don't know. For the outside, not the seats. ;)
Peace,
mangeorge (Nervous Nellie with his 1st new car)

[tcburnett]

Hmmmm...I don't suppose the owner's manual would mention it.

[mangeorge]

Originally posted by tcburnett
Hmmmm...I don't suppose the owner's manual would mention it.
Mention? Sure, but short on specifics. Mostly "Buy Our Products". I may do that yet, if nothing better comes along.
Mostly I'm looking for advice from aficionados. ;)

[handsomeharry]

One very good tip i picked up is that, when cleaning, one should not be afraid to use a brush in the wrinkles. they collect dirt like you wouldn't believe and a brush works wonders. soft bristles, gentle rubbing, of course.

[cantara]

I don't have an answer for you, but something you should be aware of...

Most cars only have "leather seating surfaces" which means the actual seat is leather, but the sides of the seat, and probably the back are actually vinyl. You may need to treat them differently.

In our Pathfinder, the vinyl sides facing the doors are cracking and peeling because we put a lot of wear on the seat bolster as we get in and out. The actual leather seat surfaces are holding up well without any treatment (ours is indoors most of the time).

hmmm...we have an 'indoor' car...