This article was written for the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club web site in 2006.
Leather, the modern dilemna.
To many people "leather" is just leather, but it's not, modern leather [post 70's cars, post mid 90's Rolls and Bentley] is very different today, it's thinner for a start, therefore softer and it wears more quickly, it's not inferior, it just needs more care.
Why? Well when leather is tanned, moisturizing oils are impregnated into the hide, with older thick leathers this stayed within the leather for many months before heat evaporated it, because the new leathers are thinner, the moisturizing oils dry out quicker. Now that cars must be completely locked up for security reasons, a hot day with an outside temperature of 70 degrees will convert to over 100 degrees within a locked car, baking the interior.
The seat design can also determine the rate of wear. Bucket seats which grip the body crease less, however they wear more quickly on the bolster cushions because in many cases the only way in and out is to rub this area up and down, when trying to get in or out of the car. Big broad seats in Rolls-Royces and Bentleys crease more, whether the person has a big or small bum, a little bum has more weight on a smaller area, causing creasing in the central area, a big bum causes creasing over the whole cushion because of the associated increase in weight.
How does one preserve the leather now that it's thinner, baked in sunlight for part of the year, frozen in winter then blasted with air-conditioning for the remaining months?
Firstly, keep it clean, if you look at a mechanics fingers you will note that the skin is dry and cracked, the cracks have ingrained dirt in them which is effectively holding the cracks open, this is what happens to your leather if you neglect it. So wipe it down with a damp cloth every month, clean it thoroughly every 6 months but not with soapy water or a chemical smelling watery cleaner. Leather when wet expands, on drying it shrinks, look at what happens to a chamois leather, the more leather shrinks the more it pulls on the stitching. Use a thick mild gentle cleaner, neat for dirty leather, diluted with a little water for regular cleaning, the best has glycerine added. Next one has to replenish the oils that were originally put in at the tannery, but which brand?
Never use "oils", these will rise to the surface in hot weather, transfering to your clothing. Look at the instructions on the bottles of creams or pastes, if it says "polish off" or "buff up" after several minutes, hours or overnight, avoid them. Why are they telling you to polish it off? Simply because it hasn't soaked in, if it hasn't soaked in, it hasn't done anything, these can also leave a residue on the surface that attracts dirt and dust, they also become sticky in hot weather. Others suggest applying in warm conditions to speed up effectiveness, rubbish, they don't work. Never use equestrian leathercare products on Auto leather or Furniture leather.
Leather, the need to restore.
The main problem with expensive sports and luxury cars is that the first couple of owners are so affluent that they were not bothered about looking after the car's interior, it's only when an enthusiast who has always dreamed of being able to afford his dream car, buys one, he or she wants it to look it's best, to restore parts of the car that have been neglected. The leather is the main area to have lost it's original finish, creases, cracks, colour rubbed off and ingrained dirt. Cleaning and conditioning as above will greatly enhance the appearance, small touch up leather dye kits are available to colour in cracks, creases and scratches, these greatly improve the appearance without the trouble and expense of total recolouring of the interior.
The car needs restoring with lots of general work and it will take months.
Many car enthusiasts buy a car thinking it will be restored within a few months, most are wrong, months change to years and they ALL make the same mistake of leaving the leather until last,
First mistake: Leaving leather in the car. Dust, overspray and damp will attack it.
Second mistake: Taking the leather out and storing it in the loft where one minute it's cold and damp, next warm and dry from heat rising through the ceiling.
Third mistake: Covering it in polythene or just newspapers
What one should do is remove the leather trim from the car and give it a thorough clean and conditioning, conditioning with a conditioner that soaks in immediately without leaving a greasy sticky finish. Never pile it on expecting it to soak in over the following months. Store the leather in a cool dry room, cover it in cotton sheets with newspaper on top, the paper will absorb any dampness, these can be replaced periodically, then when you car is ready to accept the trim it will still be in a servicable condition, rather than dry, brittle and infested with moths.
Recolouring kit/systems, why the traditional way is wrong.
Re-Connollising is a well known system for adding a new layer of colour to leather trim, a system developed by the Connolly Brothers that has for years been the traditional method of "redying" leather trim. The kit consisted of an Ammonia based cleaner, a cellulose based "dye" and a "Hide Food" paste, later kits were water based dye with a sealant.
Lets look at what leather trim is and how it is effected by chemicals, liken it to your own skin.
Ammonia cleaners when applied to your hands strips out all your skins natural oils, your skin turns white, it's dry, stiff and lifeless, then apply cellulose paint, it's now even dryer, now try using the wife's hand cream to repair the damage to your skin, result-nothing, no improvement what so ever!
Next consider the stitching, a cotton and nylon mix [dependant on age], nylon is attacked by spirit based dyes, they melt it and weaken the threads.
So the system was:
1. Clean it with ammonia based cleaner that stripped out all the oils, made the leather shrink and go hard.
2. Spray/paint it with cellulose paint which made the leather even harder and weakened the stitching.
3. Apply "Hide Food" paste which was prevented from softening the leather by the layers of cellulose paint.
Result: After a few months use, the leather cracked again.
Leather Recolouring- The common sense approach.
For best results remove the seats from the vehicle.
Thoroughly clean the leather with a thick soapy solution which contains glycerine [Liquid Leather GT12], using a soft finger nail brush, scrub the leather to remove all the ingrained dirt, wipe off residue, repeat until clean, immediately apply conditioner sparingly, [Liquid Leather GT11] to soften the leather further, the glycerine in the cleaner has already started the process, apply further applications of conditioner until the leather is soft.
Clean again lightly with the original cleaner GT12, wipe off residue and leave to dry, when dry "degreae" the leather all over paying attention to in and around the seams and stitching, creases and cracks.
Apply a water based dye [Scuffmaster] to the leather, the first coat needs to be applied by hard and rubbed into the areas which have the most wear, then when this is dry, rub a further coat all over, this will form a good key for the main coats which can be applied by sponge, brush or mini roller, however nothing can beat sprayng which is the most economical way and gives the best finish.
There is no need to apply conditioner for many months because it is now like new leather which was impregnated with moiusturizing oils at the tannery, they will remain in the leather for many months.This recolouring system will give you a finish that not only looks natural but it will also last for many years.
How to look after leather upholstery.
I will split the world into two halves, North and South. Because heat is the most destructive element temperate and very hot areas need different maintenance procedures.
Northern countries - If the car is used daily. Once a month wipe over the seats with a damp cloth, even unused seats, every three months treat the two front seats with conditioner [GT11], twice a year treat the rear and other leather trim panels, once a year clean with a cleaner [GT12]. During hot summers condition the drivers seat every four weeks. If the car is rarely used, halve these treatment periods.
Southern countries. Treat the leather twice as often as above, In all cases apply the conditioner sparingly, little and often is best. Strong sunlight destroys leather so parking in some form of shade is important although rarely possible without a garage, a set of fabric seat covers always helps but is these are fitted the leather underneath still needs conditioning on a regular basis.