BMW Leather Care Kit Review n Pics

[Greenkirby21]

Hi <!



First, I would like to say thanks to Dan @ unitedbmwonline.com. I received two of these bottles!

Short backstory: My car has 30,000 miles now. I got it used(demo) with 5k miles on the clock. I have never cleaned the seats or anything before. Interior is savanna beige. Car is out in the sun everyday, and I have no tint : (. Very bad for my car especially in this 100+ Texas weather.

Also, I apologize for low quality pics. All I have is my iPhone 4, and then it started turn dark. I will probably go take more pictures tomorrow in sunlight.



I ended up using about 1/3 of the bottle for my ENTIRE car. So, that being said, you can get about 3 interior cleans with 1 bottle. It makes sense because it comes with 3 sponges, 3 paper towels, and 1 bottle. I used a clear glove so I wouldn't get dirty.

Instructions:
Clean seat with cloth to get rid of any dirt or particles.
Put lotion on sponge
Clean seat in circular motion
Remove excess with paper towel



1. Drivers seat

The drivers seat is the worst one in condition. I am thin(150 lbs) 6ft. I drive my car everyday, and the bottom cushion has scratches especially from the buttons on my jeans. The side bolster is also dirty from going in and out of the car. Not sure why, but the top side bolster is SUPER scratched. I think when I got the car it was scratched, but I never made a big deal. Also, I think my backpack scratches up against it : <.

So, I guess I will just go through pics and show you what I did.

For the drivers seat, I cleaned it twice. The first time I did it I was afraid I was using too much, but then I figured out that you really have to scrub it to get it in there. So, I redid the drivers seat after cleaning it out once.

Driver Side Bolster Before


After #1:


After #1:
No more jean/black marks. All clean


Top Side Bolster Before
really scratched : (



some marks from clothing i guess


After #1.
A lot better, but still some marks and black mark on top





[u]After #2:[u] A lot better



However, you can really tell with flash + nighttime how bad my situation is. No matter how much I clean it, it will be bad : <. During the day, looks fine and after clean #2 almost gone. However, still there as seen by



However, the black is almost all gone


Seat after both(Dark : <)


Side Panel

Like everything else, side panels were already super clean since nobody touches them. Doing it just made it a bit more glossy and better feel. I doubt u can tell any difference from photos :\

Side Panel Before


Side Panel After



Back Seats
As stated earlier, nobody rides in the back seat of my car. I think its been a total of 10 or less times someone has sat back in there, and its mostly when we go out to eat with friends.

Back Seats Before


Back Seats After


Last but not least,

Passenger Seat
Passenger seat was similar to drivers seat, but nowhere near as bad. Just some discoloration in the side bolster and front pull thingy.

Passenger Seat Before




After:




Also, sorry I forgot to include a before pic, but here is after of the damage done by my jeans back pocket button. It is much cleaned up, although still there : <



Conclusion



In conclusion, I highly recommend this. I am very impressed at what it has done for a car that has never been cleaned on the inside for 30k miles. While I do baby the inside of my car(no food, drinks, mess, etc), it is used daily and has gone through its daily runs.

While this is only the first time, if I start cleaning monthly or much more often, I really think it will improve. I was not expecting any miracles, just improvement which is what it gave me !.

[sonicbimmer19]

caring for BMW leather seats is a must. If you look at BM's that are more than 10 years old, their seats are destroyed.
Great work *thumbs up*

[TOGWT]

Finished Leather

There is a great deal of conflicting information on leather care being put out by leather experts themselves who use baffling pseudo scientific techno speak as another marketing ploy, which makes it difficult to find a definitive, unbiased answer. Here is one definitive truth –you are dealing with the leathers finish, not the hide itself.

The use of oils, replacement of fat liquor, oil-based conditioning, proteins or the adjustment of pH levels is totally unnecessary; the surface is a urethane that contains pigmentation (colour) it neither needs or benefits from any of the above

1. Clean - there are two cleaning-related factors that can cause your leather to wear prematurely. The first is dirt, and the second is oil, combined they become very abrasive, as dirt / grit and subsequent friction cause the finish to wear

2. Hydrate – when leather tanner’s talk about conditioning leather they are referring to its moisture content, re-hydration is used to restore or maintain fluid balance (transpiration and evaporation of moisture); not the replenishment or replacement of the fat liquoring, oils and / or waxes.

3. Protect - is essential as it will protect the surface finish, without hindering transpiration, while acting as a sacrificial layer; this way you are not actually cleaning the Leather's original surface, but cleaning from the surface of the protection. It also makes dirt easier to clean off

“Leather Articles Hyperlinks” http://www.autopia.org/forum/autopia...yperlinks.html

[Uptempo80]

Nice results. I have that kit but haven't had the chance to use it yet as my front seats are covered in lt grey sheepskin covers. I have the BMW kit and plan to use it on my rear seats for the annual BMW CCA concours I'll be attending 8-25.

I use Armour All leather care gel as a routine touch-up on my seats every 3 weeks or so. With a light grey seats and with my car being a convertible...I need a quick maintenance product. Works great for my needs as a routine light cleaning/conditioning.
(Armour All is laughed at by everyone, I am aware of that 100%. It works fine used regularly. That is all.)

[froop]

I actually cleaned my interior for the first time over the weekend since I bought the car new 3 years ago.

My interior is black so markings tend not to show up as much but the leather did appear somewhat a bit dry and hard, especially on the driver's side.

I had a leather cleaning foam which I used first and then I used the lotion. After using the lotion, I did notice that the leather had a nice supple feel to it which had been missing.

I think I'm going to try and treat the driver and passenger seats a couple more times over the coming months to see whether I can improve it any more.

[Dave2o2]

If your leather is badly damadged leder fresh from colorlouck works great, it i available in all colors and is good matching(see ebay). I've done my Terra boston leather with that.