Black Dakota Leather

[jchastn]

What is the best way to care for Black Dakota leather? I recently bought an 06 330i, Mystic Blue with Black leather interior. I have never had dark leather before in a BMW. My x5 is Sand colored leather, and my 325ci has light grey. I have never been very happy with the products I have used to care for the other cars, and was wondering what other owners are using, especially on black. :alrightLOVE this car, BTW

[Leatherpro]

Keep your leather clean by protecting it with a leather protector and then regular cleaning.
Leather does not require 'conditioning' with anything other than water.
Adding 'conditioners' which generally contain oils and waxes will change the appearance of your leather over time as dirt will build up on the surface and cause a sheen.

Using the correct care methods and products will not alter the factory finish.

Your type of leather is 'coated' leather. This is essentially a 'painted' leather with a clear coat finish over the top. The leather may or may not be dyed through with aniline dyes prior to the finish coating.

Essentially it is this top coating that needs looking after. Cleaning is vitally important as the top coat will wear away if allowed to become dirty. Dirt on the surface will aslo become ground into the finish by constant abrassion.

'Conditioners', balms, feeds etc (traditionally oil and wax based) cannot penetrate this finish so are not worth applying - they can also leave behind residues on the finish which will only attract more dirt if allowed to remain.

A protector will make the finish easier to clean and also inhibit dye transfer etc on pale coloured leathers.

Leather however finished has to remain breathable and it will allow the movement of moisture back and forth (transpiration) so the use of water based cleaners and protectors will keep the leather correctly hydrated which is essentail to keeping it in good condition.

The routine for correct care should be
Protect from new
Maintain with a regular clean or maintenance product
Deep clean with a foam cleaner once or twice a year

This will prolong the life of the finish on the leather

Hope this helps

Judyb
Leather Care, Repair and Restoration consultants
IICRC (LCT)
NCCA
AMU

[TOGWT]

Hello JudyB,

When I first stared reading this post my initial thoughts were " wow someone on the forums knows what they are talking about with leather" Then realised from the signiture it was you (I should have guessed, but it only my first cup of coffee)

This lady knows what she's talking about, if you want to know how to take care of 'leather upholstery, pay attention :)

[Leatherpro]

Thanks TOGWT

[salcoco]

"'Conditioners', balms, feeds etc (traditionally oil and wax based) cannot penetrate this finish so are not worth applying - they can also leave behind residues on the finish which will only attract more dirt if allowed to remain."


I suspect that the dealer may have recently used conditioner on my leather seats. What do you recommend that I use to clean the seats to remove any potential residue that may be left behind from the conditioner?

Generally speaking, I've learned from reading your recommendations that I should apply a foam cleaner and a leather protectant product. Do you recommend anything different, or in addition to these to products, given that I may need to remove this residue from my seats?

Thanks! Excellent information.

[DetailDan]

Leather Masters or LLT Solutions.