Your seats have a greasy shine
Shiny leather is usually dirty leather — a film of skin oils and residue from care products, not a sign of good care.
Identifying the leather correctly, cleaning it gently, treating it appropriately — instead of blanket greasing something that needs no grease at all.
Leather cleaning starts by determining which material it actually is: nearly all automotive leathers are surface-pigmented smooth leather, less often open-pored aniline leather — and Alcantara is not leather at all, but microfibre. After that we work with a matching cleaner and brush and, depending on the age of the leather, protect it or feed it. Perforated seats are deliberately worked drier.
Shiny leather is usually dirty leather — a film of skin oils and residue from care products, not a sign of good care.
The sill edge and the seat bolster take the entire load. Cleaning early prevents that from turning into colour abrasion.
Fresh dye transfer can as a rule be removed. Dye that has soaked in cannot — at that point it is a case for recolouring, not for cleaning.
5 work steps, in order
A drop of water in an inconspicuous spot is enough: if it soaks in, it is open-pored aniline leather and needs a different approach. If it beads up, it is pigmented smooth leather.
Vacuuming, brushing out seams and perforations. Loose dirt that gets wet only spreads around.
The cleaner goes onto the tool, not onto the leather. It is wiped off in straight passes — rubbing in circles works the loosened dirt back in.
Newer leather needs protection against abrasion and UV, not grease. Older leathers additionally need re-fatting. Better sparingly and regularly than rarely and overdosed.
Shiny patches on matt leather are evened out with a matting protectant, not polished. Polishing makes the spot shinier, not better.
Cleaning is not repair. Cracks, colour abrasion down to the backing material and collapsed bolsters are colour and trim work — for that we refer you on rather than attempting it. The widespread claim that “leather has to be re-fatted” is not true as a blanket statement: with pigmented smooth leather, which is nearly all automotive leather, the colour layer sits on top, and too much grease achieves nothing. Leather care products do not belong on Alcantara at all.
Mild leather cleaning is included from package M onwards, leather care with lotion or wax from package L. It can also be booked separately as an add-on.
Not as a blanket rule. Nearly all automotive leathers are surface-pigmented — the colour layer sits on top, and the grease never reaches the place where it would have to work. In the first years, protection against abrasion and UV is the right thing. Re-fatting only comes into play with older leathers. Too much and too rarely is worse than a little and regularly.
Fresh dye transfer on pigmented leather as a rule yes. If the dye has soaked in over months, water-based cleaners no longer reach it — then recolouring is what remains. After the visual inspection we tell you which of the two cases you are in.
Yes, but differently. Alcantara is microfibre, not leather. Leather cleaners and leather care products do not belong on it — they mat the pile together. Let us know when booking if your vehicle has Alcantara.
For the common leather coatings the manufacturers speak of a few months up to around a year, depending on use and seating position. The driver's seat needs attention again sooner than the rear bench. Anyone promising you a leather coating that lasts for years is promising too much.
We work exclusively at our site on Sternmatt 9 in Kriens near Lucerne. You bring your vehicle at the agreed time and collect it once the work is done. We do not offer a mobile on-site service.
Sternmatt 9, 6010 Kriens
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