Baron7700

Posts: 1,599

Country:

Thanks: 3

Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts

Dear 171 owners or people with knowledge of detailing.

Now the stuff on the door isnt a vinyl, or even a smooth leather. Im scared to try most traditional leather cleaners cuz i used some maguirs once and the damn little sheet thing just tore up and left flaky wet paper rag pieces all in between the bumps that i had to pick out.

Its been a year and a half, and while its still in great shape, and not dirty to normal standards, i want it sparkling, how do you guys clean it?

And you know what im talking about why its a pain.

MarkR171

Posts: 210

Country:

Thanks: 0

Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

I used the Zaino leather stuff. Z9 Leather Soft and Z10 Leather in a Bottle

-1-

Posts: 2,224

Country:

Thanks: 54

Thanked 57 Times in 41 Posts

Are you looking to clean and shine it up? I wipe it off with a damp cloth. Don't care for any shine.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

----------------1-----------------
--------SLK 55 ///AMG---------
THE MON55TER ON THE BLOCK

etyu

Posts: 5,279

Country:

Thanks: 376

Thanked 277 Times in 168 Posts

I use a damp microfiber cloth for cleaning and an occasional Leather-in-a-bottle (Zaino product).

__________________
Eddy

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Pewter/Beige, PIII package, Airscarf, Hands-Free Communication System, Lighting package
Designo Black Leather Cover on e-brake handle, (
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Bill T), SmartTop v1.0, Kleyman 3BFM (NoRegret Custom), Green Air Filters, Mod. R170 ant., EuroClear sidemarkers w/PIAA PlasmaIon lamps, chromed front & rear turn indicator lamps, PIAA SuperPlasmaGTX front parking lamps, bilateral rear fog lamps enabled.

Baron7700

Posts: 1,599

Country:

Thanks: 3

Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts

not so much shine, just clean it up. I guess ill try a damp microfiber cloth.

Any microfiber cloth will do? Where would i get one? the same as a drying cloth?

alroumi

Posts: 6,271

Country:

Thanks: 288

Thanked 231 Times in 145 Posts

Meguiars gold class leather cleaner for little stuff, every 6 months I take it to a professional detailer for layer coat of swiss di tec leather conditioner, sanitation,
carpet cleaning and so on.

I find meguirs to be highly affective to remove stains and get the leather treated agains harmful u/v rays.

__________________
06 Kleemann Designo Mocha Black SLK55 AMG
06 Porsche Cayenne S
07 Jaguar XKR Coupe'

I use the Torque and keep the HP for my Steak Sauce!

Dolebludger

Posts: 546

Country:

Thanks: 39

Thanked 76 Times in 51 Posts

For what it may be worth, when we took delivery of our new '07 SLK 280 last November, the interior leather and MB Tex did not only look flat in finish, but it looked super-flat. Like dead! Now I don't want a shiny interior, but a finish that flat just attracts dust and dirt. So, I applied 303 Aerospace Protectant liberally with foam applicator to all surfaces, and allowed it to sit overnight before buffing off with a microfiber. Then, on the leather, I applied Meguires leather conditioner to the leather surfaces with a microfiber, and rubbed it in.

Because the interior surfaces on my car were so very FLAT, I had to repeat this treatment about three times before achieving a nice, matte finish. But having done so, there is no problem with dust or dirt on it.

coolboarder

Cleaning aside, leather does get dry over time, I don't know if you want to wait till it gets dry before you apply conditioner. I have all kinds of leather conditioner at home including Lexol, some custom conditioner recommended to my wife by the local Chanel store, Meguiar's as well as Zaino. I don't think any of the leather in my cars are lamb skin so I only use Meguiar's and Zaino for car application. To me they work equally well though have different smells that appeal to different people. It does have a little shine to it but not too bad, I think how shiny it gets may have to do with age and/or color of the leather. On the non-AMG red leather, it actually deepens and enhances the red, on light grey or ash, no difference there.

Not sure about your bad experience with Meguiar's since it is a very good product and MB OEM all car care products from Meguiar's. But I would not use any wet wipe type stuff since they will fall apart.

VitaminT

Posts: 361

Country:

Thanks: 0

Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

I have a small bottle of Zymol cleaner and a bottle of Zymol conditioner but have used the two bottle setup of Lexol as well. At least one of them suggests heating the surface before cleaning I guess to open the pores of the material. They also suggest using a wet/damp microfiber cloth and then apply the cleaner causing it to be a damp, soapy cloth. I really love this method compared to the traditional all in one wipe on wipe off.

Anyway after your all done cleaning, let dry and then just wipe on the conditioner/lotion.

F111F

Posts: 290

Country:

Thanks: 39

Thanked 22 Times in 10 Posts

Is that a water based protectant? The car wash detailers used some water based protectant and it looks good on all the flat surfaces.
I do use leather cleaner on the map holder and arm rests which are leather.

BTW - where is Yukon, OK? Any pics of your S2000?

Dolebludger

Posts: 546

Country:

Thanks: 39

Thanked 76 Times in 51 Posts

Yes, 303 is water based. One of the things the label recommends it for is leather. Its primary purpose is to protect from UV rays from the sun, and to restore UV damage to an extent. As my particular new SLK 280 had been sitting on a lot in S. California for a year before I got it last November, I figured UV drying could be part of the reason for the "dead" look. But 303 can't replace the natural oils that leather naturally loses. For that, you need a good leather conditioner.

Yukon OK is a suburb of Oklahoma City, OK -- the one furthest to the west.

Sorry, but I've never mastered the art of posting pictures on the web.

JOC

Posts: 83

Country:

Thanks: 1

Thanked 2 Times in 1 Post

I know exactly what you're talking about. There are a ton of little ridges in the leater on the door and the steering wheel and dash. I use a piece of tape to get the little particles that i cant get out wiping. Give it a try one time.

Dolebludger

Posts: 546

Country:

Thanks: 39

Thanked 76 Times in 51 Posts

JOC:

That would work, but time consuming. Have you tried cleaning your leather with a good leather cleaner(I have Xymol right now) and a microfiber -- then treating it with something like Meguiar's Gold Class Leather Conditioner? This will make it more difficult for dirt particles to cling in these little areas.

JOC

Posts: 83

Country:

Thanks: 1

Thanked 2 Times in 1 Post

Yeah, i'll give that a try too. I usually use a lint roller on the easier to reach places... and then i'll use smaller tape for the hard to reach locations. I just know it gets into those small creases.

in2dwww

07 SLK55... with ASH/Black interior.

I use LEXOL ph cleaner on all leather surfaces... seats, door inserts, gear knob, steering wheel, etc. Then follow-up with the conditioner. The car looks and smells factory-fresh.

I use a DAMP micro-fiber towel on the black dash... picks up dirt and doesn't leave behind lint. The white door trim gets the same micro-fiber, with a HINT (I'm talking 1 drop) of DAWN dish detergent.

If the ash leather (practically white) ever gets caked-on road grime... I clean with a damp micro-fiber cloth with a hint of Dawn, let dry, then follow-up with the LEXOL treatment.

For the black trim between the back of the seats and the trunk lid, I use a damp micro-fiber cloth with a light spray of 303. 303 is a good product on its own, but I use a damp cloth to control the shine. I'm not a fan of shiny plastic. The 303 does a great job at repelling dust, which is great when I drive with the top down.

For the luggage cover in the trunk, I use a damp micro-fiber cloth and some 303. Since a dirty roof folds into that space, 303 keeps the dust under control.

Dolebludger

Posts: 546

Country:

Thanks: 39

Thanked 76 Times in 51 Posts

One thing I discovered at least is the the interior finish of the leather and MB-Tex on my SLK was way beyond "flat" when I got it new. I would call the look "dead." I know from interior house painting experience that flat surfaces tend to attract and retain dirt more than those with just a little sheen. So I prevented the dirt problem by buffing with leather conditioner until I increased the sheen a little. Now, cleaning the interior is usually a simple wipe-down with a California Duster.