I have a 2005 King (bought 3 months ago) and i dont think the seats have ever been conditions or treated.

i treated them with the KR stuff offered my Ford and it worked ok.

My seats seam to be very faded and i would love the original look back.

Any ideas???

 

Here are some tips on leather care.

First of all, the wonderful leather in the King Ranch edition trucks is an analine-type leather. That means the dye is IN the leather instead of on top. Analine leather has a softer, warmer, more natural look and feel. The downside of analine leather is that it has no protective dye coat on top to run interference with stains and normal wear. Most stains will go INTO analine leather rather than remain on top. Because they have penetrated they are much harder to get out and some will never come out. The good news (if you want to call it that) is, over time they tend to "migrate" on down through the leather and become less noticeable.

The King Ranch leather is NOT the normal automotive leather you find in the average leather auto seat. Most all of those seats are protected leather and they can be successfully cleaned with a variety of over-the-counter leather cleaners. So what you might clean your leather car seats with will not work and might even FURTHER stain your KR seats. King Ranch leather must be cleaned with a leather cleaner specifically formulated for analine leathers. I would not recommend LEXOL cleaner or conditioner for your King Ranch seats. It is great stuff for saddles and finished or protected leather (dye coat on top).

There are some products specifically formulated for cleaning analine leathers. One product that I have used and trust is Leather Master Foam Cleaner. It is available, along with other products at LeatherWorldTech.com - Leather Couch Cleaner : Vinyl Repair Kits : Leather Dye : LeatherWorldTech.com Check each product on the site to see if it is recommended for ANALINE leather before ordering it to use on your seats.

Another good website from which to get information on leather care and products is: Advanced Leather Solutions, Inc. Company Homepage - Leather Care, Repair, and Restoration - ADVLeather.com Their SG-50 product is a good one. But before you use a conditioner/protector product on your seats, I would recommend cleaning to get out all of the spots and stains possible.

If you inquire as to whether a leather cleaner or conditioner is OK for analine leather and you get: A blank look; they say "what kind?"; or a comment such as all leathers are the same; or "Oh yeah, it will work on all leather"; a red flag should go up and you may know more than the person you are talking to. Best to walk away and find someone who understands what you are asking.

Because this is an unprotected leather, it needs more frequent "feeding". If your seats start to feel dry, lighter in color, or rougher to the touch, they likely need conditioning. Again, check the leather care product supplier to make sure the product you are using is OK for analine leather. The two I mentioned earlier are such products. Any leather care product must have the correct pH balance to be healthy for your leather. Reputable leather care product manufacturers are careful to formulate their products correctly.

Stay away from leather "wipes" and Armorall products. They are not good for analine leathers and contain silicone, which really isn't good for any leather. You are not looking for "shine"; you are looking for cleaning and conditioning products that will help your leather last a long time. You paid a premium for your King Ranch Edition truck and the high-dollar leather seats that came with it, so make sure you are getting the right stuff to make them last.

Note: When you use an analine-formulated cleaner on yours seats, it may temporarily darken them, but should dry out to be a normal color. Using a blow dryer (not too hot!) can speed up the drying process.

Getting in and out of your truck (especially with jeans) is like sanding your leather. It also takes the natural oils out of the leather. If the leather appears to be wearing and lighter in color, it may need conditioning.

Skin and body oils, and perspiration will wreak havoc on unprotected leather. NEVER sit on your leather with suntan lotion or other oils on your body. If you are sweaty, do your seats a favor and throw down a towel or other kind of cover over them. Leaning your head back on the headrest will cause absorption of skin and hair oils into the leather and at the very least will cause discoloration. At the worst it will totally change the leather, causing it to break down and split.

It goes without saying that eating in your truck can be hazardous to your seats. Best to carry a towel under the seat or in the back that you can spread over your lap to avoid spills or dribbles on the leather. Otherwise rub some corn starch asap in an oily stain which will help pull up the oil.

After reading this, you may be wondering "Why did I ever think I wanted these seats???". Well, because they are really NICE seats! However they do require more care and maintenance and by their nature are more vulnerable to staining.

 

Benchwrench, that was an impressive, knowledgeable reply to the OP. Thanks for this info, I was looking at a '07 KR to replace my '03, now I am a little more leery.

 

i take the king ranch stuff and just soak the seats! if they are faided then there isnt much that you can do other than keep them up with the conditioner. i got mine that were in almost brand new condition but its slowly faiding and i keep conditioner on them. the KR conditioner is the best stuff out there though. any saddle leather conditioner or soap will work on these seats. after all it is saddle leather