Do you guys take any special precautions when it comes to taking care of your leather seats? My truck is new and I have no idea whether I should be putting any kind of leather conditioner and/or cleaner on them to prolong their life. The leather on the seats of my expedition lasted a long time, but has started to crack over the last year or so. If there's anything I can do to stop this on my truck I want to do so.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Subscribing....Just got my first truck with leather and don't want to mess them up.

 

It's vinyl coated leather.
Putting any kind of leather treatment on it won't help.

I clean mine with Meguiar's interior detailer.
Anything that works on plastic should be fine.

Ford says mild soap and water.

 

Baby wipes...

 

Vinyl coated? Seriously? Glad I like cloth. Don't eat food in my effing truck, azzhole.

 

Vinyl coated...sorry but no such thing exists. If you have leather seats, only the seating surfaces are leather, the sides and likely the back is a high quality vinyl...the reason is that leather will not provide the durability needed for the sides.

Leather cleaner is an excellent product for maintaining vinyl and the conditioner will help to maintain a PH balance, which can and will degrade vinyl.

With regards to maintenance, this is what I have done for 20+ years (living in both snow, desert & LAX country)...

I have used the following products for 20 years with excellent results.

For general cleaning I use Lexoral Leather Cleaner,
for leather conditioning I use Connolly Hide Food (aka RollsRoyce, Harley, Volvo, Maserati leather conditioner)
With any conditioner, avoid contact with the threads...regardless what anyone might think, when conditioner comes in contact with the threads it's absorbed, attracts dirt and slowly destroys the threads...
Even in desert climates, I used the Connolly Hyde Cream 2 times/annual, to this day the Leather in the 1997 cougar looks great!, with one crack starting on the bead on the drivers side.

 

Do a quick web search.
You will see how wrong you are.

 

Ok I plead guilty! we never called it "Vinyl Coating"......we always just called it by the product name that the upholstery guys would spray....

 

You are forgiven....

 

I wipe mine down with a damp cloth after each wash of the truck to keep them clean. Once or twice a year I wipe a little 303 on them. I have a tan interior on this truck. 76,000 miles & the seats are crack free and clean.

 

so, I've been wasting my time using leather conditioner on the leather seats on here '12?

 

I've used Zano products on leather in the past and it's worked great.

 

Mild soap, warm water and a little interior detailer. Most "stains" should come out with that process. Anything more severe has likely embedded itself into the surface's coating.

 

Not a leather guy, but the cars I've had with the vinyl coated style of leather usually get wiped down with 303 or Meguiar's M40.

 

I use 303 on all my plastic, vinyl, leather & rubber. It's easy to apply & won't fog up your windows in the summer. I detailed cars years ago so things may have changed. At the time we used 303 after we cleaned and conditioned the leather. If the leather was dirty or in bad shape we used Lexol to clean & condition. If it was in good shape we used a damp rag or a damp rag with a little mild soap.

The problem with soaps & cleaners is they leave a film that attracts dirt. It's best to start with a damp rag. If that gets the seat clean wipe on some protectant and your done.