One of the most highly regarded leather treatment products is Lexol (http://goo.gl/YEbhU9). Lexol is a longtime favorite of auto detailers and restorers.
Lexol contains no chemical solvents. It’s odorless and non-greasy. Lexol makes a leather cleaning product (Lexol pH Leather Cleaner) and a Leather Conditioner (http://goo.gl/f64xT2).
First up is the leather cleaner.
Lexol cleaner has the consistency of thickened liquid soap, so a pourable bottle makes sense. To use the cleaner, simply pour a bit onto a sponge or cotton cloth and rub into the leather. The cleaner will generate bubbles (not unlike soap) that supposedly help with the gentle cleaning process.
In my experience, I found the leather cleaner to be a little too mild for my tastes. It’s so gentle on the leather, it’s probably better suited for ongoing maintenance of a vehicle, rather than restoration.
In other words, I wouldn’t expect Lexol cleaner to revive old discolored leather that’s too far gone.
Lexol Leather Conditioner claims to restore the oils used in the tanning process, and therefore extend the life of leather. It “feeds leather,” helping to keep it soft and supple.
Lexol Leather Conditioner has a runny consistency. Application is simple enough (pour and rub) but it’s so runny that a spray bottle makes more sense. My next bottle will be of the spray variety.
I use Lexol Conditioner on the leather in our Ford F250 tow vehicle. It does exactly what you’d expect, conditioning the leather in a subtle non-greasy fashion.
We tend to keep vehicles for a long service life; therefore a little preventative maintenance in the form of Lexol Leather Conditioner makes good sense. I’ve found that one bottle lasts a long while.
While I’m not crazy about the Lexol cleaner, I do like the conditioner. I think a Spray Bottle of Leather Conditioner is the way to go.
Lexol makes a small leather care kit that offers an inexpensive way to try both products. Perhaps your own results with the cleaning product will surpass mine.
As noted above, Lexol is one of many popular leather detailing products. We’ll be reporting on some others soon.