17k miles - Carbonstructure Bolster wear - before & after leatherique - normal use

[JoeFromPA]

Hi all,

My m3 is now 1 year old and has just about 17k miles on it. I'm a ~195 pound 5'10" male and I like to drive close to the steering wheel with my short stubby legs

I consider my use "normal" - I try to get in gently, but I often rub the bolster and don't use my hand to protect it. I do occasionally move my seatback when getting out, which obviously lessens this significantly.

I've conditioned my leather 2x in the last year - lexol both times. The last time was like ~4-5 months ago, before the summer, so my leather was in need of some moisture.

I did a leatherique treatment on saturday in my garage (not outside). I left the leatherique moisturizer on for 24 hours exactly so that my photos could capture the exact same amount of ambient lighting. Lighting conditions were identical before and after.

Here's the before shots WITHOUT AND WITH flash to show wear but also how light does impact the look of the leather.





Some dryness and early creasing, but definitely no real abrasion or cracking. This is definitely my highest wear area in the whole car.

Now here's the obligatory "this is what it looks like soaking in leatherique" shots:





Note that with leatherique on it, the wear didn't show up. This indicates to me it's a moisture & stretching issue.

Now the final shots: These were taken 15 minutes after removing all leatherique moisturizer with leatherique "pristine clean" cleaner. So it's totally dry but freshly treated here.

Again, these are exact same lighting conditions as the first photos.






...

Sharing this for several reasons:

1. To show how the bolster is holding up under truly normal wear in a carbonstructure interior.

2. To show how the leather responds to good treatment as minor wear starts to set in.

3. To give another shout out to leatherique as a treatment option. I will definitely use it 1-2x per year and on carbonstructure a single set of bottles should last me like 5-6 years easily, if not longer.

Let me know what you think!

Joe

P.s. The leather is really breaking in nicely now overall in the interior. Getting softer with age, use, and leather treatment.

[saxon]

thanks for sharing, exactly what leatherique product are you using?

[STooK]

Looks awesome! I really need to condition my leather..which leatherique did you buy, or is there only 1 type?

[JoeFromPA]

The main leatherique product is their traditional conditioner and cleaner. Leatherique is a very different type of leather treatment though. You put the conditioner on first and leave it on for awhile, ideally with warm or hot leather to soak it in. 8-24 hours is normal, though less can be done too.

Dirt and contaminants float to the surface and then you use their cleaner to remove excess conditioner and dirt.

It's like $50 or $80 for the two products. Use them 1x a year and they'll last years. Use a quick wipe with regular leather conditioner every few months and you are good to go. If you don't have regular leather conditioner you can use hair conditioner from your shower and a paper towel if need be and it'll do a good job. Just wipe with a damp cloth after

[997usa]

Looks great - i ordered a set.

http://www.leatherique.com/pay-pal-store.html

[muhri]

Brilliant! Please share more info, i need to do this for my Cayenne - exact wear!

[Falafel Combo]

If it didn't sound so gay, I might have bought it.


I kid, I kid. But still not buying it.


Cars looks great! Here's to many healthy miles to come!

[drexplode]

Originally Posted by JoeFromPA

The main leatherique product is their traditional conditioner and cleaner. Leatherique is a very different type of leather treatment though. You put the conditioner on first and leave it on for awhile, ideally with warm or hot leather to soak it in. 8-24 hours is normal, though less can be done too.

Dirt and contaminants float to the surface and then you use their cleaner to remove excess conditioner and dirt.

It's like $50 or $80 for the two products. Use them 1x a year and they'll last years. Use a quick wipe with regular leather conditioner every few months and you are good to go. If you don't have regular leather conditioner you can use hair conditioner from your shower and a paper towel if need be and it'll do a good job. Just wipe with a damp cloth after

thanks for sharing Joe - what type of applicator do you use for both products? MF towel or something else?

[Needsdecaf]

Leatherique is the bomb. I suggest that you find someone local and buy a set and split it, because really, unless you have a vintage car, one set of bottles lasts forever.

It is something to use at most twice, if not once, per year. It is a heavy duty, deep penetrating treatment designed to moisturize the leather and bring out ground in dirt and impurities to the surface. I used this on my 535 with Nappa leather and also my V70R with similar type leather and the leather looked fantastic even though they were light and saw lots of use.

[BD SM3RF]

Excellent write-up. I have the product and plan to break it out and use on my 2011 135i. Your results look great!

[JoeFromPA]

Apply with your hands. Seriously.

Remove with a MF towel and a little bit of cleaner.

I disagree in that my e39 m5 with full leather interior would have lasted 3x applications.

[drexplode]

Originally Posted by JoeFromPA

Apply with your hands. Seriously.

Remove with a MF towel and a little bit of cleaner.

I disagree in that my e39 m5 with full leather interior would have lasted 3x applications.

Thanks Joe. Have you used on your ///M steering wheel as well?

[JoeFromPA]

Yes, I need to clean it better as it's still sticky. The leather seems rejuvenated but I'll write more once I wipe it down better

[RocketBoots]

Leatherique is great stuff.

Man that side bolster is such a high wear/tear area. And I believe with the carbon structure, the leather is more tough/durable. I have SO leather, and the stitching is beginning to wear slightly. I've cleaned/conditioned it about 2 or 3 times with Leather Master's products, but I have my bottles of Leatherique waiting for their turn

[nicknaz]

Joe, thanks for posting this up!

I noticed some early signs of creases in the exact spot in my 6mo / 8000 miles F80 (also with cloth interior) and was starting to think about which product to use to recondition it.

Great results in your pics and I am going to give those leatherique products a go as well

[castilla]

Are there any color differences with other side of the seat?Did you apply the treatment both sides or only one side?

[Motorat]

Thanks for the before and after shots. I bought leatherique but haven't been motivated to use it yet. Until now!

[Stevens21234]

Does this method work with the full leather seats too?

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by Stevens21234

Does this method work with the full leather seats too?

Yup.

[Stevens21234]

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

Yup.

I just bought a set. So cheap..use leather30 on autogeek site for 30% discount

[curvehound]

Slightly changing the subject...

what, if anything, have people been using to clean and/or protect the cloth part of the seats? My cloth F80 arrives in about a month and I want to be prepared.

[drexplode]

stupid question: any concerns with mixing products? Use Leatherique for deep cleaning especially warmer days and Adam's for in between (non warm days)?