The best leather cleaner
Written by: Vinnie van Rooij
It is often asked on detailing fora and social media: “what is the best leather cleaner”. Off course there is a difference between certain products and brands, but it is important to know what you are asking. In this guide I will try to explain what the problem is with this question unless it is asked more in-depth.
Contents
The general problem
When somebody asks what the best shampoo is, they are not letting other people know what they mean with “best”. A shampoo is developed with several characteristics in mind. It has to be slick, good soluble in water, good cleaning properties, wax/sealant-safe and several more. These properties can be very different between products and/or brands. In the question “What is the best shampoo”, it is nowhere specified if that person is looking for a shampoo that is very slick, if it just smells nice or if it is the least protection-affecting.
So it is almost impossible to give an answer.
What to keep in mind when you ask the question
Many detailers are searching for a certain product that offers good quality. This could mean that they are looking for a cheap product, one that smells good, etc. Before you ask the question which product is the best it is important to know what you are looking for. Are you looking for a wax that offers mainly gloss? Or is easy to buff off? Or one that offers as much gloss?
It is important to know what you are looking for, and to know that there will be cases in which 2 properties can not be combined. A shampoo that is really awesome at washing away stubborn grease can not be wax safe. Simply because you need a certain harshness to remove the grease, harshness that is more then the wax can handle. Even sealants are likely to be affected by this.
A list of things to consider
Here is a list of properties you might consider including in your question. These can be your own preferences, or just things you find important. This list is simply made to help you find out what you exactly want to ask, so you will get better answers that suit your search.
Leather cleaner
- Price
- Size of bottle
- Removes protection
- Removes ink and or jean-stains
- Safe to use with dyed leather
- Adds smell
- Feeds leather
A pre-wax cleaner is a product that helps to prepare the surface for a layer of wax, the effects the product can have can differ from just preparation by cleaning, to filling swirls (like a glaze) and leaving an oily residue for added gloss....-
Angelwax is an Scotland based manufacturer of automotive detailing products. They offer a range of different products, from wax to shampoo. Angelwax is only one of a few manufacturers from Scotland....
-
Clearkote is an American manufacturer of car care products that keeps a strong focus on the core selection of products, aiming development into current products....
-
It is often asked on detailing fora and social media: "what is the best fabric protector or convertible roof protector". Off course there is a difference between certain products and brands, but it is important to know what you are asking. In this guide I will try to explain what the problem is with this question unless it is asked more in-depth....
-
Underbody cleaning is the act of cleaning the underside of the car to remove any dirt and restore the looks as when the car was new. This is a tedious and labor intensive job, but good cleaning products and tools can help to make it easier....
-
Steam cleaning is the act of using evaporated and heated water to clean a surface. Steam has to benefit that it interacts with oils and grease without the need for an emusifier. This means it can clean dirt and grease without soap. Which leaves less residue. Steam cleaning can be used on the outside of a car as well as on the interior....
Links to this article
There are no external links to this article. Yet.