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Interior & ExteriorDiscussions about the interior, and exterior of your vehicle.
This is a discussion thread titled "Scrubbed off color on leather!?", within the Interior & Exterior forum, part of the Technical & Vehicle Assistance Forums category.
I was cleaning my drivers leather seat today, using Lexol leather cleaner, and a nylon bristle brush. The seat was kinda dirty, so i figured i'd scrub it, rinse it, then scrub it again. So I scrubbed it once, when i wiped off the suds, the rag looked dirty. I rinsed it clean, then sprayed some more soap on, scrubbed it again, then wiped it again, and the rag appeared to be dirtier the second time. So i scrubbed it a third time, and wiped it. Then the rag was quite dirty when i wiped the suds. Then it hit me like a bolt of lightning. It was the leather dye coming off on the rag! So i dried the seat, and can see spots where it appears the color has vanished, its kind of turned blackish in some spots. Anyone ever heard of somthing like this?
Also, this is a heads up not to clean your leather too much!
I've got the Oak Leather interior in my '03 and clean it every couple of months with Lexol cleaner (followed up with Lexol conditioner). I've never had any issues with the color coming off from the seats. My problem has been the opposite - color transferring onto the leather. My driver's side seat has some places where you can see some faint blue coloring from my jeans. I have found this to be very difficult to remove.
But for the problem you're having, could it be possible that before you started cleaning the leather with Lexol, you might have had some kind of solvent on your seats? This might explain the color transfer.
I've read that the leather that the Japanese and American manufacturer's use, the color is sprayed on, like paint, and the color only sits on top of the leather. European manufacturer's use leather that has been vat dyed, where the hide is immersed in the dye and the color soaks through all the way. Perhaps a bad spray job??
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I have noticed the same thing happening to my driver's seat and it started a year or so ago when I was working in the construction field and spending most of my day driving from one job site to another. The color from my belt was rubbing off on the leather and nothing I have tried has been successful in removing it. I am afraid to rub too hard for the very reason you experienced in having the color come off. I haven't looked into other alternatives like a professional detail shop, but it seems like there should be some way to restore the original color.
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I have been using Lexol Ph cleaner and conditioner ever since i bought my truck.
Johnny Law, your theory is very possible. sounds reasonable. Spray-Dying would be a very cost-effective alternative to vat-dying. However i like the soft texture of my seats, and would not like them to be replaced with tougher more coarse grained leather. My trucks leather almost matches that of Lexus leather. I think i got a very good set of hides on my truck, compared with others i've seen.
I've conditioned the seats, and the discoloration is'nt very noticable at all, unless you get like 4 inches from the seat. Just thought i'd let everyone know what to watch out for.
Also, dudebert, that blue-jean stain is hard to remove. I don't know how the color transfers so easily, but i know every time i go to the Houston Auto Show, all the cars with light colored leather are stained with bluejean stains because of all the people climbing in and out of the cars.
Jeans will definitely transfer color to the leather. Have this problem in both the Avalon and Sequoia. My CST leather is holding up better than the factory leather does on the Avalon....of course it is Ivory in the Av so it shows everything....what the hell was I thinking when I bought that????
I was cleaning my drivers leather seat today, using Lexol leather cleaner, and a nylon bristle brush. The seat was kinda dirty, so i figured i'd scrub it, rinse it, then scrub it again. So I scrubbed it once, when i wiped off the suds, the rag looked dirty. I rinsed it clean, then sprayed some more soap on, scrubbed it again, then wiped it again, and the rag appeared to be dirtier the second time. So i scrubbed it a third time, and wiped it. Then the rag was quite dirty when i wiped the suds. Then it hit me like a bolt of lightning. It was the leather dye coming off on the rag! So i dried the seat, and can see spots where it appears the color has vanished, its kind of turned blackish in some spots. Anyone ever heard of somthing like this?
Also, this is a heads up not to clean your leather too much!
I had the exact same problem. This past summer, I had noticed the ugly darkish color on my oak leather interior.....specifically, the drivers seat. I assumed it was the color off my dress pants or jeans, as most of it was on the seat edges where I slide in and out of the truck. I scrubbed the heck out of it and then noticed some blackish spots on the seat and console top where it appeared that I had scrubbed the dye off the leather. My first thought was
S*#T!!....that color's gone forever and this is gonna be a constant reminder whenever I clean the interior. Oh well.
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Scrubbed off color on leather!?
Anyone ever heard of somthing like this?
leather dye!
....that color's gone forever and this is gonna be a constant reminder whenever I clean the interior. Oh well.
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