Best Leather Cleaner/feed?

Ghisallo

RMS Regular
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5,581
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Castle Anthrax
In advance of applying Gyeon Leather Shield, I did a bit of a leather cleaner test this evening, 60 mins start to finish.

The seats weren’t too bad to start with hence the speed of the process the driver’s being the most to benefit from a clean. The seats and seams were brushed free of debris and then vacuumed. Each passenger seat was cleaned using one of the four cleaners. The drivers seat was then cleaned using all of the cleaners in sequence in the order of worst to best performer from the individual tests.

4B3AAB2F-624C-4409-917C-8047F22F5FBD.jpeg

In 4th place and by far the least effective was Gliptone Gentle Cleaner. This was also the most expensive cleaner. Very watery. Can’t overstate how useless this was.

In 3rd place - Mr Leather, a popular US product which I bought in TK Maxx, was second last. Creamy stuff. Not bad overall for the price (£3.99 paid though about $11 in the US).

2nd place - Turtle Wax Ice Interior Cleaner. There seems to be no surface this creamy stuff isn’t magic on.

1st place - Stardrops Leather Cleaner. Super effective. Has a watery consistency but a lovely coconutty smell. Cleaned ground in dirt that others couldn’t, especially from creased/cracking sections. Cheapest product also, £2 I think it was from Home Bargains.

Summary: (1) expensive doesn’t to mean best; (2) writing questionable reviews is more tedious than I thought.
 

DJMCA

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1,259
I use the Stardrops Leather Clean & Feed, have done for ages. For the money its a great job, smells clean and does leave the leather cleaner and softer.
 

neil-c

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1,584
Appreciate the post @Ghisallo - I was just about to go out and buy some leather cleaner. I had gliptone leather cleaner but can't find the bottles now - always thought it was ok but nothing impressive. It was the only product I had used on leather previously as it has so many good reviews online.
 

Ghisallo

RMS Regular
Messages
5,581
Location
Castle Anthrax
Appreciate the post @Ghisallo - I was just about to go out and buy some leather cleaner. I had gliptone leather cleaner but can't find the bottles now - always thought it was ok but nothing impressive. It was the only product I had used on leather previously as it has so many good reviews online.

The Gliptone I have is ‘Gentle Cleaner’, perhaps they do a stronger more effective one. Though it’s hard to look past Stardrops at the price, even to use as a first pass. All Stardrops household cleaning products are great in my experience, though I’ve only noticed their leather cleaner in the last month.
 

neil-c

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1,584
I had the gentle leather cleaner and the intensive leather cleaner from Gliptone and wasnt that impressed with either. The leather I was using it on did have quite a hard surface, it possibly had a waterproof coating applied to it as it was on a boat, so that probably effected the results. I have a car interior to do this week so will try to pick some it and give it a whirl.
 

-Pete-

RMS Regular
Messages
4,067
did you have dye transfer from the leather to your cloth when you were using them? wouldnt want to use it on black leather and be left with grey leather.
 

rupertfinch

RMS Regular
Messages
3,297
Location
Bangor
I have a little overspray and some bird etchings on black leather seats which were left uncovered for a while in storage. Thought that a lengthy session with auto glym leather cleaner had helped more thank it actually did.
Anyone know of any decent gentle dyes?
 

Walder

RMS Regular
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3,224
Location
infinity and beyond !
I use the Stardrops Leather Clean & Feed, have done for ages. For the money its a great job, smells clean and does leave the leather cleaner and softer.

Where are you getting the stardrops leather cleaner. I called into home bargains Ballymoney with no luck.
 

neil-c

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Messages
1,584
Yea I also called into Home Bargains in Lisburn and they didn't have it either. They maybe don't have it in stock at the moment.
 

suckindiesel

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3,626
Location
Lisburn
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A6 Allroad
I had the gentle leather cleaner and the intensive leather cleaner from Gliptone and wasnt that impressed with either. The leather I was using it on did have quite a hard surface, it possibly had a waterproof coating applied to it as it was on a boat, so that probably effected the results. I have a car interior to do this week so will try to pick some it and give it a whirl.

Wouldn’t be leather in the boat, would be vinyl.
Have Gliptone there too...not sure the cleaner is up to much, the conditioner smells nice!
 

Walder

RMS Regular
Messages
3,224
Location
infinity and beyond !
Two bottles picked up this morning.

I have it a quick go over the sofa, great smell helps hide the abuse of the dog and farts. Leaves it looking cleaner but it is a matt / dull finish but it looks clean is the main thing. If I get time tonight I might give the seats a go over a d report back.
 

neil-c

RMS Regular
Messages
1,584
Yes I was about to pull the trigger on Dodo Juice after reading Roy's thread but think I'll swing by Homebase and give Stardrops a whirl first. I'm glad to hear it leaves a matt finish or else id buy the dodo juice.
 

atb239

RMS Member
Messages
2
Dodo Juice Supernatural is by far the best I've used.

I've used ones from Gliptone, Gtechniq, Gyeon, Autoglym and LTT Leathercare but no match for this. The Auto Express awards aren't worth the paper they are printed on but this and Bilt Hamber products are real exceptions.
 
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