I have the BMW leather conditioning kit. My seats are fine but I'd like to know how often I should condition them and if there are any tricks to it other than following the directions on the package.
I do not use BMW's, I use Zymol's leather care products. I usually do my seats twice a year, however that is on a convertible that I drive only during the spring and summer!
It depends... What part of the country do you live in? How many miles do you drive in a year? Short trips, long trips? Do you park it outdoors, day, or night, or both? Do you have tinted windows?
I live in Maryland. I drive roughly 8500miles a year. My longest typical trip is 15miles. I park exclusively outdoors both day and night. I do not have tinted windows.
Sunlight can dry out leather. Short trips mean you are getting in and out of your car a lot which will add to the wear of the driver seat, especially on the left side. It depends on how much effort you want to put into it. You probably don't have to clean the leather every time you condition it, depending on how dirty it gets but I would probably condition the leather 4 times per year with those circumstances. I clean and condition my leather three times per year. My car is parked in a garage, or shade most of the time, day and night. My previous car was an E46 and after 7 years the leather still looked great. I use Lexol products. Good Luck.
Out cars sit outside year round and get a Zymol treatment in the spring and fall. I do move lots of things in and out of the rear seats, so they get a good cleaning more often.
Hi. I also live in Maryland and used to keep one car with leather seats outdoors. Maryland is much easier on car leather than, say, Arizona and other desert climates. After an initial good cleaning (with Zymol leather cleaner, for example), followed by a generous application of leather conditioner, your leather should be OK in Maryland for at least a year if you keep it clean and if it is not exposed to a lot of sun (mine was in a shaded driveway). If the Sun bears down on your leather where you park, then you should apply leather conditioner more frequently, especially to the affected area. Start with an application every couple to three months in the summer to early fall - that should do it. One of the best indicators is how the leather feels to the touch. Sun-parched leather feels dry and rough to the touch - put conditioner on any area that feels that way. You can apply it generously - leather will soak up conditioner till it's "satisfied". It will then reward you with softness and long life.
I would recommend using the Leatherique Prestine Clean and Rejuvenator Oil. They offer really deep cleaning and conditioning power and help restore the leather to like new. You can find instructions for how to best use them on this Detailing Guide. And the products are on sale! Zymol products are also very good. I'm not thrilled with my results with Lexol on auto leather.
Why does everyone recommennd "status brand" products? I have used Lexol for years with outstanding results. I do my interior every three months and use Lemon Pledge on the non-leather parts. Try it, you will like it.
Lexol can leave leather sticky if you do not wipe the treated leather with a clean cotton towel 15 to 30 minutes after applying. Using too much can also leave the leather sticky.
Leather treatments I'm sure folks get tired of hearing me go on and on about Griot's products but they are excellent! I particularly like the Leather Conditioner because it leaves a clear non-sticky finish and the smell is intoxicating! My teenage son always comments about how great my 330 interior smells (no he's not driving it!)
+3 for Lexol products. I use the Lexol Neatsfoot oil on my seats. But all my BMWs are older so they need the extra conditioning.
I agree on Lexol. I've used it for a long time (25+ years) and have always been pleased with the results. Years ago when I sold one of our E32s, the seats still looked and felt practically like new after 160k miles. However, I also have Zaino and Leatherique products. I don't care for the Zaino stuff as it doesn't seem to condition the leather nearly as well as Lexol in addition to smelling artificial (subjective comments I know). Leatherique is interesting and does a good job. Just using Pristine Clean to lightly clean and condition the leather (when it doesn't need the full treatment) works well as it seems to be like a diluted Lexol Conditioner solution to me. It works great to clean non-leather interior surfaces too by the way.
I have been informed that Lexol is not good for the Nappa Leather seats. I've only used the Griott's garage products and my seats still look new.
