SEL Leather Cleaner/Conditioner?

Hello, everyone!

Looked everywhere on the forums and cannot find similar threads for the NMS Passat. Was searching for a good cleaner for my SEL leather. The beige interior is getting a little dirty.

Was looking for leather cleaners on Amazon, some that get great reviews (e.g.: Meguiar's and Lexol) have some 1- to 2-star reviews stating that leather gets ruined on some vehicles. I am getting afraid of buying a leather cleaner and have my leather seats ruined. Have any of you tried any specific products for you NSM Passat SEL (leather + Dinamica inserts) with good results? Any recommendations? Specifically for leather cleaners and conditioners, or 2-in-1 options.

Also, any good luck with Dinamica cleaners? Dinamica is still clean-loking in the car, the leather on the seats is what attracts most dirt for me. But if you can throw a good Dinamica cleaning recommendations, I would be very thankful. Any help would be appreciated!

According to many professional detailers, the best automotive leather care products are made by a company called Leatherique:
http://www.detailedimage.com/Leatherique-M8/

However, no matter what product you are using, the most important aspect is using the right technique. I recommend having a look at the following tutorials:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Bd_IqK5ydU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0EOb2nEWtk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhXD_B-x_q0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aavC8M-JwbQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtkDG6pNkI4

I have used leatherique on 3 different car interiors, but all full leather (no dinamica like on the SEL). Not sure what it does on dinamica.

I will say it is AMAZING how well it works on leather. I picked up a complete jetta tan leather interior from a breakers yard, and it was filthy, engrained dirt (but no tears).
Applied leatherique oil, covered in black plastic bags and let it cook in the sun for a day. Pulled the bags off and used cloths to wipe all the dirt off. I also found that a Mr.Clean eraser (that white block thing) helped pull every bit of dirt off. I was concerned it would affect the tan dye, but it was great. 2 years later it still looks like new.

So 5 stars for the product, I would email them and ask about dinamica, I want to know the answer myself for my SEL !

Here is their response:

Thank you for the email, I would be happy to help answer your question. Dinamica is actually a form of microfiber, so I would not recommend using the Leatherique products on this area. I would only use a cleaner like the 303 Spot Remover to spot treat stains and use as little as possible. Brush that area to work the cleaner in lightly and it will also help move some of the moisture. Leave the doors open afterward letting air circulate so the moisture evaporates more readily. You can then protect it with the 303 Fabric Guard to help avoid any future stains, soiling, etc.


For the leather, I would recommend the Leatherique products as they are truly great products. When cleaning simply cover up the Dinamica with a clean towel or sheet. This way you will protect the Dinamica from coming in contact with the Leatherique products. I would also highly recommend taking a look at this article on our AAP Blog: http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/leatherique-leather-care-how-to/. This article will help walk you through using the Leatherique products, allowing you to get the most out of your cleaning.


If you have any other questions, concerns, or simply need recommendations please do not hesitate to ask. Take care!

I've always used Lexal on all of my cars with no problems.

I'm a Lexol guy as well. Cheap, accessible, and I've always had good luck. I've heard leatherique is good when you get a car that's never been cared for and you want the best restoration you can get.

Lexol on all my leather here. I've been using it for a very long time.

The Dinamica is plastic. Your cheapest and best bet will be to use an 20:1 mixture of water and Woolite HE (the laundry soap version) in a spray bottle as a interior cleaner (8 parts water, 1 part non HE Woolite). You can use it on leather, vinyl, carpet, fabric, etc. Spray, scrub with a small brush with nylon bristles as needed, wipe up and wet vac as needed.

As for the leather, your favorite interior leather cleaner, Lexol is great. I would use the Lexol after a first cleaning with the Woolite.

Optimum Protectant Plus is also fantastic, and can be used on all interior surfaces.

Plastic? Dinamica is microfiber which is usually polyester. Any fabric/carpet cleaner works fine on it.

Any leather cleaner and conditioner is fine for the leather part. Actually, Aerospace 303 is probably better with its UV protection.

APT said:

Plastic? Dinamica is microfiber which is usually polyester.

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Dinamica and Alcantra are suede-like microfibers composed of polyester and polyurethane. Which guess what, is plastic.

Depending on the PET used, it may or may not be the same material as, but Dinamica is most definitely in the same family of materials used to make water/soda bottles.

pparks1 said:

I've always used Lexal on all of my cars with no problems.

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I am the same way. I use a lot of the Lexol products especially the Vinyalex. It works well for all the plastic and vinyl parts in my SE.