Art Leather Seat Covers

s3va · 28th April 2010, 17:22

LionX, No worries. The whole point was to understand the endurance of the mechanism that holds the art leather cover directly onto the Foam. But your below message provides reassurance and I think I shouldnt worry too much. So I am going the fabric removal way !

Quote:

Originally Posted by LionX

Even after an year its still holding good.

Latheesh · 28th April 2010, 19:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by shajufx

By any chance do you remove the new covers once a while to see the original stock cover ?

Not now, but I will remove the existing cover and drive around with stock cover for few days before installing new covers next time.

Beige looks great but maintaining it is very tough.

shajufx · 29th April 2010, 11:42

Latheesh, any colour is easy to maintain, if you dont give a damn to what others think or feel about your interior, as I do.

(is it not the truth ?)

Infact stock fabric is enough for anyone, but when it gets dirty or darker, then you should put a cover, be it a 3k road-side material or a 30k leather, the satisfaction is only in your brain. What do others benefit even if you are driving around a 50k worth used Maruti 800 or a 2 crore bentley ??

I used to think I should put the best Nappa leather available in the market on my fiesta few months back ! But coming to think about it, why to blow up that kind of money for my own happiness or satisfaction when I hardly spent 2 hours in the car whole week and nobody who travels with me recognizes whats is road-side stuff and Nappa ! If I was in Hong Kong, I would have opted that to be part of the crowd there, because people are very brand/quality conscious.

So end of the day, its your priority and budget that matters more than anything else. I wrote this much, because I saw some posts many pages back by someone teasing a low cost seat installation. If my priorities in life are different, I would prefer to put a 1000 rupee seat cover in my car ? So what ? Its my hard-earned money, I would spend it the way according to my budget and plan, not to forget my real financial situation and make everyone say "WOW, fantastic seats, what a work !!!"

Latheesh · 29th April 2010, 13:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by shajufx

So end of the day, its your priority and budget that matters more than anything else. I wrote this much, because I saw some posts many pages back by someone teasing a low cost seat installation.

+1 to that, the person who used to tease the low cost seat covers seems to have disappeared from this thread

.

Off topic: Maint. beige interior is tough, god helps if you are driving with windows rolled down. I paid 1000+tax to 3M guys to get my interior cleaned and I stopped driving window rolled down after this. But as you said it does not matter if it is not important to you or you dont giv a damn what others think/say

. But in your case its going to be easy with the new covers, artleather can be easily cleaned/maintained with a normal soap water/solution itself.

shajufx · 29th April 2010, 14:00

True latheesh, art leather is easy to maintain, you need only that soap water spray (collin or whatever) or that glass cleaner. I rarely drive around with the glasses down as I am allergic to dust. Driving glass down with the fabric seats (as that of the fiesta stock), it will become black and dirty within a day. My stock fabric was some kind of velvet looking material on the edges, it absorbs dust even from the neighboring country. Fiesta sports version has a lovely black fabric which is of a higher quality, and I think it can remain for a long time as fresh as its from the showroom.

rjstyles69 · 29th April 2010, 14:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Latheesh

artleather can be easily cleaned/maintained with a normal soap water/solution itself.

Normal Soap Water uuhhhh ... and who told you this mate ? Do this for a few months and you will see the outcome.

LionX · 29th April 2010, 14:27

I agree to the point that art leather is easy to maintain. Just wipe it with wet cloth and make it a habit to clean them at least once in a month. I clean my covers once in 2 weeks along with the car and yes I wash the car myself.

Latheesh · 29th April 2010, 15:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

Normal Soap Water uuhhhh ... and who told you this mate ? Do this for a few months and you will see the outcome.

Nope, nothing happens. But dont wash the seat

just dip a cotton in the solution and wipe it once a month/fortnight. Let me know if I am chemically wrong

.

rjstyles69 · 29th April 2010, 15:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Latheesh

Nope, nothing happens. But dont wash the seat

just dip a cotton in the solution and wipe it once a month/fortnight. Let me know if I am chemically wrong

.

Dont ever use washing soap on leather, atleast from my experience. My couch at home was ruined just because of this practice by my maid. She very religiously used to clean the couch with so called SOAP WATER(Surf) . After a year or so, the soap solution had done its damage to the couch and my pockets. Spent close to 40k getting the leather redone

What is recommended is to use saddle soap which is seldom found here. You always have options from Armor-all/3M and other manufacturers who provide leather cleaning solutions.

The best way is to use a moisturizing soap like DOVE. Yes you read it right DOVE, try it works wonders. Soak a piece of cloth with the solution and then wipe the seat gently. After this wipe the seat clean and then use Armor-all/3M solutions for getting that shine.

Latheesh · 29th April 2010, 15:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

Dont ever use washing soap on leather, atleast from my experience. My couch at home was ruined just because of this practice by my maid. She very religiously used to clean the couch with so called SOAP WATER(Surf) . After a year or so, the soap solution had done its damage to the couch and my pockets. Spent close to 40k getting the leather redone

What is recommended is to use saddle soap which is seldom found here. You always have options from Armor-all/3M and other manufacturers who provide leather cleaning solutions.

The best way is to use a moisturizing soap like DOVE. Yes you read it right DOVE, try it works wonders. Soak a piece of cloth with the solution and then wipe the seat gently. After this wipe the seat clean and then use Armor-all/3M solutions for getting that shine.

Surf on leather couch!! on leather I found Mr.Leather do the job for us!! what we are discussing here is the so called ART leather (!!) isnt it?

Dove!!!

we are in the same boat, we use one of these (Dove/JJ BS/Ponds FW) and it works for us. I should have specified this in my previous post.

shajufx · 29th April 2010, 16:06

Riju even the glass cleaners that come in a spray bottle is not that harsh like surf water. Its a mild solution with very less damaging contents in it. Offcourse brand to brand it might be different. If it forms a lot of froth while cleaning, you know it has higher soap contents.

I dont give the luxury of DOVE to my own body, spare the seats ! I hope the art leather has less sensitivity than our body skin.

s3va · 29th April 2010, 17:30

Man my wife should see this where a discussion is goin on where the cars are being treated to spa lifestyles- DOVE soap, massage(wax), pedicure(cleaning tyres/wheels) and so forth ...

raj_5004 · 29th April 2010, 17:56

like shaju, even my G Sport dealer told me to use colin. but i am not going to use them. till now, i was cleaned them with plain water. very soon, i will be buying leather cleaning sprays from 3M or ArmorAll.

rjstyles69 · 29th April 2010, 19:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by s3va

Man my wife should see this where a discussion is goin on where the cars are being treated to spa lifestyles- DOVE soap, massage(wax), pedicure(cleaning tyres/wheels) and so forth ...

Well you prolly should check this post from crazydiablo.I am attaching an image from that thread

Thats what he has for his Baleno.Now tell me if treating seat covers with DOVE was expensive

.

shajufx · 29th April 2010, 19:54

OMG, Riju, if I faint and fall, you will be responsible !!

I dont have even 10% of cans or bottles in my wardrobe for my own body ! Looks little too much. My in-law who owned a BMW 7 series and a Skoda had just 2 cans, one was colin spray and other was clinic shampoo for a weekly car wash.

29th April 2010, 11:42	#528
shajufx Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: BLR & Singapore Posts: 1,808 Thanked: 832 Times View My Garage	Latheesh, any colour is easy to maintain, if you dont give a damn to what others think or feel about your interior, as I do. (is it not the truth ?) Infact stock fabric is enough for anyone, but when it gets dirty or darker, then you should put a cover, be it a 3k road-side material or a 30k leather, the satisfaction is only in your brain. What do others benefit even if you are driving around a 50k worth used Maruti 800 or a 2 crore bentley ?? I used to think I should put the best Nappa leather available in the market on my fiesta few months back ! But coming to think about it, why to blow up that kind of money for my own happiness or satisfaction when I hardly spent 2 hours in the car whole week and nobody who travels with me recognizes whats is road-side stuff and Nappa ! If I was in Hong Kong, I would have opted that to be part of the crowd there, because people are very brand/quality conscious. So end of the day, its your priority and budget that matters more than anything else. I wrote this much, because I saw some posts many pages back by someone teasing a low cost seat installation. If my priorities in life are different, I would prefer to put a 1000 rupee seat cover in my car ? So what ? Its my hard-earned money, I would spend it the way according to my budget and plan, not to forget my real financial situation and make everyone say "WOW, fantastic seats, what a work !!!"
	() Thanks

29th April 2010, 14:00	#530
shajufx Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: BLR & Singapore Posts: 1,808 Thanked: 832 Times View My Garage	True latheesh, art leather is easy to maintain, you need only that soap water spray (collin or whatever) or that glass cleaner. I rarely drive around with the glasses down as I am allergic to dust. Driving glass down with the fabric seats (as that of the fiesta stock), it will become black and dirty within a day. My stock fabric was some kind of velvet looking material on the edges, it absorbs dust even from the neighboring country. Fiesta sports version has a lovely black fabric which is of a higher quality, and I think it can remain for a long time as fresh as its from the showroom.
	() Thanks

29th April 2010, 14:27	#532
LionX BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Cochin / Bangalore Posts: 721 Thanked: 1,090 Times	I agree to the point that art leather is easy to maintain. Just wipe it with wet cloth and make it a habit to clean them at least once in a month. I clean my covers once in 2 weeks along with the car and yes I wash the car myself. Last edited by LionX : 29th April 2010 at 14:28. Reason: Removed the quote
	() Thanks

29th April 2010, 16:06	#536
shajufx Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: BLR & Singapore Posts: 1,808 Thanked: 832 Times View My Garage	Riju even the glass cleaners that come in a spray bottle is not that harsh like surf water. Its a mild solution with very less damaging contents in it. Offcourse brand to brand it might be different. If it forms a lot of froth while cleaning, you know it has higher soap contents. I dont give the luxury of DOVE to my own body, spare the seats ! I hope the art leather has less sensitivity than our body skin.
	() Thanks

29th April 2010, 17:30	#537
s3va BHPian Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Dubai Posts: 646 Thanked: 7 Times View My Garage	Man my wife should see this where a discussion is goin on where the cars are being treated to spa lifestyles- DOVE soap, massage(wax), pedicure(cleaning tyres/wheels) and so forth ...
	() Thanks

29th April 2010, 17:56	#538
raj_5004 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Dubai/Mumbai Posts: 5,239 Thanked: 3,143 Times	like shaju, even my G Sport dealer told me to use colin. but i am not going to use them. till now, i was cleaned them with plain water. very soon, i will be buying leather cleaning sprays from 3M or ArmorAll.
	() Thanks

29th April 2010, 19:54	#540
shajufx Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: BLR & Singapore Posts: 1,808 Thanked: 832 Times View My Garage	OMG, Riju, if I faint and fall, you will be responsible !! I dont have even 10% of cans or bottles in my wardrobe for my own body ! Looks little too much. My in-law who owned a BMW 7 series and a Skoda had just 2 cans, one was colin spray and other was clinic shampoo for a weekly car wash.
	() Thanks