Maybe I did misunderstand, and I apologize for that. As far as LMN is concerned, I'm not vouching it's the best product on earth. In fact, I've never used it. But i LOVE the leather masters trio, and it works very well and is by far the best leather products I've used; so I'd expect nothing less from Nubuck.

So if you routinely clean the paint, does it not need to be protected? It can still fade due to UV rays, etc, which is why you protect things in the first place. To lengthen the life of the surface. Even if it doesn't SHOW wear, doesn't mean it's not happening. Which is why I believe you should protect everything possible on a car. Just to be sure. It never hurts, after all .

 

this makes sense... if routine cleaning alcantara is to make sure the oils do not sit on the material and soak in, wouldnt a layer of protectant on the alcantara help prevent the oils from soaking in? sort of like sealants/waxes on the paint, it helps protect the paint.

just trying to make sense of things to upkeep my interior

 

That's exactly right. I'm sure you can get away with never protecting alcantara, but why? Why take the chances of it fading or getting ruined because one (not saying you, of course) didn't want to take the extra step and protect it? There is no harm in protecting the alcantara, but there COULD be harm in not protecting it. I think the decision should be pretty clear on what whether or not to protect the alcantara, but it's ultimately up to you

 

Unlike alcantara, the paint is exposed to much harsher elements. I still don't understand what type of protection these products claim to have on something that doesn't get damaged if cleaned routinly. Alcantara is man-made, so unlike leather, it doesn't need much, if any, protection. It's a durable material all its own and claiming to protect it with a product is what's puzzleing to me. I guess I'm trying to distinguish between marketing and actual truth.

All I know is that for over ten years, all we've ever recommended and have done on our clients' cars is to clean them with Autoglym Interior Cleaner. I really would like a good explanation on why protective products like the one you're mentioning are needed for Alcantara. Visiting Alcantara's site simply suggests cleaning of the material, not a mention of protecting it with a product. http://www.alcantara.com/en_US/exper...rdinaria.shtml

In my research, I also saw that on Wikipedia, Alcantara may also be named UltraSuede. Visiting UltraSuede website, again no mention of a protecting product to be used http://www.ultrasuede.com/about/care/index.html

Just an FYI. As I mentioned, no products are really needed to protect a fabric that isn't engineered to be protected, simply cleaned.

 

How do I apply those conditioner on the leather?
using?

 

Makes sense . I'll continue to protect it just 'cause it won't hurt, and for the peace of mind. Good to hear another opinion though! Different strokes, I suppose!

 

With a microfiber applicator pad.

 

Depends on the conditioner. Some manufacturers recommend foam, microfiber, cotton, etc. Some also recommend by bare hand. Let us know which brand you have. In my experience, bare hand and foam has been the best way.

 

Moe is hitting on a point here, but I will expand. There are many types of fabric protectors. Mostly they are the same base with different delivery systems. If the wrong protector is used on x type of fiber it can alter the color, texture, durability, and feel. Understanding what you have in a fiber is far more important than protecting it.

Onto the reason for protecting US/alaclantara. It is a fiber, it has dye sites, it has scratches that will accept dye, dirt, soils, oils, and grime. That sacrificial layer of protector will allow you to clean it to the level it was cleaned before with much less effort, and with much less aggressive cleaners. Is it a perfect system, no, it is a stop gap just like our favorite waxes and sealants.

Onto anythony's woolite/water mix. I can not tell you how many times I have been over this. Woolite is bad for carpets, uphostry fabric, and for leather. The variety of the things it contains will damage those types of fiber over time.

 

We've tested Woolite and Autoglym Interior Cleaner. The results are night and day. Woolite doesn't truly deep clean carpets, leather, vinyl, etc. There's a reason why products are made for automotive use.

 

I don't think that it's the harshness of woolite rather its ability to truly clean. Even after cleaning a panel with woolite, further cleaning with Autoglym Interior Cleaner yielded the dirt that woolite failed to remove. Also, unless you go over the woolite again with a damp towel, you risk leaving the detergent behind which can further attract dirt and grime. You should give Autoglym Interior Cleaner a try if you haven't done so already.

 

Sounds like this autoglym stuff is worth a shot and I may have to pick some up! Thanks for the replies, etc. No hard feelings, yeah? Just like I said before, different strokes .

Where can I pick some up?

 

was just looking at moe's site, looks like they carry the autoglym cleaner!