2006 Ford F-150 King Ranch 56,000 original miles – what is best to keep my beautiful cowhides seats looking mint?

I have a 2006 Ford F-150 King Ranch 56,000 original miles, pretty much mint in and out.
What’s the best leather cleaner/conditioner/sealer I can use to keep my beautiful cowhide seats looking mint.
Without killing myself try to apply it, and depleting my bank account?????
I can have a professional detailer do it for me since turning 69 on 8/2/14.
The heat and humidity here in Florida would kill me if I had to do it!!
I saw 1 guy who ruined his King Ranch seats using LEATHERIQUE.
He even posted photos of the poor demolished seats which I do not want to happen to my Black Beauty!!
I want the best of the best and money’s no concern or I not be driving a $58,000 King Ranch, Thanx Tons!!

#1
Attachment 3257


#2
Attachment 3258

>>> I have a 2006 Ford F-150 King Ranch 56,000 original miles, pretty much mint in and out.

It looks like a topcoat is warranted to renew the finishes of scuff, worn or even deteriorating from body oil, grease and sweat.
To have a topcoat, the surface must be free of foreign contamination; otherwise all these blemishes will be shown through.
It is recommended to reach a higher level of “mint” and maintaining from there to be more meaningful, thus soiling contamination has to go. This call for a restorative or corrective cleaning and the main process is to remove body soiling of oil, grease and sweat. Obvious attention is the console and the driver’s seat and may proceed to the overall leathers when topcoat refinishing is the goal to improve the present “mint” condition a few degree higher. Other soiling types may be deal with accordingly after each phase of restorative cleaning including stain remover. Leather rejuvenation below surface is the next phase of process that involves hydrating the leather and replenishing its original fatliquor. Renewal of top coating follows to eliminates the effects of topcoat damages back to near “mint” condition to a degree and Protector-B+ helps reduce sticky soiling and reduce friction rubs. The next cycle of routine or periodic care will be less of an attention simply cleaning, rejuvenating and protecting regiment to maintain its present level of newer “mint”.


>>> What’s the best leather cleaner/conditioner/sealer I can use to keep my beautiful cowhide seats looking mint.
Without killing myself try to apply it, and depleting my bank account?????

Cleaner for restorative cleaning would require a degreasing system with Degreaser-2.2 > Acidifier-2.0.
A deep degreasing system will require the help of Hydrator-3.3 to move suspended soiling from within leather structure to resurface.
General stain remover will require a standard removal system with Prep-4.4 > Clean-3.8 > Rinse-3.0.
Conditioning below surface or Leather rejuvenating to activate the dormant dyestuff below surface to resurface and replenishing its original fatliquor for suppleness and color intensity will need Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3 system.
Sealer or topcoat refinishing requires AnilineTop-83G (gloss) to magnify and amplify its grain color clarity and AnilineTop-83S (satin) to adjust its desired luster level.
Protector-B+ imparts a buttery-feel non-stick, rub-resistant protection to shield against sticky soiling and prolongs the wear to the topcoat.


>>> I can have a professional detailer do it for me since turning 69 on 8/2/14.
The heat and humidity here in Florida would kill me if I had to do it!!
I saw 1 guy who ruined his King Ranch seats using LEATHERIQUE.
He even posted photos of the poor demolished seats, which I do not want to happen to my Black Beauty!!
I want the best of the best and money’s no concern or I not be driving a $58,000 King Ranch, Thanx Tons!!


Here is a copy and paste from my other post regarding the same subject . . .

>>> That's fantastic work, are you familiar with leatherique products?

I know nothing much about this product than already publicly known.

However, to soften leather there are the traditional products from the horse and buggy era that uses only oil such that you mentioned. Since oil has a larger molecule than water, it will require some heat to open up the pores before the oil can penetrate the surface. Such oils simply stuff or fill up the spaces between the leather fibril structure and excess oils are clean up thereafter. Stuffing or filling up the breathing pores retards or obstruct the natural leather transpiration for seating comfort. Another consideration is the potential darkening effect that does not makes a different to the almost dark colored leather of the horse and buggy era for practical reason over the elements, but today’s leather for auto is the interior protected from the weather with more lighter colors coming out each year and aesthetic makes a different. Oils that are stuff in will later leaks out again when temperature rises that open up the pores. This technology is a carried over to this modern era rather than specially design for it.

Today’s advanced technology is based on science and logic and instead of using just pure oils is an ionic negative (-ve) charged emulsion of fat, oil and water. Fatliquor-5.0 technology is a formulation of fat, oil and water that works in conjunction with Hydrator-3.3. Hydrator-3.3 is the pre-conditioner for the Fatliquor-5.0 and one of its multi fold function is to protonate the leather protein fiber ionic more positive (+ve). This pre-conditioner evaluating will determine the outcome of the leather rejuvenating process and if the leather is wetable, relaxable or hydratable the leather will be as soft as you wish when proceed with the replenishing process with Fatliquor-5.0. When the leather surface is pre-conditioned the ionic negative (-ve) charged fat and oil encased within a water molecule is being ionic attracted by the protein fibrils and the water breaks free creating a breathing space as it evaporates off the leather surface. Hydrogen bond between the ionic positive (+ve) and negative (-ve) takes place like a magnetic effect (rather than stuffing or filling the old fashion way) and the fat becomes solidifies and plumps the leather for fullness while the oil lubricates each of the millions of connecting fibers working like hinges allowing them to slide one over the other smoothly without stressing or breaking them for suppleness with softness and strength.

Traditional oil is the only medium for softening leather by stuffing. While modern technology makes use of two extras, the fat that plumps to prevent leather fibrils from collapsing into unwanted creases and the water content evaporates that creates breathing spaces for natural leather transpiration for more seating comfort.

The traditional procedure of creating the interior into a warm atmosphere may have ill influence to modern gadgets and potential mold growth is replaced with new improve process working at room temperature utilizing the surface-active-agent ingredients of the Hydrator-3.3 to do the pre-penetrating work with visual effect to predetermine the potential effectiveness of the on-going leather rejuvenating process. In traditional process the mess is already created in the first instance and whether it will work will still depend on other factors associated with the process based on hope rather than with science and logic.


Here are the pictures of what you have mentioned.

2005 Ford King Ranch Leather Seat, I think I ruined using Leatherique – any advice?

These pictures shows the before and after of out dated treatment – never experience with Hydrator-3.3 > Fatliquor-5.0 > Hydrator-3.3

#1 before
Attachment 3274


#2 after - see products on the console tray!
Attachment 3275


#3 after
Attachment 3276


Roger Koh
Leather Care Consultant
www.LeatherDoctor.com
[email protected]


Product information:


Attachment 3277
Leather Doctor Kit K7.tc – King Ranch Leather Topcoat Refinishing Kit
Leather Doctor® Kit K7.tc, King Ranch leather topcoat refinishing kit is designed for periodic maintenance to bring up appearance to a higher level of acceptance. Leather is subject to friction wearing and becomes evident as accidental scratch; scuff and abrasion to deteriorating from greasy sweat stains. A preventive measure to reduce topcoat wearing is by a routine application of Protector-B+, which imparts a natural buttery-feel and cuts friction noise that translates to less friction wear thus prolongs the wear of the topcoats from sliding in and out of seats. Prior to application of topcoat the leather surface should be free of stains or surface contamination to be sensible otherwise both the beauty of the grain and the beast of the blemishing stains will be magnify or amplify through as well.
Corrective or restorative cleaning is the first process and typically degreasing is the basic as otherwise any greasy surface may be a detrimental to topcoat lasting adhesion. Degreaser-2.2 with a pH of 2.2 takes beyond surface degreasing is also design for deep penetrated body oil, grease and sweat. Its pH value helps stabilize the leather chemistry integrity by protonating the protein fiber ionic more positive (+ve) while degreasing takes place simultaneously. Acidifier-2.0 is the recommended rinse with a pH value of 2.0 acts as a bleeding controller eliminating any rings when the leather dries. Suspended body contamination within the leather structure that still produces a darkening effect may need the help of Hydrator-3.3 to moves the colloid within the inter fibrillary spaces through consecutive wicking process by stretchable paper towel reverse transfer technique. This proven technique allows the soiling particulates to be trapped by the paper towel to be peel off when crispy dry then still remaining on the leather surface. An inspection with Eraser-4 removing any surface wick-up soiling will decide its readiness to proceed with top coating. Other soiling and stains such as blue jean dye, leather belt, plastic ink print, newsprint, ballpoint ink, stamp pad ink, sticky label residue, crayon, chewing gum, silicone shine, permanent marker or accumulated soiling may require the attention of Prep-4.4 to do the lubricating, penetrating and suspending action follows with Clean-3.0 to removes the sticky residue and Rinse-3.0 to rinse to a healthy squeaky clean. Other stain types may need matching solution such as protein stain and tanning stains, etc. Until all stains are taken care of that the renewal of topcoat becomes practical, otherwise camouflaging dyestuff need to come into play.
Sun fading is inevitable or unavoidable due to UV sensitivity of aniline dyestuff, besides the loss of color; heat affects fatliquor by escalating evaporation thus diminishes the intensity of the color appearance as well. However activating the dormant dyestuff within the leather structure to resurface and replenishing of the fatliquor for color intensity as well correct color loss to a degree. The activating of the dormant dyestuff is done with saturating Hydrator-3.3 up to 72 hours with control evaporation using cling wrapper thereafter replenishing of the fatliquor follows with consecutive evaporating cycle until saturate and leave for natural drying for extra softness. Any surface residue is drive-in with Hydrator-3.3 to a healthy squeaky feel, let dry and surface is dry prepared with Eraser-4 prior to top coating.
AnilineTop-83G, gloss is used first to amplify or magnify the color intensity with drying and optional sanding in between coats of roughness to satisfaction prior to adjusting its luster level with AnilineTop-83S satin or a mix between to have a custom gloss. Application is done with lint free towel, foam brush or airbrushing for professional result.
A choice of protector with scentless Protector-D for steering wheel and shift gear with a draggy non-slip grip, while classic leather scented Protector-B+ a non-stick, rub-resistant protector imparts a buttery-feel, reduces noises that translate to less friction wear from sliding in and out of seats or a mix of both for individual preferences.
This kit comes with reduced weight option to save on shipping thus the 250ml concentrate ratio such as Clean-3.8, Rinse-3.0, Acidifier-2.0, Hydrator-3.3 and Fatliquor-5.0 has to be cut or filled up with distilled water prior to use. Note the suffix number denotes the product pH value.

>>> I know one thing Roger; I don’t want my seats butchered like the guy with the 2005 King Ranch!!


If you can follows instruction you will get this same result like what Kevvy55 had done with his 2005 F250 Ford King Ranch leathers.

#1 before
Attachment 3283


#2 after with only gloss topcoat, satin can be used to further adjust to the desired luster level.
Attachment 3284