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Thread: Has Meguiars APC ruined my leather?

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2023
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    Default Has Meguiars APC ruined my leather?

    Hi all,

    Unfortunately, I cleaned my vehicle's interior with Meguiars All Purpose Cleaner D101. The product says it is safe to use on all surfaces including leather. I diluted it to around 10:1 or 8:1, then used some mechanical scrubbing to clean the leather, and followed up with Duragloss Leather Conditioner. I now understand that almost all modern leather in automotive applications is coated and that the leather conditioner with mink oils etc are pointless.

    Meguiars product claims:
    "Ideal for reconditioning all interior surfaces. The superior foaming action gently lifts the dirt away while its unique blend of fabric softeners and optical brighteners enhance the look and feel of carpet, upholstery and even leather." and "Meguiar's® D101 Detailer All Purpose Cleaner is a versatile cleaner for both exterior and interior surfaces. Its superior foaming action gently lifts the dirt away from carpet, upholstery, vinyl and even leather. Ideal for reconditioning most interior surfaces Active foaming action lifts dirt Fabric softeners enhance luxurious results."

    My leather has "brightened", faded and looks terrible since using the Meguiars APC. I also did a dye transfer test this morning using some liquid and a yellow microfibre cloth and have dye transfer onto the cloth and my hand (see pictures attached). I'm unsure whether there is any way to restore these, short of having them recoloured and coated or just getting them retrimmed in aftermarket leather and starting over.

    I've read some of Roger's information and have been in touch with him and I understand the use of a pH 2.0 acidifier may stop the bleeding, but even still, I don't know that the depth of colour or lustre could ever be restored to my seats :-(

    I also live in Australia and so getting a hold of these products is both difficult and expensive. I'm wondering whether you might have any suggestions or advice?

    here is the SDS for Meguiars APC D101 (pH of 13 :-|):

    https://www.meguiars.com/sites/defau...D101%20SDS.pdf

    I also contacted Meguiars about the fact they recommend this cleaner to be safe on leather and although I questioned that due to my experience and the pH level of the product, this was their response:

    We have now received a response from Meguiar’s Inc Senior Global Product and Training Specialist regarding your pH questions.

    "Hi Peter,

    Many thanks for your ongoing understanding regarding this matter. We have now received a response from Meguiar’s Inc Senior Global Product and Training Specialist regarding your pH questions.

    pH is the measure of hydrogen ions attached to water molecules in an aqueous solution. In short - you can only measure the pH of a water based solution. Not solvent based solutions and not solids. Hence, our solvent based products do not show a pH value on their supporting SDS documentation. And so leather and vinyl do not have a measurable pH as they are obviously not pH solutions.

    pH alone is not a full indicator of how “dangerous” or how “powerful” any product is. The use of D101 APC on a variety of interior surfaces is very common, with only the rarest of issues, mostly from user error. We would never recommend using D108 Super Degreaser on these same interior surfaces (especially leather) even though both have a pH of 13. It’s the rest of the ingredients that make these very different products. Further, G95, Hot Rims Wheel & Tire Cleaner also has a pH of 13, but is yet again a vastly different type of product, one that nobody would ever consider using on any interior surface. So in reality, pH is almost a meaningless reason to consider avoiding, or using any product."


    I have attached some images of the seats below, they have a leather conditioner applied to them which did seem to make some temporary change to the finish, but wears off quickly when sitting on them, which you can see by the difference between the passenger and drivers side (opposite to you here in Australia). P.s I did not use the Leatherique Rejuvenating product on the floor.

    I also cleaned my plastic trims and vinyl which the APC also made them dull, brighten and leave some white residue, but since this is a leather specific forum, I'll concentrate on that issue first :-)

    Many many thanks for your valuable insights and information.

    Warmest regards
    Peter

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    Last edited by petehatz; 01-09-2023 at 03:32 PM.

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