[mrow1997]

Hey guys,
I just bought my first Accord. It is an Accord Coupe EXL. This is the first car that I have ever owned with leather and I have seen many cars own by friends and family have leather that wound up getting cracks and tears all over the place. I don't want to see this happen with this car, as I intend on having upwards of 200k on it by the time I get something else.
I was wondering what you guys use to maintain your leather in your EXL Hondas and what would be best for me to use.
Also, another question I have for you guys, is the leather in the 8th ten Accord coated?

Thank you guys for your time.
mrow1997
'12 Accord Cpe EXL I4

 

[glen e]

If you search , you'll get about 10 answers here, all good ones...

 

[Accord_2003_ EX]

Easy, woolite diluted with distilled water 10:1. Scrub where needed with horsehair or similar brush. Wipe entire surface well with wet microfiber to remove woolite. Do not leave the woolite on the leather. Make sure to wipe it down well.

Once dry, use 303 Aerospace protector. Make sure to buff the 303 off the seats and do not allow to dry without buffing. No need for fancy leather cleaners as our seats, ARE NOT LEATHER. They are vinyl coated leather. They have no pores to breath. Don't buy into the Lexol hype. My two cents. If you disagree, please do so civilly.

 

[user320]

Congrats on your new Honda. Hope you enjoy it for years to come.

 

[RacerRik]

What is the difference between 30313 and 30350? And which is best for leather seats / car interiors?

 

[RTexasF]

30350 is the "heavy duty" formula if you will.

"No other "protectant" beautifies as intensely, protects as powerfully or lasts as long"

 

[Accord_2003_ EX]

Honestly though, if you live in a warm climate, Florida for example, you're better off throwing seat covers on them if you want them to stay good forever. They will crack no matter how you treat them, unless you never park in direct sunlight. Be vigilant about using a quality sunshade if you live in warm climate and it will prolong your "leather".

 

[WDMaccord]

woolite, rinseless wash, any good water-based leather cleaner. Wipe down with filtered/distilled water after cleaning to remove any remaining cleaner residue. Finish with 303 or some other UV protectant (again, make sure it is water-based). Apply liberally and then dry buff after 5 minutes or so (It does not matter if it dries or not...you are just removing any "high spots" and reducing any shine left behind to a nice matte to satin finish). I have always done it this way and never had any un-evenness by letting it dry before I dry buff it.

 

[Shogun36]

Any kind of leather conditioner would be fine. With leather, you need to figure that at one point in time, it was a cow's skin, so you should treat it as such. It will lose moisture over time and will need something that returns that moisture to it.
Usually, when leather cracks, its because it has lost its moisture.
At some point, seat covers may be your only option because eventually the leather will break down because, again, it was once part of a living thing and all living things break down over time after they die but using a conditioner on a somewhat regular basis will help to prolong that.
I personally love leather seats but Im just like you, I tend to keep a car until it has 200K on it, so Im not a big fan of leather. My brother has a Ford truck with leather seats that he's had for about 15 years and only really conditioned the seats once or twice and it really shows. His seats are cracked soooo bad.

 

[RacerRik]

30350 is the "heavy duty" formula if you will.

So, do you guys use/recommend the regular 30313 or the heavy duty 30350?

 

[RTexasF]

Any kind of leather conditioner would be fine. With leather, you need to figure that at one point in time, it was a cow's skin, so you should treat it as such. It will lose moisture over time and will need something that returns that moisture to it.
Usually, when leather cracks, its because it has lost its moisture.
At some point, seat covers may be your only option because eventually the leather will break down because, again, it was once part of a living thing and all living things break down over time after they die but using a conditioner on a somewhat regular basis will help to prolong that.
I personally love leather seats but Im just like you, I tend to keep a car until it has 200K on it, so Im not a big fan of leather. My brother has a Ford truck with leather seats that he's had for about 15 years and only really conditioned the seats once or twice and it really shows. His seats are cracked soooo bad.

Leather conditioner on plastic coated leather is totally useless. It never touches the leather BECAUSE IT'S COVERED IN PLASTIC!!!! Your advice is dead wrong in this instance. On true leather seats it is an absolute necessity but not a Honda.

So, do you guys use/recommend the regular 30313 or the heavy duty 30350?

Either one will work just fine. Set a schedule and use either on on a regular basis.

 

[taylorjm]

I know some detail shops around here use scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner and a sponge to get the really deep down dirt. Then for maintenance or light cleaning, use pledge dusting spray. The orange is good. It helps to condition the leather and keep it soft.

 

[WDMaccord]

I know some detail shops around here use scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner and a sponge to get the really deep down dirt. Then for maintenance or light cleaning, use pledge dusting spray. The orange is good. It helps to condition the leather and keep it soft.

I really hope you aren't being serious. :headbash:

 

[taylorjm]

I really hope you aren't being serious. :headbash:

Nope, sorry. If you want to keep using the top dollar expensive stuff, by all means. I've been using scrubbing bubbles and pledge on my tahoe for 13 years, my envoy for 8 years and the accord for 5 years. No cracks and always as soft (and clean) as new.

Oh, and by the way, in case you are one of those people that insists on only using products made for leather on your leather seats, check the label on a can of pledge. It says it's recommended for leather.

 

[taylorjm]

Here is a link to a company that makes automotive leather replacement seat covers. Very nice products and well known for quality videos and advice for trucks and tahoes. Using scrubbing bubbles to clean leather seats.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5SgTBhNnaw

 

[RTexasF]

Nope, sorry. If you want to keep using the top dollar expensive stuff, by all means. I've been using scrubbing bubbles and pledge on my tahoe for 13 years, my envoy for 8 years and the accord for 5 years. No cracks and always as soft (and clean) as new.

Oh, and by the way, in case you are one of those people that insists on only using products made for leather on your leather seats, check the label on a can of pledge. It says it's recommended for leather.

Well whoda thought? Learn something new every day. Is scrubbing bubbles recommended for coated or uncoated leather? I couldn't listen to the audio. Same with Pledge, real leather or plastic coated? Seems like it would be mighty slick on coated leather.

At least your seats are 99.9% germ free!

 

[taylorjm]

Well whoda thought? Learn something new every day. Is scrubbing bubbles recommended for coated or uncoated leather? I couldn't listen to the audio. Same with Pledge, real leather or plastic coated? Seems like it would be mighty slick on coated leather.

At least your seats are 99.9% germ free!

I doubt scrubbing bubbles has leather listed on the label as recommended. Pledge is recommended for leather and plastic, so I think you are covered. Hey, I have kids, so being germ free is a big deal !!

 

[WDMaccord]

Nope, sorry. If you want to keep using the top dollar expensive stuff, by all means. I've been using scrubbing bubbles and pledge on my tahoe for 13 years, my envoy for 8 years and the accord for 5 years. No cracks and always as soft (and clean) as new.

Oh, and by the way, in case you are one of those people that insists on only using products made for leather on your leather seats, check the label on a can of pledge. It says it's recommended for leather.

Considering my leather cleaner is $0.09 per ounce, I'll stick with that.