Leather cleaning & leather care

Leather cleaning

Swissvax Leather Cleaner is a highly effective yet gentle leather cleaner that contains biodegradable active ingredients and is enriched with glycerine. Its effective but gentle pH-neutral formula allows regular cleaning of all leather areas in your car without attacking or jeopardising the leather, as is the danger when using conventional solvent-based leather cleaners. These accelerate leather ageing due to the solvents and may even remove colour. Swissvax Leather Cleaner is used before leather care and sealing and, in combination with the Swissvax cleaning brush, is a perfect solution for leather cleaning. Swissvax Leather Cleaner Forte is a stronger formulation of Leather Cleaner with increased cleaning performance and is recommended for heavy or older soiling, either for spot treatment or for cleaning the entire leather upholstery. Its cleaning performance is immediately visible, especially on light-coloured leathers

Application LEATHER CLEANER / FORTE

1. Shake the bottle before use.
2. Spray Leather Cleaner onto the Swissvax cleaning brush and work in in a circular motion.
3. Wipe with a soft Micro-Wash microfibre cloth (yellow) or white cotton cloth in one direction only. Do not rub!
4. Allow the leather to dry completely and then treat with Leather Milk.

IMPORTANT: Do not use Leather Cleaner on buffalo or suede leather.

Leather care

Swissvax Leather Milk is an easy-to-use, efficient and effective emulsifier-based care product for all smooth leathers.

Leather Milk has been enriched with vitamin E, glycerine and UV filters to optimise and maintain the natural moisture balance of the leather. After thoroughly cleaning the leather with Leather Cleaner (Standard or Forte), Leather Milk is applied evenly using a Swissvax cotton applicator (white) and is absorbed within one to two hours after application. It leaves no residue on clothing. Laborious polishing is not necessary. Repeat the process every six months.

Application LEATHER MILK

1. Clean leather with Leather Cleaner to remove dirt and old deposits.
2. Shake the bottle before use.
3. Apply Leather Milk evenly with a dry cotton cloth or Swissvax cotton applicator (white).
4. Allow to soak in.

IMPORTANT Do not use Leather Milk on buffalo or suede leather.

Leather sealant

Swissvax Leather Glaze leather sealant ensures that new leather stays new. Dries to a colourless and glossless finish within minutes. Treatment with Leather Glaze significantly reduces abrasion and wear marks on the leather, as the colourless protective layer greatly reduces the friction value. The leather on the driver's seat, steering wheel and gear knob in particular is subject to heavy wear. These exposed areas will soon show the first signs of wear, even in new cars. These areas should therefore be protected with Leather Glaze as soon as possible. It is also ideal for protecting light-coloured leather from jeans discolouration. Although they also occur over time, they can be easily removed with Leather Cleaner and do not leave any permanent damage as is usually the case.

Application LEATHER GLAZE

1. Clean leather with Swissvax Leather Cleaner. Degrease greasy and stressed surfaces with leather benzine (or cleaning benzine).
2. After cleaning or tinting, apply a thin layer of Swissvax Leather Glaze carefully from seam to seam using a sponge.
3. Repeat the process if necessary.
4. Discolouration of clothing is still possible, but can be removed more easily as it adheres to the sealant and not to the leather.
5. Treat with Swissvax Leather Milk the next day.

Matt or glossy?

Intensively used leather surfaces in the interior, such as the steering wheel, armrest or gear knob, inevitably start to shine over time. This difference in gloss can spoil the overall impression of a car.

Leather Gloss Corrector Matt is an innovative gloss corrector for pigmented smooth leather. It is simply applied to the cleaned leather with a sponge and restores a matt appearance.

Leather Gloss Corrector Glossy, on the other hand, is the functional counterpart and gives a shinier appearance (e.g. if a piece of leather has had to be replaced).

Application GLOSS CORRECTOR

1. Clean leather surfaces well. Degrease greasy and stressed surfaces with cleaning petrol.
2. Shake the Gloss Corrector bottle well.
3. Apply Gloss Corrector with a sponge in a circular motion (avoid streaks) or dab on if more thickness is required. Each additional application intensifies the effect. Allow to dry in between.

Re-tint leather yourself

Some parts of the leather interior such as driver's seats, seat bolsters, door sills, steering wheels and gear knobs are naturally subject to increased wear and tear and therefore often inevitably show signs of use, even in well-maintained vehicles. In most cases, these are only relatively harmless signs of wear, such as worn colour or scratches, which can be easily corrected and repaired with the right tinting, but still spoil the overall appearance of the interior.

Swissvax Leather Healer is a leather tint for refreshing the colour of leathers, which is simply applied with a sponge, fixes itself and does not stain (no cream). It is very fine and highly pigmented, which is why it has a highly opaque effect without leaving a thick layer of tint, as is unfortunately often the case with sprayed-on leather colours. By applying Leather Healer, the colour of the leather is perfectly and evenly refreshed without losing the unique look and feel of leather. After applying Leather Healer, you can continue to care for the leather as usual with the perfectly harmonised Swissvax products.

Leather Healer is available in 46 standard colours or can be mixed individually for you. Contact us to find the right colour for your application or send us a small leather sample for exact colour determination.

Application LEATHER HEALER

1. First check the product for changes in a concealed area.
2. Clean leather with Swissvax Leather Cleaner. Degrease greasy and stressed surfaces with white spirit (or cleaning spirit).
3. Shake Swissvax Leather Healer bottle well.
4. Apply Swissvax Leather Healer with a sponge in a circular motion (avoid streaks) or dab on if a thicker layer is required. Repeat the process several times. Allow to dry in between.
5. Treat with Swissvax Leather Milk the next day.

Protect against water droplets

Leather fittings in convertibles, driver's and passenger seat side bolsters - in short, all smooth leather that needs to be protected from water droplets should be regularly protected with Elephant. In contrast to animal fats, tran oil or cheap neatsfoot oil, Elephant / Leather Wax does not turn brown in the sun, does not oxidise and, above all, does not provide a breeding ground for mould. It is not for nothing that Elephant is used today in leading museums for leather care.

Application ELEPHANT LEATHER WAX

1. Clean the leather with Swissvax Leather Cleaner.
2. Massage the leather grease sparingly (!) into the leather with a cloth.
3. If possible, treat both sides of very old leather.
4. Repeat the application regularly.

IMPORTANT Do not use Elephant on buffalo or suede leather.

Treating hardened leather

There are two reasons why leather hardens. One is ageing and drying out. The leather becomes stiffer and stiffer over time due to a lack of care. There is a lack of movement and regreasing. Another reason can be ‘gluing’. This is what leather experts call the shrinkage of the leather due to heat. The vegetable-tanned hides used in vehicles in the past hardened and shrank at a temperature of 70°C and above. The less a leather is re-greased through care, the lower the temperature at which shrinkage begins.

The hardening can be reversed somewhat, but shrunken leather remains shrunk. This is not good news, especially for dashboards that are difficult to remove. However, such shrunken leather should still be treated with Leather Softener to protect the leather from degradation and make it more resistant. Hardened leather should be moistened as much as possible with Leather Softener. For leathers with a very smooth and closed surface, treat with our leather sanding pad beforehand to achieve better absorption of the softener. The softener is a purely synthetic oil and does not degrade like animal oils, which oxidise after a short time.

Application LEATHER SOFTENER

1. Clean smooth leather with Swissvax Leather Cleaner.
2. If necessary, carefully sand the surface with a leather sanding pad.
3. Apply Swissvax Leather Softener with a sponge or cloth. Leave the leather to rest for one to two days. Several thin coats are gentler than one heavily soaking coat, so repeat the process if necessary.