Greetings all. I was given this product combo consisting of Chemical Guys Leather Cleaner and Chemical Guys Pure Leather Conditioner to write a review on and after some testing I have prepared a review. Please note that some photos were enhanced to show better detail, those photos will be marked as enhanced. Previously I used the CG Leather Cleaner on a different vehicle with excellent results but failed to document the use. For this review the leather cleaner was up against very, very lightly soiled leather in our 2011 Buick Regal and will not be the focus of attention. Notes and final thoughts to follow at the end.
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Products: Chemical Guys Leather Cleaner, Chemical Guys Pure Leather Conditioner
Package Size: 16oz. bottles with flip cap (conditioner) and spray head (cleaner)
Price: Varies by retailer - Cleaner - $9.99, Conditioner - $14.99
Scent: Cleaner - scent free, Conditioner - leather scent
To start off I snapped a couple pictures to show what little surface grime was visible, which was not much:
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After cleaning the surface by spraying a micro fiber towel and gently wiping:
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Ensuring the surface was free of any residual cleaner, I started the conditioning process. The following shots are after applying one layer of conditioner and removing the masking tape for the 50/50 shot.
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According to the label on the conditioner bottle, after applying it leaves the surface dry to the touch. I waited 1-2 minutes and decided to test this and for squeaky leather, not a good idea! As you can see I nearly removed all the conditioner.
Assuming it transferred to my jeans I sat down on the door sill to take additional pictures and guess what? I left a mark.
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Close up after sitting on leather:
The next test was against the claim on the label of "Formulated with stain repellants, and waterproofing agents that aid in the protection of leather." For this test I simply misted the surface with water.
As you can see there is no difference between the two sides. Not impressed I proceeded to wipe the surface dry and as you guessed, it removed the conditioner.
At this point I decided to clean the seat again and was ready to give up. Then I started thinking that maybe it needs to sit on the surface longer. Like some other leather products you should wait 12 hours for the product to dry and bond. This time I decided to try a couple things, a single layer of conditioner and a second layer of conditioner to see how much gloss was added. Take note of the "1", "2", and "No Conditioner", this simply describes the layers applied.
Here is a close up with flash on to show level of gloss:
Followed by random shots:
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Final product shot:
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Final notes and thoughts:
After allowing the conditioner to sit on the surface for 28 hours I decided again to try the ability to repel water, same results. The water just remained on the surface with no beading or anything. Using a dry micro fiber towel I wiped up the water with the same results the day prior, the conditioner appeared to be removed. At this point I just cleaned the surface again and left in natural form.
I feel the cleaner is a very good product and recently read that you shouldn't use it full strength. I believe the recommended ratios were 1:6 for heavy cleaning and 1:4 for everything else. The conditioner dramatically darkens the leather but doesn't appear to stick. It smells really good for what it's worth. The surface didn't feel sticky after applying the conditioner. Maybe this leather conditioner is better suited for older leather?
This concludes my review and as always thank you for viewing and if you have any questions I will do my best to help.
Thanks,
Richard
Enhanced
Products: Chemical Guys Leather Cleaner, Chemical Guys Pure Leather Conditioner
Package Size: 16oz. bottles with flip cap (conditioner) and spray head (cleaner)
Price: Varies by retailer - Cleaner - $9.99, Conditioner - $14.99
Scent: Cleaner - scent free, Conditioner - leather scent
To start off I snapped a couple pictures to show what little surface grime was visible, which was not much:
Enhanced
After cleaning the surface by spraying a micro fiber towel and gently wiping:
Enhanced
Ensuring the surface was free of any residual cleaner, I started the conditioning process. The following shots are after applying one layer of conditioner and removing the masking tape for the 50/50 shot.
Enhanced
According to the label on the conditioner bottle, after applying it leaves the surface dry to the touch. I waited 1-2 minutes and decided to test this and for squeaky leather, not a good idea! As you can see I nearly removed all the conditioner.
Assuming it transferred to my jeans I sat down on the door sill to take additional pictures and guess what? I left a mark.
Enhanced
Close up after sitting on leather:
The next test was against the claim on the label of "Formulated with stain repellants, and waterproofing agents that aid in the protection of leather." For this test I simply misted the surface with water.
As you can see there is no difference between the two sides. Not impressed I proceeded to wipe the surface dry and as you guessed, it removed the conditioner.
At this point I decided to clean the seat again and was ready to give up. Then I started thinking that maybe it needs to sit on the surface longer. Like some other leather products you should wait 12 hours for the product to dry and bond. This time I decided to try a couple things, a single layer of conditioner and a second layer of conditioner to see how much gloss was added. Take note of the "1", "2", and "No Conditioner", this simply describes the layers applied.
Here is a close up with flash on to show level of gloss:
Followed by random shots:
Enhanced
Final product shot:
Enhanced
Final notes and thoughts:
After allowing the conditioner to sit on the surface for 28 hours I decided again to try the ability to repel water, same results. The water just remained on the surface with no beading or anything. Using a dry micro fiber towel I wiped up the water with the same results the day prior, the conditioner appeared to be removed. At this point I just cleaned the surface again and left in natural form.
I feel the cleaner is a very good product and recently read that you shouldn't use it full strength. I believe the recommended ratios were 1:6 for heavy cleaning and 1:4 for everything else. The conditioner dramatically darkens the leather but doesn't appear to stick. It smells really good for what it's worth. The surface didn't feel sticky after applying the conditioner. Maybe this leather conditioner is better suited for older leather?
This concludes my review and as always thank you for viewing and if you have any questions I will do my best to help.
Thanks,
Richard
