Slight tackiness on seats after using Leatherique Prestine Clean - expected?

[forbiddenbeat]

I recently treated the rear seats in my RS4 with Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil, and then followed it up with Prestine Clean about 2 days later. I also used just Prestine Clean for the driver-side lower bolster in the front. Now, the seats feel slightly sticky to the touch, and when a passenger rotates their rear end on the rear seats to exit, or I do the same when getting out of the front, the seats make a squeaking noise (the passenger seat was not treated, and is silent).

I'm not a big fan of this, so I might just re-clean them all with Leather Masters and then apply Leather Masters Protection Cream, which doesn't have this same issue.

Is this expected? I assume Prestine Clean is leaving behind a residue, even though I wipe it off with a damp cloth and buff the seat dry.

[Avus RS4]

Leatherique requires a very involved process. I'm not a big fan of it. I've never used for the reasons you're finding out. Too much work.
Don't get me wrong, Leatherique is a terrific product, but let's get real here, do our cars really need that kind of treatment on our seats?

All we really need is a product good enough to clean our seats and leave it prepped enough for a good quality conditioner to top it with.
Leatherique is for leather seats that have been neglected and weathered, old classic cars, etc, but not for a fairly new car.

For real dirty seats, I use Connolly diluted according to the job...

[forbiddenbeat]

Thanks for the input. The rear seats were getting a little cardboard-y, since the previous owner I think never did anything to keep them in good condition, so Leatherique seemed like a good bet. For standard maintenance going forward to keep them matte and tack-free, would you suggest anything in particular?

Edit: I see the Connolly you linked to is the cleaner, I thought they only made conditioner. I'll give that a shot, and maybe just use LM leather protection cream after from time to time.

[Avus RS4]

Thanks for the input. The rear seats were getting a little cardboard-y, since the previous owner I think never did anything to keep them in good condition, so Leatherique seemed like a good bet. For standard maintenance going forward to keep them matte and tack-free, would you suggest anything in particular?

Edit: I see the Connolly you linked to is the cleaner, I thought they only made conditioner. I'll give that a shot, and maybe just use LM leather protection cream after from time to time.

Cleaning helps a lot.
One thing that I do to help leather get back its supple feel is once I clean it with Connolly or any adequate leather cleaner I wipe down the dirt/soiled areas with a warm damped towel, a little bit more than warm actually, as hot as my hands can safely take, wring the towel, dip into you hot water, wring, and continue wiping down the rest of your seats, let it dry and then apply your conditioner.
If you're buying the Connolly cleaner, get also a Brush LIKE THIS ONE from detailers domain, it helps a lot in cleaning the seats

[mto925]

Sticky would lead me to believe that not everything was wiped clean. As mentioned I would go over them with a warm, damp towel to try and remove any residue. Clean leather shouldn't be slippery or sticky but somewhere in between. Once oils and grime build up in leather it becomes slippery and shiny.

[FliGi7]

If you're buying the Connolly cleaner, get also a Brush LIKE THIS ONE from detailers domain, it helps a lot in cleaning the seats

#DetailHack: To clean my seats, I use a fingernail brush that you can buy from Target, Auto Parts stores, bargain bins for about $1-$2. I find the size is much better for seats with a lot of contour/creases (like ours). Of course, you're trading less surface area coverage by using a smaller brush. So, your call. Personally, I prefer to spend a bit more time using something that can get both the large areas and all the creases without having to switch brushes or work harder.

I will also echo using the warm/hot towel as a follow-up "rinse" once done with the cleaner. This is integral for two reasons: 1) It removes all traces of soil/soap from the leather (lingering soil/soap will effectively negate your cleaning as it acts as yet another mechanism for crap/oil collection on the seats), and 2) Particularly with the leather in these cars (aniline, no urethane top-coat), the water will somewhat rehydrate the leather which is critical for its health and longevity (particularly in states like mine where we have little to no humidity and moisture is quickly wicked from the seats over time).

[Avus RS4]

Some instructions on how the Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil is applied:

For Best Results:
Apply the Rejuvenator Oil liberally (about 4 oz. per seat) with your hands, massaging the oil well into all the surfaces and natural folds of the leather, this puts natural ingredients, not harsh cleaner, back into the leather and forces out dirt. You may also use a soft sea sponge, or a soft paint type brush.

Also apply the Rejuvenator Oil liberally nearer the stitched areas as the conditioner will be able to migrate laterally well into the hide. If possible, park the car in the sun with the windows rolled up to create a "steam room" for as long as practical, several hours or a day. In cooler weather, or for long-term storage in a garage, cover the seats with plastic wrap, and "warm" with a hair dryer.

Allow the oil to be absorbed into the fibrous side of the leather before putting the top down in a convertible. Direct sun is the worst enemy of any automobile interior or home upholstery. Do not place home or office leather upholstery in direct sun. For "cardboard hard" leather, several applications will be necessary. Patience will be rewarded with good results. Note: We strongly advise against saddle soap, as it has been known to remove the dye from the leather

[4rings2turbos]

Definitely sounds like all the rejuvenating oil wasn't removed. If you go back over it with the pristine clean I know you can remove the tack. Use many clean towels, some elbow grease and put the pristine clean in a spray bottle if you can.

Can't testify to the warm, damp cloth but I'm going to give it a shot myself. A couple weeks ago I left the rejuvenating oil on for about a week and my seats looked unreal kinds of clean when I went back over with PC. I love the stuff and I do full treatments a couple times a year now.

[forbiddenbeat]

Thanks for the all the input everyone. So just to be clear, I only applied Prestine Clean on the front driver's seat (no Rejuvenator Oil), and did indeed wipe it off with a warm damp MF towel, and then buffed with a dry MF towel. Tacky probably wasn't the right word for it, as if I just press on it with your fingers, it feels fine. But if I drag my fingers across (or move to get out of the car), I can feel a lot more drag, and often it makes a squeaking noise. The passenger seat where Prestine Clean was not applied yet is perfectly smooth.

Since Prestine Clean also contains some conditioning ingredients, I believe this is just how it is. My plan is to use Leatherique once or two a year to condition, then likely just use something like Ultima Interior Shampoo Gel afterwards and on a regular basis to clean, followed up by Ultima Interior Guard Plus.

Also, I do wipe down the seats on a regular basis with a warm MF cloth followed by a dry one, just to keep them regularly cleaned. For the record, the leather in the S4/RS4 is semi-aniline, so it is sealed (water will bead on it, not be absorbed).

[FliGi7]

Also, I do wipe down the seats on a regular basis with a warm MF cloth followed by a dry one, just to keep them regularly cleaned. For the record, the leather in the S4/RS4 is semi-aniline, so it is sealed (water will bead on it, not be absorbed).

My passenger door arm rest area disagrees with this. Water may bead on it, but it doesn't mean the water will not/cannot penetrate it. While our leather doesn't have the typical urethane top coat like most do, the dye itself is essentially the "top coat" which provides some protection properties against liquids penetrating through to the leather itself but it does not provide the protection of typical top-coated leather.

[Avus RS4]

One thing is worth mentioning and for people in general to know is that cross contamination can and does happen.
There are products that are water base and others that have other chemicals and they don't play well with others.
It's important that when trying a different product that you thoroughly clean off any old product with a good leather shampoo that contains no conditioner, just a plain leather cleaner so that the surface will have zero residual from previous products

[4rings2turbos]

One thing is worth mentioning and for people in general to know is that cross contamination can and does happen.
There are products that are water base and others that have other chemicals and they don't play well with others.
It's important that when trying a different product that you thoroughly clean off any old product with a good leather shampoo that contains no conditioner, just a plain leather cleaner so that the surface will have zero residual from previous products

Do you have a recommended high quality product? I would like to add this step.

[FliGi7]

10:1 (or stronger) Water:Woolite mixture, depending how much crap is on the seats. Cheap and versatile. I use this mixture to clean pretty much every part of my interior (sans carpet).

[Avus RS4]

Do you have a recommended high quality product? I would like to add this step.

I personally use Connolly Leather Cleaner best by far of everything I've tried. 1:12 one part Connolly to 12 of water is the recommended starting ratio mix.

Another one that works well is Lexol-pH Leather Cleaner

Always follow up with clean hot water (damped towel) to remove any soapy residue.

Phil from Detailer's Domain have used 1Z einszett Plastic Deep Cleaner to clean leather with.
This is actually one of my favorite products, but I've never tried it on leather.
Phil has used it, so that to me right there is a good endorsement.

[Diamond Dog]

How do you guys account for the fact that most modern car leather, and the leather in our later model (after 1990) audi's mostly have a vinyl (plastic) coating over the leather. Its like wrapping my arm in seran wrap and rubbing lotion on it to moisturize.

[FliGi7]

How do you guys account for the fact that most modern car leather, and the leather in our later model (after 1990) audi's mostly have a vinyl (plastic) coating over the leather. Its like wrapping my arm in seran wrap and rubbing lotion on it to moisturize.

Our cars that we're discussing don't have that (read up earlier in the thread where that was discussed and noted).

As for most other modern cars with top-coated leather, I simply don't use conditioner on them. I keep them clean and that's about it. At most, I used some 303 Aerospace Protectant diluted about 6-10:1 with water as UV protectant but it's not intended to "condition" the leather, as it's been long debated whether conditioners even have any effect whatsoever on protected leather.

For reference, below are pictures of my 7 year old Jetta before I sold it. Steering wheel simply cleaned twice a year. Leatherette seats cleaned and "protected" with 303 AP once a year (with minor cleanings every other wash or so). Conditioner was never used on any of the surfaces.

[Avus RS4]

How do you guys account for the fact that most modern car leather, and the leather in our later model (after 1990) audi's mostly have a vinyl (plastic) coating over the leather. Its like wrapping my arm in seran wrap and rubbing lotion on it to moisturize.

That's true. However, as far as cleaning and protection, it equally applies for both.
The way I clean leather or vinyl it's always the same, I may use something stronger if I'm dealing with 100% vinyl and you still have to provide some kind of UV protection.
The only type of leather I've ever had to deal with that I didn't have the right product to work it with (per-se), was the leather for the Ford F-150 Kings Ranch.
The recommended product is just plain water.