Monkeyleg

My drivers seat has a bit of dye transfer from my clothing into the chamois color leather. I've used Meguiars leather cleaner and conditioner, but for the area directly under me, it's too embedded into the leather to get out.

I bought some heavier-duty cleaners made specifically for dye transfer, but it's not cleaning evenly, and would make the seat look blotchy.

I still want to try to seal the leather if possible to prevent any more transfer. I bought some sealer from the same company that sells the dye transfer cleaner.

Before I go spraying anything on the seat, though, I'm wondering if anyone has had success with using any products to protect their leather seats from dye transfer.

Any replies are much appreciated.

judyb

Which products did you use for this?
Dye transfer on leather can be a real problem. If you have used specific products for this and this has not removed the dye completely it may be that the dye has penetrated the leather finish and will be impossible to remove with 'cleaning' products. It may need solvents and more technical products to rectify the problem and could need recolouring if the problem is really serious.

Sealing the leather is not a good idea as it needs to remain breathable but a leather protector will really help to guard against this problem. The protector should be used in conjunction with regular cleaning with a maintenance product and then the dye will not be able to penetrate the finish and cause problems.

Protectors are crucial on pale coloured leathers to help to stop the problem occuring but you need to use a protector that works - many products that are labelled protectors actually do nothing at all and are simply 'conditioning' products that have been relabelled.

Hope this helps

Monkeyleg

Thanks for the reply, judyb. The dye transfer remover I bought from a company in the UK. The remover is at http://www.lttsolutions.net/jean-and...emoval-kit.asp

It did remove the lighter dye transfer in a couple of areas where I tried it. It removed most of the dye transfer in an area where it was really dark, but left two light-blue spots (the dye transfer is from black denim pants). I decided not to go any further, as the overall slightly darker look of the seat was preferable to the blotchy look that the dye transfer remover would give.

The protector is at http://www.lttsolutions.net/leather-protect.asp . I tested it on a spot on the seat, and it doesn't do anything bad. The question is whether it will do something good. The directions say to apply it 4-6 times a year, depending upon how often the leather is used.

In searching for information about leather and dye transfer, this company was mentioned often, so I thought I'd give them a try.

judyb

Hello

The patchyness may be due to different intensities of dye residues left on the leather. Did you leave the Step 1 product to dwell on the leather? It may be worth trying both steps again - gently. If no further dye transfer is being removed (you would see it on your cloth) then the dye that remains is in the finish on the leather and may now need stronger products or recolouring to get rid of it completely. The products in te kit are specifically formulated for this problem and if they do not fully remove the dye transfer it is not because the products don't work but because the dye has redyed the leather and is now too deep into the finish to be 'cleaned' out. Some dyes in clothing particularly denim are very aggressive and often now carry warning labels!!

The protector you have purchased is one of the most effective protectors on the market. There is an even stronger one which is the Auto Ultra Protect. It cannot do anything bad to the leather (it is a water based fluorocarbon product) and will not prevent you from doing any further work to resolve the dye transfer. If you do not use a protector the dye transfer problem will always be a major problem. Make sure you clean the leather on a regular basis with a leather cleaner or maintenance product and reapply the protector at least 4 times per year. Pale leathers really do need a little and often maintenance to help keep them looking clean and in good condition.

Hope this helps
Judyb

Monkeyleg

Well, last night I cleaned the seat as much as I could, then applied the leather protector.

Today I drove the car to the bank and back, not even ten miles round trip. I could see a bit of dye transfer where the sides of my hips rub against the seat bottom. I'm very certain those spots weren't there before.

I think I may just go back to plan A, and keep the seat covered with a couple of white towels.

judyb

Hello

The protector does not stop the dye coming out of the jeans - it seems that you wear jeans that have very loose dye - however the dye will now be easier to clean off the leather because you have used the protector. Dye transfer only becomes a problem to remove when it has been left on the leather for periods of time which allows the dye to penetrate the finish on the leather.

Looking after pale coloured leathers in cars is a case of little and often maintenance rather than leaving it to get dirty and then trying to clean it.

Hope this helps

mabidnes

monkeyleg,

thank you for visiting my website. I've been using my leather conditioner to remove
blue jean dye transfer. you'll find before and after pics at http://uphfix.com/leatherinvestment.htm
if you haven't seen them already. It is safer and goes deeper into the leather than anything I've ever used.
I have a bit of bad news if you want to dye the leather. After using Meguiars leather cleaner and conditioner
you may have a problem finding someone apply a dye that adheres properly. I've tried two jobs after customers
use this product and got fish-eyes both times. It has a repelling agent ingredient. you can read about this and
other issues at http://sbosaw.bravejournal.com/