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Post by erw38 on Mar 8, 2005 17:01:18 GMT -6
I have a big tub of oxyclean just sitting around thoe house. I bought it for carpet stains, but it didn't help. Anyway, today I mixed up a concotion and went to tackle my seats. It actually worked! Got lots of dirt off the seats. I agitated the solution with a toothbrush and then wiped off. I conditioned the seats and so far so good. I will try and take comparison pictures if I think about it later. Just wanted everyone to know that common household items can work wonders, even on something they aren't meant for.
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Post by JimW on Mar 10, 2005 13:32:17 GMT -6
Good call! Considering I can't find Lexol here, Oxyclean might be a good alternative.
Anything abrasive in the product that could hurt the leather?
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Post by erw38 on Mar 10, 2005 16:49:07 GMT -6
Anything abrasive in the product that could hurt the leather? I wouldn't think so. I think because it is a non-toxic cleaner that it would be safe. I'll take a picture of my seats (kind of like a before and after.) This stuff is pretty amazing (at least on my seats.) ;D ;D
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Post by Aurora40 on Mar 10, 2005 17:15:24 GMT -6
I've never tried oxyclean. And I certainly dont' want to say it's not safe for leather. However, just because it worked once and was ok doesn't mean it's safe for leather or won't stain other leather, or won't slowly remove the dye. And just because it's non-toxic doesn't mean that either. Childrens markers are non-toxic too, but you don't want that on your leather. It may work just great, and if it works for you, go for it. Just wanted to point that out, though.
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Post by erw38 on Mar 10, 2005 23:32:23 GMT -6
What I did when I used the oxyclean was to put about two teaspoon in a squirt bottle then fill that bottle with hot water in order to fully dissole the powder. So, I guess in retrospect the solution that I made is mostly water. Anyway, I would squirt it on a portion of the seats (rubbing it in by hand really lets you see the dirt) and agitated it with a toothbrush in a circular motion. I then took a towel (white in this case so I could "proove" to myself that it worked) and wiped it dry. I then took some conditioned and sprayed the part of the seat that I just cleans with it and again spread it around by hand. I let the conditioner sit on the seats about 5-10 minutes and then wiped it off. ;D
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Post by Letitroll98 on Mar 11, 2005 9:57:52 GMT -6
From the Oxiclean website:
Quote: "Can I use OxiClean Pro on wool, silk or leather?
OxiClean Pro is not recommended on wool, silk or leather. It is not acceptable on these items because of the high pH of OxiClean Pro solution (10.5 - 10.8). OxiClean Pro is not for any item that is not water washable." unquote
All these products are basicly hydrogen peroxide combined with soda ash or borax to create sodium percarbonate or sodium perborate. When combined with water they release their oxygen which does the bleaching then self netrualizes. That's why the solution is only effective for about six hours after mixing. The same effect can be created by using hydrogen peroxide solution.
Overall not something I would recommend for the leather seats on Auroras, but your mild solution seems to have caused no damage and the active bleaching has long since ceased, so you've survived the experiment, congratulation!
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Post by Aurora40 on Mar 11, 2005 11:38:26 GMT -6
Anyway, I would squirt it on a portion of the seats (rubbing it in by hand really lets you see the dirt) and agitated it with a toothbrush in a circular motion. This is why you typically want a sudsy/foamy type cleaner for leather. Just like washing a car, or most things, you want the dirt to lift up and away, you don't want to rub it in and around. Also, if you push the dirt into the stitching, it will significantly shorten the life of it, much like with climbing ropes and such. The dirt acts like tiny knives. I then took some conditioned and sprayed the part of the seat that I just cleans with it and again spread it around by hand. In general, spraying anything directly on leather is a good way to get splotches and discoloration. Cleaners and conditioners should be applied to an applicator or brush, and then put on the leather. If you didn't have any problems with this, consider yourself lucky. Leather is very sensitive to showing the spray pattern of a product permanently. Even with conditioners, which are a pretty mild thing, it's pretty easy to cause splotchiness if you apply directly to the leather.
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