This industry has a real problem. my question is if armor all leather care adds to this problem or possibly represents some kind of solution to this problem.
to be very honest with you; I already know the answer to this question.
Reading: Armor all leather care review
Car leather in general is a problem. more specifically, the issue of cleaning and conditioning automotive leather is an even bigger problem.
The problem is that the industry is much more concerned with selling you more products than trying to educate you as a car owner with information based on the up-to-date technology used to make the leather used in your car.
armor all leather care productswhat you need to know
I’ll start by summarizing the content of this page while also bulleting the “takeaways” that I want you to, well… take away from reading this page:
- any of the armor leather care products found on this page will give most of you satisfactory results
- protect all the practices I’m talking about like these that transparent marketing and labeling everything with one goal to separate you from your money
- armor all, like virtually every other car care company, is not interested in educating you as a car owner or consumer
- the leather in today’s cars is coated with a clear coat that makes the leather in your car much easier to clean, maintain and condition
- because the leather in modern cars has this clear protective layer, whenever you try to clean, condition, or preserve the leather in your car, you won’t actually be touching a natural material anymore
- this clear coat is added to car leather for any of the same reasons your car paint is finished with a clear coat: easier car and maintenance and better wear
- very few companies have done anything to educate the public about automotive coated leather in regards to updating their product line
- the perfect way to simplify your life when you don’t want to think about things too much
- a decent car leather conditioner
- makes the same basic promises as any other automotive leather conditioner
- it actually says it will clean, protect and condition your car’s leather
- premium version of armor all leather care product
- made with beeswax
- perfect for anyone who buys into hype marketing and doesn’t want to think too much about their car’s leather care
- ask and answer questions you don’t even know how to ask
- show you a way to simplify your life with your cars
- basic maintenance of your car’s leather
- a product to enhance appearance and serve as a true leather conditioner (or more specifically, a synthetic upholstery conditioner)
- exact product I use on car leather, specifically for dusting and maintaining car leather
- no added ingredients that make your car leather shiny or slippery
- can be used on any hard surface in your car to create that fresh, original look
- use as many times as you want
- also ideal for use as a window cleaner and exterior detailer
- labeled as a specific treatment for car tires
- the exact product I use for both exterior and interior use: coated car leather, plastic, rubber, vinyl, dashboards, etc.
- dries to the touch
- no greasy mess or oily residue
- creates a subtle shine on interior materials
- home page ›
- armor all products ››
- this page
all leather armor care: keeping it simple
I get it. life is busy you are busy and i am busy.
and for this very reason, many of us just want to keep things as simple as possible (I have another solution to this very problem further down the page). You don’t feel the need to overthink your car’s leather care and already trust Armor All as a company.
they make some really good products and armor all leather care products will meet the demands of many reading this. that’s why I’m going to start by suggesting my favorite armor, all leather care products from the start.
armor all skin care gel
darren’s tips: if you’re already a fan of all armor products in general, your car leather gel is probably perfect for you. nothing stellar about this, but nothing wrong with it either.
kind of like buying vanilla ice cream instead of a sexier flavor of ice cream – it will suit most people’s needs.
armor all leather care with beeswax
darren’s tips: this is yet another example of the industry going to great lengths to stand out from the competition. I have never heard of any claims that beeswax is good for your car leather.
I also love it when a product has multiple versions of the same product, but tags one as premium. it is what I call a difference without distinction. It’s different in that it’s labeled “premium,” but is it really any different from any of the other armor all leather care products?
armor all leather care: what’s the problem
The problem I have is not only armor, but also most cosmetic car care products. It’s this thing called marketing. and this industry is not much different than any other industry.
See also: Exposed Skin Care Review (2022 Update) | The Derm Detective
companies that use fancy and sexy terms, fancy packaging, and ambiguous terminology that are very effective in dangling the next shiny object in your face.
marketing and advertising that push all your emotional buttons that lead you to quickly dump your money. cosmetic car care in general has a big problem with this, but leather car care has an even bigger problem!
let’s dive deeper into this topic and see if I can achieve two very specific goals for you:
Do you need to condition the leather of your car?
yes and no. like many issues in life; it all depends on who you ask. there are numerous things to consider when answering this question.
If you have been paying attention to this article, you will have learned that automotive leather is what is known as coated automotive leather. This means that your car leather has a clear protective layer and anything you do to your car leather (cleaning or conditioning) doesn’t actually touch natural leather, but rather a water-based synthetic protective layer.
This is added to make car leather care easier while reducing the problem of normal wear and tear. therefore, conditioning your car’s leather is less about trying to preserve or protect the natural leather and more about caring for the clear coating.
Many people just like automotive leather that has a sheen to it that products like armor and all leather care products will add. Yes, this will also make your car’s clad leather feel different. a difference that most people interpret as “better.”
and if you are one of these people, I would agree that you will need to use an automotive leather conditioner on the leather of your car.
do automotive leather conditioners work?
in most cases yes. but this answer should be taken with the understanding that we are dealing with a synthetic coating on your car’s leather.
You should understand that not all automotive leather conditioners are created equal. I have seen some automotive leather conditioners that leave a very bad residue after they have dried due to the fact that the product is full of all sorts of ingredients that need to absorb into a surface like uncoated automotive leather, but now they dry on the surface of coated automotive leather.
Most professional and retail automotive leather conditioners will provide decent results for most people. In my experience, Armor all leather care products seem to produce acceptable results.
Are all leather care products good?
yes. I can safely recommend them if you don’t want to overthink things. Any of the Armor All leather care products on this page will work.
What’s not great about all of armor’s leather care products is their lack of transparency in educating you about the nature of your car’s leather. I think a dedicated automotive leather conditioner should inform you that you are using a product formulated for use on coated automotive leather and that what you are trying to protect and condition is a synthetic coating, not a natural leather material.
do automotive leather conditioners really clean and condition?
sort of. something like. sometimes….
I professionally believe that each part of the equation should be addressed separately, unless you have new automotive leather and maintain it regularly and consistently.
car leather conditioners like armor all the leather care products on this page label their products as having the ability to clean and condition at the same time. but in many ways this is a misrepresentation and anyone with really dirty automotive leather will probably be disappointed by the ineffectiveness of these armored products for cleaning leather.
armor all leather care products clean in the same way as tap water would. This means that the conditioner will naturally remove some trivial levels of soil in the process of using any of the Armor All products, but it will not be effective for light to heavy soil.
for a more comprehensive tutorial on the ways I clean and condition automotive leather, you can read my automotive leather care page.
armor all leather care:what would darren (wwdd) do
I’m glad you asked, because I’m going to tell you how I can simplify your life as well as tell you exactly what I do both personally and professionally.
I’m a busy man and I’m always looking for ways to simplify my life so I can get more out of life. And when it comes to taking care of my cars or my clients’ cars, it’s all about being effective and efficient!
and here I’ll give you two options based on some specific differences:
csi q-7 retailer
Darren’s Tips: I’m not a big fan of leather or overly shiny car interiors. I love this product as it effectively removes dust, light dirt and oils while restoring interior materials to a showroom look.
No heavy solvents, silicones or oils. safe for body shops and safe for home use. An incredibly versatile product that allows you to have one product that can serve many purposes! (simplicity!)
csi nu tire lotion
darren’s tips: if you like the idea of adding a little luster and a subtle shine to your interior components and want to use a product that will condition the clear coating of your car’s leather car, then I would. opt for this product.
Once again, a great product with many uses! (simplicity!)
I use this on all tire sidewalls, exterior porous black trim, and all hard interior materials that I want to condition and enhance.
armor all leather care summary
I hope you found the information on this page very enlightening! it also helps that it offers alternatives that can simplify your life with your car that you didn’t know about, or even thought to consider before.
I wish you much success in your efforts to care for your car!
sincerely,
priest darren
See also: Algarve Car Hire Guide – How to Find Cheap & Reputable Algarve Car Hire
