You recently sent me a message by e mail through the forum.

I replied to both the addresses you gave but both were returned as 'undeliverable'.

I am posting the message and reply here hoping you may see it and also to add to the ongoing leather debate.

This is the message:
Hello, I've recently purchased a 03 KR and I would like to condition the seats a bit. From the various threads I've choosen to use the KRSS conditioner as the end result conditioner. However, not knowing the history of the seats I would like to clean them first. You seem quite knowledgeable on leather! What would be your recommended procedure for cleaning before applying conditioner? Perhaps you have already posted that info and I have not found it yet, but I have read thru so many! So far I am leaning towards the hot towel technique..... At any rate, I appreciate your time.


Reply was given as below.

Hi
Yes a hot towel pretty well damped can lift a lot of surface dirt. Just make sure it is turned frequently and its not too wet.
Also you need to be in a fairly warm environment so that the seats dry out reasonably quickly.
Conditioning with the KR conditioner won't hurt at any stage...you can lift dirt before or after since the conditioner only makes the leather supple...it doesn't seal it.
The expert on really dirty seats is Svermill....if you can trace his threads with a search, or contact him directly...I am sure he won't mind.

Good luck anyway !

 

LOL! Busted! I have been a lurking member since 2002. I had forgot to update that email addy.....updated now, and thanks for bringing me out for my first post!

Appreciate the reply. Since my KR purchase I have reviewed the various 'leather' threads for the last two days (with more to go) and it seems the bulk of opinions go to using the KRSS conditioner and using the hot/warm towel technique for cleaning. Interesting that the KRSS conditioner can be applied before or after...My main concern is that the dealership I picked it up from most likely used any common crap on the seats like they did gooping up the rest of the interior. Overall the seats look fine, some scuffs and perhaps water-marks. But they do feel a little dry. Maybe they didn't put anything on them.

On a related side note: My local Ford dealer told me to call KRSS direct to get the conditioner, as they don't carry it. That makes sense.

Thanks again for the reply.

 

You're welcome.....and thanks for the prompt reply saving me wondering if you had received the info.

You would be surprised how many times newcomers to the forum pose questions to which some of the longer standing members spend quiet a lot of time replying to.....yet a word of thanks is often less than forthcoming !

Now you are 'out of the closet' perhaps we will see more of you!?

Cheers



PS

That must be some sort of record....joined in '02 and just made your first post !!

 

Hey Lenny, hey Pipehitter (I guess that screen name could be indicitive of your profession or your recreational interests!),

What I learned about cleaning KR leather is that it's a lot more durable that most give it credit for (the notable exception here, of course, being the steering wheel!). I found that you can get it quite wet without any long-term damage and that you can be pretty aggressive in terms of the pressure that you apply and the type of material that you use. I do recommend the Connolley leather cleaner for KR. I did one bucket w/ a hot/warm Connolley solution and one bucket w/ hot/warm rinse. I found the best success with sponges but cotton works OK too.

I also found that sunlight reveals things that no artificial light will, so try to do this outdoors. Otherwise, what looks great in the garage may not be to your satisfaction once you get 'er out and about...

 

Atta' boy, John! You pulled him out of lurking and forced him to post!

Welcome to the limelight, pipe!

 

Thanks for the welcome gentlemen.

svermill: Thanks for the tips. I tend to err on the side of caution when it comes to chemicals/cleaners on hard/expensive to replace material. In saying so, I'm going to try just water first and observe the results as all I can really note is some water stains versus any 'hard' stains from oil/dirt/etc. But if I'm not satisified with the results or feel a little stronger agent is required I'm most likely going to try the Connolley cleaner based on feedback from this forum.

As for lurking so long: What can I say? This is a large board with tons of great info and active members. Any questions I have had the search function has always served me well. In this paticular case I wanted to add Lenticular's opinion on leather cleaning (his stance on conditioner is pretty clear) to my research and I had yet to find anything definitive. As I administer two boards of my own (non truck related) I often feel 'talked out' and prefer to lurk on the boards that I'm a member on.

My nick: Not a result of my personal hobbies but rather a nickname I picked up while in the Army and has kind of stuck ever since. Kind of humorous that most people think the former as I happen to be in law enforcement.

I've owned a few Fords, always buying second hand. However I can already see that this KR is most likely going to be my favorite and I'm quite excited. Plus I get to look forward to purchasing the newer body style KR when its time to trade again. Hopefully that will be a long way down the road!

Thanks again for the warm welcome guys, and kudos for a great board and friendly sub-forum!