Longhorn seat issue

[CRath]

I posted 3 pics of my 2011 longhorn seats (hopefully they downloaded ok) that have developed a white residue over every leather surface in the truck to include the leather on the door panels. I have been doing some research on this and I have found that this residue is called (spew) or (spue). It is from natural fats or oils within the leather thats comes out with extremes in heat or cold. My truck is in a heated garage and this year I am keeping it in the mid 30's (definately not extreme for N. D. ) Sounds like this is not uncommon for some leather products.



My questions are... has anyone else had this happen to their Longhorn to this degree and has anyone used a "good" product to remove this without causing any harm to the leather. There are tons of products on the market for leather but from what I have read this residue will keep coming back unless the right product is used. According to the "care" tag that came on the truck seats, Mopar Leather cleaner is recommended but it is just their normal leather cleaner and I don't think it was meant for this type of leather.



Any leather experts out there that can shed some educated light on this subject.



crath

 

[Wertles]

By far, the best leather product I have ever used is Leatherique. It is a bit pricy but I have used it to restore dry, brittle leather in my project car back to a soft, creamy like new leather. Check out their website and see what they have to say.

http://www.leatherique.com/

I even used it in the truck and loved the outcome on well maintained leather. It is not a fast process but works great.

 

[TJJEEPER]

Lexol is also a good product. I've used it on motorcycle leather gear and it cleans and conditions very well.
http://www.lexol.com/

 

[DonFitzwater]

My Ford did the exact same thing and I just wiped them down with Kiwi saddle soap and then finished it with lexol.

 

[CRath]

Thank you for the replies so far... I have used Lexol for many years on many leather products with success and have tried a test patch with mixed results. The biggest difference between "longhorn" leather seats and "laramie" leather seats seems to be the surface of the leather itself. On most leather seats there seems to be a (coating) for lack of a better term which seals the open grain of the leather. Longhorn seats look to be (open grain) leather that is dyed and will readily soak up any product put on the seat, which is probably why I have never seen this happpen before on anything I have owned. I will do some research on the other products posted and see what I can figure out.



crath

 

[Cummings]

That is terrible to have happen to such an expensive truck. I have a 12 longhorn, and it has not happened. We use a paste named "Skidmore" on our custom saddles, which see a lot of weather, and use, and does an excellent job of cleaning, protecting, and softening. it's a little hard to find, but I'm sure an internet search will tell you where to buy it. Good luck!

 

[Bill Stockard]

I don't know if it happens in ND, but in humid areas of TX, a white residue that forms on leather products could be mildew. The best thing I've found to remove it is Kiwi saddle soap as posted above.

Bill

 

[DonFitzwater]

In a Fairbanks winter the saddle leather type seats almost always "chalk" up. It's just what happens when they get really cold from what I've seen.

 

[DieselGuy]

Have you done anything to clean or condition or otherwise care for the leather? Do you think it's possibly mold? I have seen a similar problem.

Has anyone been able to get the product listed on the tag from the Dodge dealer? My dealer couldn't find it in their system.

 

[CRath]

I can't imagine the residue could be mold unless mold likes winter temps here in ND. I am going to do some experiments tonight with a blow dryer. From what I have read spew is supposed to melt when heated... that should tell me whether or not it is mold. I also have some Skidmore cream I am going to try on a test patch. I tried a test patch of Lexol already and found out that I definately need to brush it in more aggresively to get deep into the pores of the leather.



regular cleaning up to this point has been done with a damp cloth... I am kinda a neat freak about my truck and have never needed a deep cleaning. I also checked with the dealer long ago about the product listed on the seat tag and found out it is no different than any leather cleaner off the shelf.

 

[MLee]

You might also check with a tannery that process leather and get there recommendations. I would think it might be the Tallow working its way to the serface.

 

[DieselGuy]

CRath -- do you mean lexol cleaner or the conditioner? Wiping with a damp cloth is what I believe the recommended cleaning is according to the manual, and then using the Mopar conditioner. Has anyone been able to find the recommended Mopar product?

 

[CRath]

I used Lexol conditioner on my first test patch... Update... Last night I used the hair dryer on the white residue and it disappeared like frost on a windshield. From what I have read, spew melts and soaks back into the leather when heated so at least it's not mold. Unfortunately I also read that spew will keep coming back unless I find a product that stops it from coming to the surface. I applied lexol conditioner and skidmores to 2 different test patches after I heated them so time will tell if either product works. In the meantime I will have to do more research to find a tannery or a leather goods maker and try to get some professional advice. I appreciate all the helpful input from TDR members and hope this helps other Longhorn owners.



crath

 

[warpedspeed]

i have a few thoughts about leather seats in trucks. first my last truck the leather lasted 11 years in like new condition, even though the truck was not stored inside. the last truck had a clear coat that was applied from the factory, cleaning the leather removes the clear coat and causes the leather to wear out. i purchased the factory leather care kit, less than $20 and cleaned the leather less than 10 times. applying products to leather may damage the finish that is applied when manufactured. second, so many of todays work trucks have sunroofs, i had to order a 2014 ram 3500 without a sunroof, for some reason the people that order these trucks seem to think sunroofs are a great selling feature. my wifes last new car the sunroof leaked since new, the carpets rotted within a year. so if there is a water leak into the vehicle either through a plugged drain or windshield or wherever, the moisture can be causing the mold to show up on the seats. that type of mold in a small enclosed area my not be the best thing to inhale. i have a high quality leather piece that developed a mold spot and it returns in time, no matter what i try. so i would address any issue with leather with the manufacturer.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

The oils keep the leather from drying out and cracking. Saddle soap is the traditional method to clean the surface. Mink oil helps replenish the oils as needed. Works well on leather steering wheels too.

 

[LHarper]

I have always enjoyed leather seats. That said, I have used many leather care products on sports car leather seats and truck seats. The one I like the most is made by Zaino. They have a leather conditioner and cleaner. I have seen the gray color you are talking about and the Zaino cleaner removed it and I followed-up with the conditioner. I have used these products on my leather seats, dash and doors on my 2005 Dodge 3500. They still look brand new. Even the smell is great! I use Zaino products for paint polish and have yet to find anything better. I heard about these products many years ago from a Corvette group that is very particular about the products they use. If interested, just Google Zaino and it will take you to their site.

 

[moparguy]

CRath, just curious as to your test results (just discovered this thread). I've spent the past couple winters in Watford City ND and can testify to white on my Longhorn's seats. I put a 1500 watt electric heater in the truck a couple times last winter, let it get nice and warm and wiped down with Lexol and it seemed to help, but wasn't a total cure. Warm weather was the final solution.

 

[LocoPilot750]

I'm still trying to figure out the difference between "leather" and "Leather trimmed" seats on the 2014's.

 

[crabjoe]

Leather is leather. Leather trimmed, which is on most vehicles these days, is just that. The seating (center of the seat) is leather, but the rest is pleather.

 

[CRath]

CRath, just curious as to your test results (just discovered this thread). I've spent the past couple winters in Watford City ND and can testify to white on my Longhorn's seats. I put a 1500 watt electric heater in the truck a couple times last winter, let it get nice and warm and wiped down with Lexol and it seemed to help, but wasn't a total cure. Warm weather was the final solution.

moparguy,

I haven't tried anything else since my last post back in February because the hairdryer trick worked that one time for the remainder of the winter and to date still continues to work... however I do expect the "spew" to reappear once our snow does. If you do a google search on "leather spew" you will find they are some products out there claiming to remove spew and keep it from reappearing. I decided not to mess with the leather too much and the hairdryer trick was a fast simple solution, even if it was temporary.



A little on leather trimmed seats... One big reason I bought my Longhorn was the "real leather" seats. My previous 97 ram had leather trimmed seats front and rear... my 01 ram had leather trimmed front and all vinyl rear seat, and if you check carefully you will probably find more vinyl in most "leather seats" than leather.