Dear Readers,
Do you recommend that I take my new 5-series BMW to a professional to apply protection products to the exterior and leather interior, or is the car sufficiently protected by the mfg processes?
Thanks!
The car is sufficiently protected by the mfg process.
Those things are a waste of money.
A “professional” who will apply these products? That’s pretty funny.
You’re talking about car wax and leather treatment, or, as it used to be called, saddle soap. It doesn’t take a professional to apply either one.
The car is sufficiently protected by the mfg process.
Those things are a waste of money.
Oh, wait. Did McP say that already? Well, you can take his word for it.
You can do the same “protection” as the dealer will do - for a lot less.
Get yourself a good wax and a few cans of Scotch-Guard fabric protector. For less than $30 and a few hours of elbow grease, you can duplicate what the dealer will charge you $$$$ for.
Of course, you can expect the dealer to deny it’s the same protection.
I dunno about Scotchgard Tm on leather but wait a couple months and put a good wax on it or have it done, then every 6 months or so do the leather cleaning and conditioner and it’ll be fine. Main thing on leather is not to let it dry out so it cracks.
Bing:
Good catch! I missed the “leather” in the OP’s initial post. Thanks for catching that.
Is the car carpet (venetian beige interior) “scotch-guarded” by the mfg? The carpets will get dirty easily. Any recommendations how to keep them clean? I was thinking about the mats offered by WeatherTech that advertises in all the car magazines.
I use the WeatherTech mats, I’m happy with them. Just make sure you anchor them correctly and don’t stack them on the factory mats, you don’t want a stuck throttle.
For your seats, get Leatherique cleaner. It’s a little pricey, but it’s the best. You don’t need the 2 step stuff - that’s just for old leather that hasn’t been maintained properly.
Rub it on yourself with a soft terry cloth every 6 months or so and call it good. No need to pay a pro to do it.
The “Professional” is the high-school dropout who took the 20 minute on-line video course for his “Professional” certificate.
In most cases, that is true, Mike.
Somehow, mastering the art (sarcasm intentional) of polishing a car doesn’t quite fit my definition of “professional”.