Recommended leather conditioner for 4 Runner.

What conditioner is recommended for 2018 4 runner?

 

This is what I use for both my real leather and fake leather-

 

The Connolly hide cleaner and food shown in this video is what I have used for years on our cars with leather seats. The "lotion" takes some time to work in and buff off, but it's kept our leather seats looking new.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZI8yU1MTug

 

+1 for Meguiar's Gold Class leather cleaner/conditioner/protectant. I've used this 2x per year for past 4 years on my wife's Limited and her seats still look like new.

 

The interior on the 4Runner is not real leather

 

Unless you've got a limited you're 100% waisting your money on leather conditioner. Conditioners are designed to penetrate so they can soften and preserve. Leather is skin with pores which soak up the leather conditioners. Softex is essentially plastic, which means all you need is soap and water, that's it, soap and water, anybody telling you otherwise......well no need to be snarky.

 

I stumbled onto VonBaer because I was tired of trying a bunch of different stuff that promised the world but didn't deliver. The leather in the 4Runner can take a beating, especially with daily use. And their tips seem to get that - no over-the-top claims, just good, honest care.

 

That article posted above, presumably from Toyota, is a bit surprising to me. I was told by the folks at an auto detailer that there's no need to spend the extra money on leather-specific products unless they are being used on genuine leather. They said just a basic interior cleaner was all you really need. If you want to go above and beyond maybe some sort of UV protectant would be helpful in the long term.

 

Here's what the 2023 Owner's Manual says (as noted earlier, Softex is synthetic):

 

Damp rag

 

Distilled water is the best leather cleaner. Make sure you do two things - 1. clean cloth should be dampened (not soaked) with warm water as it helps remove dirt and 2. any excess moisture should be removed with a clean dry cloth afterwards...you don't want your leather to remain damp.

Be mindful that water can remove some of the dye in the leather, so test a small area that's out of the way first.

 

Yep, this is what I’ve been doing and it works a treat. So far they’re the easiest care seats I’ve had.

 

A cheap guy's guide by Sweet Project Cars. (I should really keep wearing my glasses)
Coconut based shampoo.
Damp cloth leave on a few minutes after good wipe down, buff out.
Top off with 303. Let it soak, wipe down.
Ours still looks show room ready.

 

I've had good luck on my Softex seats with Mother's VLR (vinyl, leather, rubber).

 

I still have lots of this stuff.. is it my imagination or does it smell like “Drakkar Noir”….lol

 

Treat with Scotchguard on fabric. I use Lexal cleaner and conditioner myself because that was what we used to use at shop.

 

I stumbled onto Von Baer because I was tired of trying a bunch of different stuff that promised the world but didn't deliver. The leather in the 4Runner can take a beating, especially with daily use. And their tips seem to get that - no over-the-top claims, just good, honest care.