[Desmond79]

Originally Posted by mdourney

Hi, all - first time poster, so apologies if this is covered.

I recently used Chemical Guys Leather Cleaner (recommended here and other places) and had a bit of an issue that is confounding to me at least. My 2012 BMW 535 has beige dakota leather.

I tested the cleaner on the armrest using a soft horse-hair brush. The cleaner did a great job on the flat surface of the armrest, however, near the handle area (where you pull the door closed), black marks began to appear. I can't tell if grime and grease from the handle moved to the leather or if there was some sort of oxidation or something, but it now looks awful. I tried a few other products to try to get it clean, including Lexol and a leather stain remover to no avail.

I imagine the Chemical Guys product has been well tested, so I would be surprised if that is the issue. The spots feel a little greasy to the touch, but I'm wondering if the finish came off or something odd happened.

I've attached a few photos. I don't have a "before" photo, but trust me -- the leather was slightly dirty, but not too bad really, and certainly not an eyesore like it is now.

I'm very upset about this. I try to keep my car in great condition. Any advice from the forum is so greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Mike

I wonder if the dye has worn on an area that is frequently used.

If so, this helped me on black Dakota leater that was worn. I found that once the dye wear off, you will have to reapply dye to worn areas - insepct and reapply.

https://www.seatdoctors.com/diy-leat...KSJRoCFmHw_wcB