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Cream Beige interior... How to prevent Blue jeans "Bleed"

Dbreid

E500E Guru
Member
All,
I have a 1992 500e with beautiful Cream Beige interior. No rips, etc, and though the seats aren't new, they are in great shape.

I use my car as a daily driver, and I wear Jeans pretty much every day.

At first, I thought I was just getting my seat bottoms dirty somehow, but upon closer inspection, it seems that blue jeans dye "seeps" into light colored leather, and this is a standard problem.

So I have three questions:

1.) Is there a treatment to prevent this some how?
2.) What's the best way to suck the blue stain OUT?
3.) Seat covers? Sheepskin? I looked around on the forum, and I see that Rams Heads are nice, but 800.00 for a set is a little much. I can get new leather from GAHH for 1700....

Thoughts?
 
I have had this issue with a few cars, I found that old faded jeans dont have this issue but newer darker jeans do.

In the past I would clean my seats with spray and wash (its amazing how clean they would get) then treat it with a good leather product.
 
That's easy, just buy Italian Jeans ! Never had this issue. :D

I was just about to say opposite , woman's dolce and gabbana dark jeans dyes leather like crazy ! My Gianfranco Ferre (Homme collection which is top of the GF line) dyes as well, Versace does the same. I found that all dark jeans do that. However late 2013 Versace collection jeans do not dye that bad.

All,
I have a 1992 500e with beautiful Cream Beige interior. No rips, etc, and though the seats aren't new, they are in great shape.

I use my car as a daily driver, and I wear Jeans pretty much every day.

At first, I thought I was just getting my seat bottoms dirty somehow, but upon closer inspection, it seems that blue jeans dye "seeps" into light colored leather, and this is a standard problem.

So I have three questions:

1.) Is there a treatment to prevent this some how?
2.) What's the best way to suck the blue stain OUT?
3.) Seat covers? Sheepskin? I looked around on the forum, and I see that Rams Heads are nice, but 800.00 for a set is a little much. I can get new leather from GAHH for 1700....

Thoughts?

Since you use it as DD I would wash it once a week with soap and then use MB leather foam. I rarely drive my 500E but anyway I use MB foam every two weeks so it keeps nice smell .
 
This old detailer's trick works well too....scrub with a toothbrush and some baking soda toothpaste, clean with cotton towel wet with water, (re)apply your favorite leather treatment.

I kid you not. This even cleans the stitching; which is most noticeable on light colored seats. Mine were blue from the jeans thing.
 
Wow. Very interesting, I've not heard of this before. I expect the same problem would occur even with new leather?

BTW, you can get new front leather from GAT for approx $800/set, a bit less than what GAHH charges. Sounds like that might not prevent the problem from recurring though.

Never thought I'd find a compelling reason for a blue interior, lol!!


:bbq:
 
Seems to me a simple solution ... Wash your friggin' jeans 4 or 5 times before wearing them for the first time. That will get rid of most of the dye that sloughs off.

Oh ... And don't buy/own an E500E with a mushroom interior.

199 + Black leather FTW !!!!!!

:wahoo:

:jelmerian:
 
Mah woman and I pretty much wear Lucky brand jeans exclusively (comfy and durable) and all our home and auto seats are clean. I don't know if the brand of denim has jack shit of relevance to any of this but maybe certain brands' denims aren't thoroughly washed before final delivery. And, if that blue dye mixes with derriere hoobastank and transfers itself unto dry and thirsty leather then...you got a mess to clean.

Leather pre-treated with Leatherique could have resisted some of the staining or at least made it easier to clean. Go buy some if you don't have it, there is a reason Leatherique is always mentioned when discussing leather, it's good stuff.
 
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To answer a few of the questions... Firstly, I always wear exactly the same brand/size/model of jeans. Levi's 527 stonewash (not dark, not light, but in between). Most of them have been washed dozens of times, so it is odd that they stain. It isn't like I am wearing dark Cowboy cut Lee jeans right off the rack. :)

Secondly, I do have Leatherique, but I haven't applied it, because I need to get the blue tinge out first. I will certainly treat the seats as soon as I can get the blue out.

I ordered the MB leather foam as well.

I have read that people use Baking Soda and toothpaste to get stains out. Any advice on how to actually get the blue OUT? I see "Spray and Wash" above, but I am not sure what that is, exactly.

What should I try to get the blue up and out of the leather, so I can treat it to prevent in the future?
 
OK, update... I had purchased the Leatherique "box set" and had been planning on using that stuff as more of a treatment as opposed to a cleaner. But after reding the above, I decided to try the "Prestine" cleaner by itself. I followed the instructions above, and it did EXACTLY what it said it would do. It "liquified" the jeans dye and then I was able to get it out that way. It sort of "pilled up" and I was able to use several applicator pads to lift it out.

I am doing a second pass in a little bit. But so far so good!!!
 

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