Leather Car Seats: How to Maintain Them

Your car seats generally take quite a bit of abuse over time and will obviously become a mess if they are not cleaned regularly. And, who doesn't want the interior of his/her car to be spick and span? However, different types of car seats or car seat covers require different treatments and cleaning processes to suit the type of leather or fabric.

If you have leather seats or leather seat covers, here are a few simple steps to make them look like you just bought them yesterday:

1. Specialist leather car seat cleaner
Right at the outset, always remember that leather or faux-leather car upholstery should be treated with a great level of care, and should always be cleaned with a specialist leather car upholstery cleaner.

2. Use a vacuum cleaner
Use either your household vacuum cleaner with the appropriate attachment or a portable hand-held alternative to vacuum up any debris from the seats and the rest of the car's interior. This will prevent you from tracking any dirt onto the seats as you clean them.

Read More: How to Clean Fabric Car Seats

3. Do a spot test
Test any cleaning product on a small, inconspicuous area of the car upholstery first - this way, you can make sure that no damage will be caused.

4. Apply the leather car seat cleaner
If the spot test is fine, apply sparing amounts of your car upholstery cleaner as directed on the packaging of the product.

5. Wipe it down
Carefully wipe down the seats with a moist chamois, taking care to make sure that the cleaning agent is entirely removed.

6. Dry the seats
Allow the seats to dry naturally, making sure that no soap spots or stains have been left behind.

7. Use a leather conditioner
Periodically, you should also use a leather conditioner to ensure that your car seats are properly maintained. These conditioners ensure that the leather in your seats retain and replenish their natural oils, and will prevent their surface from becoming dry and cracked in the course of the car's lifespan. Always read the label to find out how and when to use these products.

So it's quite simple. Follow the above steps to clean your car's leather upholstery on a regular basis and you will be rewarded with great looking car seats.