5 Easy Steps To Cleaning and Protecting Your Leather Car Seats

In this article you will learn:

How to Clean Leather Car Seats in 5 Steps

Why you should maintain the leather in your car interior

Some simple ways to clean and protect your leather car seats

Which cleaner and leather conditioner is best

From pleasure drives to your daily commute, every moment behind the wheel gets just a little bit better with luxurious touches like leather seat covers and upholstery. To continue enjoying this rich experience year after year, drivers need to give their leather surfaces some simple TLC every now and then.

For most people, all it takes is a quick cleaning and conditioning every three months or so. Using the right products in the right ways, you’ll keep your leather upholstery feeling soft and supple while protecting it from cracking, fading and other damage caused by the sun and general wear and tear.

So here you go—the easy, step-by-step guide on how to protect leather car seats and upholstery to maintain its luxurious condition.

What you need to know

You likely never stop to think about this, but your car and everything in it withstands withering exposure to the sun’s harsh UV rays day-in and day-out. Considering how much exposure it gets, its ability to endure this treatment is really remarkable. However, every surface has its limits, and leather is one of the most vulnerable automotive materials. With too much sun exposure and too little care from the driver, leather upholstery will become brittle and dry, prematurely aging, fading and cracking. Without proper care, your expensive upholstery may start to look like old, cheap leather.

On the flipside, with the right care, you can protect your leather and expect a lifetime of luxury from it. You simply need to perform some leather cleaning and conditioning on a regular basis. The frequency depends on how much traffic you have in your car seats and how much sun exposure your car gets. If you don’t drive your car frequently and store it in a garage, your upholstery will require less care, maybe once every three months. If your car is a daily driver; you commonly carry a number of passengers and you frequently park under unobstructed sun, you should give it extra care, cleaning and conditioning all leather on a monthly schedule.

Today’s car care companies make leather care simple. For instance, our high quality Luxe Leather Cleaner & Conditioner and Hybrid Solutions Leather Mist are safe for all types of leathers. These products contain stain removers and conditioners, like aloe vera and neatsfoot oil, for easy cleaning and conditioning. Paired with a microfiber cloth or, for gentle scrubbing action, our Scrub Ninja Pad, you can care for every leather surface in your car’s interior in just minutes.

Pro Tip: Never set sharp objects on your leather seats. If you’re wearing clothes with metal rivets or buttons, use caution when you get in and out of your car. These can scratch or tear your upholstery.

Step 1: Vacuum loose dirt

Certain soils, foods and sand can act as abrasives on leather surfaces. Removing them first is critical so you don’t rub them into the leather. Use a portable vacuum cleaner with an upholstery attachment or a commercial vacuum with a soft nozzle to remove all loose soils from your seats. Pay special attention to the seams and tight spaces between the cushions. If necessary, use a brush with soft bristles to get into those spots and vacuum again.

Step 2: Apply leather cleaner and conditioner

If you’re using our Hybrid Solutions Leather Mist, the Flairosol bottle gives you two choices. You can use repeated short bursts of spray for small, pinpoint application or you can hold down the trigger for continuous spray across large surfaces. If you spot a stain or stuck-on soil, apply more product to those problem areas. You never want to scour leather, so the additional product will help those soils break free without undue scrubbing.

Step 3: Wipe leather car seats and upholstery

Using a microfiber cloth or Scrub Ninja Pad, gently wipe in a circular motion to remove dirt, grime and oils.

Step 4: Wipe away excess product and soils

Wipe away all excess product and soil with a microfiber towel.

Step 5: Buff leather surfaces to a supple shine

Turn your microfiber towel to a clean side and buff the clean leather to a soft, conditioned finish. This last step helps the conditioning agents penetrate deeply into the leather upholstery, for long-lasting protection from wear and UV rays.

That’s all there is to it! To preserve all the luxury of leather, you only need to spend a few minutes of time to perform a simple cleaning and conditioning. Follow these easy steps on a regular schedule and you’ll continue living the good life every time you drive.