Leather Interior Care for Your Car

You work hard to keep your car running smoothly, so why not apply that same care to the interior? Your car’s interior is important in the overall maintenance of your vehicle, and regular care is quick and easy to do. Keep reading for some tips on keeping your leather seats in tip-top shape.

Start by reading the owner’s manual, you may find specific instructions or recommendations from the manufacturer.

Gently sweep your interior from top to bottom- even the non leather portions of your car. This will remove dirt and debris before you actually begin cleaning. Next, take a clean microfiber cloth and add a few drops of cleaner. Start in a small, inconspicuous area to ensure the cleaner to you are using does not discolor or damage your leather. If the cleaner works like it should, gently buff away from your seats to your console.

After the initial cleaning, grab a soft-bristled brush and spray the cleaner directly onto your seats. Gently scrub the leather with the brush to agitate any dirt or debris that was left behind by the initial cleaning. If you have perforated leather in your car, skip this step as you don’t want to clog the perforations. Once you’ve brushed in your cleaner, grab another clean microfiber cloth and wipe down your seats and consoles for remove the cleaner. You’ll notice residue on the cloth which means your seats are already cleaner!

Now that your leather interior has been properly cleaned, it’s time to condition your seats. This will ensure your seats stay soft, and will extend the wear of the leather. When shopping for a conditioner, look for a high quality leather condition that does not contain waxes, petroleum distillates, or silicone. You will also want to stick with a water-based, neutral pH conditioner as you will want to replenish the natural oils in the leather. The quality of your leather conditioner is key, do not skimp on this as cheap conditioners may leave your leather with a greasy look and finish- no one wants that.

You will want to again start in a small, inconspicuous area to ensure that the conditioner doesn’t damage or discolor the leather. If there are no issues, use a microfiber cloth to buff all leather surfaces, moving in a circular direction. Be sure to wipe away an excess conditioner then let it sit for at least an hour or just leave it be overnight. Note: do not do this under strong UV light. Harsh sunlight is never a good thing for leather but especially while you are conditioning your leather, keep your car in the shade.

Your final step in routine leather care is to wipe down your seats one final time. If you would rather leave your car’s interior maintenance to the pros, check out our list of detailing services( https://germancarspecialist.com/detailing-services). We care about your vehicle as much as you do.