When it comes to giving your vehicle’s interior a completely luxurious and plush feel, you simply can’t go wrong when you invest in high quality leather seats and furnishings. Leather is actually made of thousands upon thousands of intertwined fibers. These fibers naturally have pores throughout the single piece of leather, not unlike our skin. Proper leather maintenance begins with learning how to clean these thousands of fibers.
You’ll want to focus on cleaning out your leather seats to prevent dirt and dust from clogging its pores while taking out fiber-severing abrasives at the same time. These factors can contribute to the breakdown of leather, causing unsightly cracks and ripping. If you like bringing small children or pets along with you during your road trips, then it’s best to have plastic seat covers for the kids and pet pads or pet seat covers for your pooch or kitty. You can also keep your leather interior protected from the harsh rays of the sun by investing in a great reflective sun shield.
Clean your vehicle’s interior regularly. I suggest you also use leather conditioners to help you maintain the leather’s natural shine and softness. Although leather is incredibly hardwearing and tough, you still need to find the right conditioners and cleaners that can help you maintain your vehicle’s pricey interior. While older leather interiors were traditionally made from pure leather, most of today’s leather interiors are simply leather coated with a supply vinyl. To find out whether your ride is sporting pure leather or not, conduct this quick and simple test.
Using clean and cool water, put a couple of drops on your leather seats. If your seats are 100% leather, the seat should absorb the water. If the water is repelled, then your leather is vinyl-coated. Don’t worry about water ruining your vehicle’s leather interior. If it’s in very small doses, it shouldn’t cause any harm—just don’t use a bucketful. Please don’t use any other liquid to conduct this test. Juices, coffee and soda will leave a nasty stain on your leather seats—and it’s going to be pretty hard to remove.
When picking out conditioners and cleaners, remember that saddle conditioners and soap is never used on automotive leather. While these cleaners may be good for your go-go boots, it can actually damage your leather seats. Also, stay away from soap that contains alkalis, household cleaners and detergents—these cleaners will only do more harm than good. Choose the leather cleaner that’s specifically designed for your auto’s leather interior.
Before soaping away at your vehicle’s interior, remember to first remove dirt and oil deposits using clean and soft cloths. If there’s stubborn grime lodged in your leather seat’s crevices, use an upholstery brush to gently remove the dirt. An old toothbrush may be used, just don’t brush too hard. If you brush too hard, the bristles will produce scratches on your leather’s surface, and this is something you really don’t want for your car.
Once all the dirt and oil deposits are gone, you can now proceed to conditioning your leather. Leather conditioners are specifically designed to lubricate and moisturize each of your leather seat’s numerous fibers, preventing them from drying up and becoming brittle. Make sure your leather conditioners offer enough UV protection. You’ll know that you have the right conditioner if your leather absorbs the conditioner fully without leaving tell-tale residues. If the surface is oily after initial application, then you may have to start looking for a new leather conditioner. Choose pH balanced, waterproofing, and stain-repellant leather conditioners.
Remember, careful maintenance of your leather interior can significantly boost your car’s value and aesthetics. Keep your car looking and feeling like brand new by caring for your car’s leather interior.
