How do you clean leather car seats?
Vacuum the seat and the seams, then clean one seat at a time with a pH neutral leather cleaner on a cloth, working into the grain with a soft brush. Wipe off, let it dry, then condition with a thin coat of balsam. Three or four times a year suits a car that lives outside.
Why car leather has a harder life than furniture
A parked car in an Australian summer gets far hotter than any room, and that heat drives the oils out of the hide. Add sunlight through the glass, the friction of getting in and out, sunscreen, sweat and denim dye, and car leather ages faster than anything else people own. The bolster on the driver's seat almost always goes first.
The method
- Vacuum thoroughly, including down the sides of the squab and into the seams where grit collects.
- Work one seat at a time so nothing dries before you have wiped it off.
- Spray the cleaner onto a cloth, not onto the seat. Wipe the panel, and use a soft brush on the grain if the leather is dirty rather than dusty.
- Wipe off with a clean damp cloth and let the seat dry fully.
- Condition thinly. A small amount of Renapur Leather Balsam on a sponge, worked over the surface. It should not look wet when you have finished.
Perforated and ventilated seats
The holes are the reason to be careful. Never spray anything directly at a perforated panel, because liquid that goes through the holes sits in the foam underneath. Put the product on the cloth, spread it thinly on a solid part of the seat first so the cloth is evenly loaded, then work across the perforated area. Wipe any residue out of the holes before it dries.
How often should you condition car seats?
Three or four times a year for a car parked outside, twice a year for a garaged car. If the seat feels dry or the colour looks flat and grey rather than rich, it is due regardless.
What not to use on car leather
- All purpose cleaners and interior sprays. Usually alkaline, and they take the finish with the dirt.
- Shine or dressing products. A glossy seat is slippery and it looks like plastic. Worse, silicone builds up and is difficult to remove later.
- Magic erasers. They are abrasive. They remove the pigment along with the mark.
- Water alone on a stain. It spreads the mark and leaves a ring.
Can you fix cracked car seats?
No product reverses a crack, because the hide has split. Conditioning stops the cracking spreading and keeps the rest of the seat supple, which is why it is worth doing on a car you intend to keep. Deep splits are a trimmer's job.
Will it darken the leather?
Renapur is colour neutral, though it can darken some leathers slightly, and a very dry hide often looks richer afterwards simply because it is no longer parched. Test a small area under the seat or on the rear of a squab first if you are unsure.
What about suede, alcantara or fabric inserts?
Many sports seats mix leather bolsters with suede or alcantara centres. Balsam must not go on those. Use the Protector Spray for suede, nubuck and fabric, and keep the balsam to the smooth leather.
For a car interior the Clean and Restore Bundle covers both jobs, and the Care Finder will confirm what suits your seats.
