How To Clean Leather Car Seats

Leather seats are great. They help with resale value, don’t stain easy, are easier to clean, don’t hold odors, plus other benefits. However, with leather seats comes a certain responsibility to maintain them to keep them looking their best. Although it can sound a bit daunting there really is nothing to it and can easily be done yourself while at the comfort of your home. So, let’s jump in and cover how to clean and maintain the leather seats in your car.

For light cleaning or what’s known as a maintenance cleaning, you will need a dedicated leather cleaner such as Meguiar’s Gold Class Rich Leather Spray, microfiber towels, and a good leather cleaning brush.

1. Before cleaning the actual leather it is always best to start with a thorough vacuum. Really get into the seams of the seats to remove any debris. Be careful to not push hard with the attachment against the leather as this can scratch or mar the leather surface.

2. Always clean leather seats while cool and out of direct sunlight. For lightly soiled areas such as seats not used much, mist a few sprays onto a folded microfiber towel and then gently massage into a section of the leather seat until the area has come clean. Then repeat until entire seat is done. Follow the directions on the bottle for any dwell time before wiping with a clean cloth.

3. For dirtier areas such as the drivers seat, spray several sprays onto a leather brush and then agitate the area. You should start to see a light foaming action. If you do not, spray a bit more into the brush. Agitate until you are satisfied with the results.

4. Wipe up any excess product from the seat.

For more of a moderate to heavy cleaning, the process is much the same as above. But, with different products and tools. We will need a dedicated leather cleaner, such as Meguair’s D181 Leather Cleaner, microfiber towels, leather conditioner, a leather brush, applicator pad, and the yellow leather scrubber.

1. Before cleaning the actual leather it is always best to start with a thorough vacuum. Really get into the seams of the seats to remove any debris. Be careful to not push hard with the attachment against the leather as this can scratch or mar the leather surface.

2. Always clean leather seats while cool and out of direct sunlight. For the moderately dirty areas the use of the brush should suffice. Spray several sprays into the leather brush and 1 or 2 sprays onto the area you are working on and then quickly spread the product around using the brush. Do not spray so much that it runs down the leather as this can cause streaks. Just enough to cover the area with a misting.

3. Agitate the area up to 30 seconds to allow the cleaner to break down the dirt and grime. You should see a bit of a foaming action during this. If not spray a bit more into the brush and continue to agitate.

4. Wipe up the cleaner with the microfiber towels. Flip to clean side after each section. Replace the towel when it is either dirty or no longer absorbing the cleaner.

5. Using the leather conditioner apply 2 strips of conditioner to the applicator pad and then fold the pad together to spread the conditioner into the pad.

6. Massage the applicator onto the leather area. Depending on product used let sit for a few minutes and then lightly buff excess conditioner using a clean microfiber towel.

NOTE: For heavier soiled seats or spots you will do the exact same steps as above, except you will use the yellow leather scrubber instead of the brush. This tool really gets down deep into the texture of the leather and is a bit more aggressive than the brush.

Conclusion

You only need to clean the leather seats as needed. It is a good idea to use the leather conditioner at least once a month to keep the leather seats nice and conditioned. Also, it is recommended to do at least a light cleaning before using the conditioner to make sure that it has the best chances to penetrate into the leather. Now you should have a thorough understanding on how to clean and maintain your leather seats. As always, if you do not feel up to the task of cleaning your seats yourself then always use a reputable detailer such as Kaliber Auto Detailing. If you have any questions leave a comment. If this has helped you, Please consider leaving a like or sharing this with your friends and family!