Leather seats are attractive to look at and very comfortable to sit in. Not only that, during hot weather, they absorb perspiration whereas vinyl seats trap it. No wonder leather seats are so popular. But, leather requires maintenance to remain in good shape. The problem is that leather is organic, they are literally the skins of animals and, as a result, can deteriorate over time. As a result, if you have leather seats, it is recommended you clean and condition them frequently. Here’s how to do it:
Cleaning Leather Seats
It is best if you clean leather with a brand-name leather cleaner. There are many that exist and you can find them at hardware stores and auto parts stores, among others. The way they work is simple: they gently re-hydrate whatever grime and gunk accumulate on the seating so it can be wiped off.
The actual procedure is simple too. Apply a small amount of your chosen cleaner to a cloth and lather up all your leather seating surfaces good. After sitting for a few minutes, remove the excess lather. Then give the surfaces a good cleaning with clean water and a sponge.
Conditioning Leather Seats
Once your leather is good and clean, you should restore the lost oils with a quality leather conditioner. Also available at hardware stores and autoparts stores, spend a few dollars and get a good conditioner. There are many good ones on the market.
To apply it: put a little bit of the conditioner of it on a cotton cloth and rub gently onto the surface. Do not be afraid to really saturate the leather with this stuff. Then allow it to absorb for several minutes (maybe many minutes if its cold out) and then wipe off the excess.
Older Leather
The majority of people don’t treat their leather seats enough. This is why you see so many older cars with stiff, cracked leather seats. If your leather hardened or needs a good deal of softening, there are several products available to help you with this. The products are paste-like and are designed to really penetrate into the leather surface.
The procedure to restore seats is similar to conditioning, just a little more rigorous. You usually coat the old leather surfaces with a nice thick coat of the product and let it sink in for 24 hours or so. Depending upon the condition of the leather, the seats may require numerous additional applications too. With luck, you should pull through with resurrecting the old leather you started with and have softer, more appealing surfaces to use.
Article Courtesy of: Interstate Dodge
