Clean Leather Interior

Leather interior gives cars a luxurious feel that’s hard to beat. The soft, supple feel of leather on your back is comfortable and the look of it is classic. Maybe you want to know how to keep the interior showroom ready, or maybe you need to know how to clean neglected leather. Either way, by using the right tools and cleaners, you can clean your leather interior like a professional detailer.

Steps

Caring for the Leather Regularly

  1. Wipe your interior down monthly. Since it’s harder to get leather interior clean once it’s heavily soiled, try to wipe down the leather monthly. Use the most gentle method with a soft cloth and water first, and if grime is stubborn, use an all-purpose cleaner second.[1]
  2. Vacuum loose dirt with a plastic attachment. Accumulated dirt will wear leather interior out, because it rubs into the surface. Vacuum any loose dirt, crumbs or sand out with a plastic wand or crevice attachment. Don’t use attachments with a metal tip, because it can scratch the leather.
    • Pull creases of seats open to vacuum out trapped dirt.
    • Concentrate the nozzle on the sides and edges of your interior.
    • Vacuum loose dirt in addition to regularly wiping the interior down.[2]
  3. Wipe the interior down with water first. The less chemicals you use on leather interior the better. Before you use a general cleaner on accumulated dirt, try wiping it off with just a water dampened sponge first. Use an all-purpose cleaner if only water doesn't work.
  4. Spray an all-purpose cleaner on in sections. A general all-purpose cleaner is great at cleaning leather interior that's fairly dirty. Spray the cleaner on in sections no larger than {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} and make sure it doesn’t dry into the surface, because dirt can soak deeper into the leather.[3]
    • Swap your commercial all-purpose cleaner with an environmentally friendly cleaner made out of three parts white vinegar to one part water.
    • If you choose to use
  5. Dry each section with a microfiber cloth. Microfiber is strong enough to wipe away residue from the interior, yet gentle enough to use on leather. Immediately after you spray each section with an all-purpose cleaner, wipe it dry with a smooth microfiber cloth. Spray cleaner on each dirty section and repeat as needed.

Degreasing and Cleaning Deeply

  1. Use a heavy duty degreaser. Neglected leather interior can have a thick layer of grime that only a degreaser product can address. Look for one online, or at your local automotive or home store. Check labels to make sure you can use it on leather interior. Some can be mixed in increasing concentrations to use for all-purpose cleaning up to heavy degreasing.[4]
  2. Spray the degreaser on in sections. Just like regular maintenance using an all-purpose cleaner, spray the stronger degreaser cleaner on in sections no larger than {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. Make sure the degreaser does not dry into the leather.
  3. Scrub with a medium to soft bristle brush. Directly after you spray degreaser on in a section, scrub the area with a medium to soft bristle brush. Use medium pressure to agitate and remove dirt from any textured areas of the leather. Work quickly and remember not to let the cleaner dry up.[1]
    • If you want to make your own scrub brush, substitute a painter’s brush with a nylon bristle one. Cut the length of the bristles in half for more scrub control on the leather.[5]
  4. Get into tight areas with a toothbrush. Areas like the sides of seats and door handles can be hard to get to with a handheld bristle or makeshift painter’s brush. Scrub these areas with an old toothbrush or a cheap one you can throw away afterwards. Depending on how much dirt you need to clean off, the toothbrush may not be usable. Determine if it needs to be thrown out by looking at the bristles. Throw it away if they're flattened down, and if they won't rinse clean.
  5. Wipe each area dry with a microfiber cloth. A smooth microfiber cloth will wipe away all the grease and grime you scrubbed up. Wipe each section dry as you work through the entire interior of your car.

Conditioning Your Leather

  1. Condition leather twice a year or after a heavy cleaning. Make sure leather interior does not dry out by using a leather conditioner on it twice a year. There's no need to condition every time you wipe it down, but make sure you condition after a heavy cleaning. Apply a thorough conditioning cream on the interior if you used a degreaser.
  2. Saturate a foam applicator pad with conditioner. Go to your local automotive store and purchase foam applicator pads. Apply a gumball-sized amount of leather conditioner onto one side and rub it around to saturate and soak into the foam.[6]
  3. Use a small amount of conditioner and apply in sections. After you prime and saturate the foam applicator with conditioner, squirt a small amount more onto it and apply to the interior in sections no larger than {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. Rub the pad into the leather using small circles and firm, but gentle pressure. Rub and watch the conditioner absorb into the leather for about 30 seconds.
    • Some leather interiors have a thick protective coating over leather. Don't worry and don't apply more conditioner if it doesn't readily absorb. Move on to the next step after 30 seconds.
  4. Wipe excess conditioner off with a microfiber cloth. Too much leather conditioner can cause the leather to prematurely crack. Always wipe each area you apply conditioner to with a clean, dry microfiber cloth.
  5. Reapply to areas used more often. Some areas of your interior see more action on a day-to-day basis than others. Make sure you fully condition areas like the armrest and driver-side bolster to help protect the life of your leather. After you apply one coat of conditioner over all of the interior, immediately wipe more conditioner over frequently used areas.[7]
  6. Reapply to any areas not as saturated. Even if you do your best to work the same in each section, some areas will absorb the conditioner better than others. Reapply to areas that are dull looking and could use some extra TLC.

Tips

  • Though all modern leather interior is clear-coated, there are different grades more delicate than others. Spot test in a discreet area before you start cleaning. Spray cleaner on the test area, wipe it off and check the color of the leather. If it discolors, don't use the cleaner.

Things You'll Need

  • All-purpose cleaner
  • Microfiber towel
  • Bristle scrub brush
  • Toothbrush
  • Spray-on degreaser
  • Foam applicator pad
  • Leather conditioner
  • Vacuum with plastic attachments

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.best-auto-detailing-tips.com/clean-leather-car-seat.html
  2. ↑ http://www.autoblog.com/article/how-to-clean-leather-car-seats-autoblog-details/
  3. ↑ https://www.washos.com/blog/clean-leather-seats/
  4. ↑ http://www.best-auto-detailing-tips.com/best-degreaser.html
  5. ↑ http://www.autodetaildoctor.com/clean-a-leather-car-seat/
  6. ↑ http://www.autoblog.com/article/how-to-condition-leather-seats-autoblog-details/
  7. ↑ https://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/esv/esv18/CD/proceed/00091.pdf
Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Clean_Leather_Interior&oldid=309259"