If you own something valuable, such as a car with leather interior, it's important to take care of it. Leather is susceptible to staining and wear and tear. Heat, sunlight, heavy use, dirt and excessive drying can all damage your seats over time. By keeping your leather car seats clean and regularly conditioned, it will keep its value for a longer period of time. Here are some steps to condition and restore your leather car seats.
1. Be sure you have real leather seats
Make sure your car seats are leather before proceeding. Many car seats look like leather but are actually vinyl or what many manufacturers refer to as leatherette. These synthetic materials do not need to be conditioned with leather conditioner, as they do not dry out the way genuine leather does.
You also want to confirm your leather seats are not coated, which is relatively common in car interiors. Coated leather often cannot absorb a leather conditioner; however, in time, the coating will wear off with use and that is when you want to start conditioning.
If you're not sure whether your car seats are faux or coated leather, test our leather conditioner in a discreet area to see if it absorbs. As an alternative, you can drip some water on your seats. If the conditioner or water absorb into the leather, the seats are likely not coated and are likely genuine leather. That means it's time to restore your leather car seats to their previous glory.
2. Clean your leather car seats
If you want to be extra thorough with your leather car seats, you might want to remove them first. However, if that seems a bit too much, just make sure you clean your leather car seats before you apply the leather conditioner. Use a vacuum to remove debris and apply a leather cleaner to the seats. Allow them to completely dry before moving on to the next step.
3. Apply leather conditioner to the leather seats
If your test area absorbs the leather conditioner, you are ready to apply a thin, even coat all over the leather car seats. For the application, it's best to use a lint-free cloth. Our lint-free application cloth won't scratch leather car seats like other cloths. Almost instantly, you will notice the leather’s richer color and fresh gloss. Allow the leather to dry completely after conditioning, which can take up to 24 hours. Our leather conditioner is suitable for use on perforated seats, seats with stitching and seats with heating elements.
4. Reapply if necessary
Depending on how worn or old your leather car seats are, you might need to reapply the conditioner. Just as you did the first time around, apply a thin layer of leather conditioner using a lint-free cloth. Once the application is complete, allow your car seats to completely dry before using them/reinstalling them.
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