Adding the luxury of leather to your vehicle improves the overall appearance. However, taking care of leather seats requires more work than other materials. Due to the slick surface, the material is less likely to stain when compared to cloth seats. Despite this, knowing how to properly condition leather will lengthen the life of the interior in your car.
Condition Leather: How to Do It
Maintenance
The biggest reason to maintain the leather is to keep the seats from splitting or tearing. The constant wear and tear eventually lead to damaged material. Cleaning and conditioning the leather on a regular basis help protect and extend the life of your interior.
Prep Work to Condition Leather
First, thoroughly vacuum the interior of the car before beginning. This leaves you with a clean slate to work with before applying any conditioner. Make sure to reach in between the seats and into the stitching. This allows the entire surface to be clean to work on the seats.
Wipe Down
If the seats are extremely dirty, wipe down the material with a damp cloth. This captures any dirt or debris that might be stuck to the seats. If any substance adheres to the leather, you want to remove it before conditioning. Otherwise, you might be sealing the grime into the seats.
Choosing a Product to Condition Leather
Selecting the proper product to condition leather is important. You can research and find the most highly-rated solution before purchasing anything. Choose a water-based, pH neutral conditioner when you look at options. However, another option might be to make your own leather conditioner. This ensures the solution is organic and won’t harm your seats when you use it.
Applying the Conditioner
Most of the time, leather cleaners and conditioners are available in squirt bottles. This makes it easy to apply because you apply the solution directly to a microfiber cloth. Make sure to apply the product to every area, including the back and sides of the seats.
Gently massage the conditioner into the material with circular motions. However, avoid using too much solution because it will create a slick surface and leave behind a residue.
Dry Surface
Once you complete the application of the conditioner, you will need to wipe down the seats. This captures any leftover solution that might not have soaked into the material. Use a dry microfiber cloth to remove any excess product.
Prevention
In order to prevent the leather from wearing down, performing this conditioning on a regular basis is important. Keeping the seats clean and free of debris will help eliminate the chances of the material tearing as well. The more dirt that remains on the leather, the more likely it could deteriorate the surface.
Applying a conditioner keeps the material’s elasticity and avoids rips. Additionally, it helps maintain the appearance of the seats by restoring the natural oils in the leather.
The steps to condition leather can be time-consuming. However, professional businesses also perform this type of service for vehicles. DetailXPerts, a mobile eco-friendly detailing company specializes in car restoration. This includes leather cleaning and conditioning. Our highly-trained technicians refresh your interior and restore its condition.
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