The Ultimate Low-Effort Strategy for Cleaning Your Leather Car Seats

Vacuum the seats

Before cleaning or conditioning your leather seats, it’s best to vacuum the entire car interior, including the floors, door compartments, seats, and all other areas. A clean interior prevents dirt and debris from transferring back onto the seats during the cleaning process. Pay close attention to the seams, stitching, and crevices, ensuring that you remove all dirt, pet hair, and food crumbs.

If your leather seats have any tears, apply a small piece of tape to the back of the tear to hold it flat. This temporary fix helps keep the surface flat when applying the cleaner and conditioner. While you can work around it, taping it down makes the process smoother and easier.

Tip: Using an air compressor with an air gun nozzle is an excellent way to dislodge trapped crumbs, dirt, or small pebbles from seat perforations and tight seams.

Apply cleaner

To clean, start by spraying a generous amount of cleaner onto a clean microfiber towel. In a circular motion, wipe the entire seat down, including the headrest. For the seams and crevices, scrub back and forth with the seams. To get deep into the seams, you can use a card or simply fold the nail of your finger into the microfiber towel and follow the seams of the seat.

With most seats, you will notice a difference in the color tone of the seat as you clean it. The clean parts will have a satin sheen instead of a matte. Reapply the cleaner as needed until the seat is fully clean, then allow it to dry.

I swear by Griot’s Garage Interior Cleaner Spray for a cleaning product. It’s been one of my go-tos for years. With this product, my seats look cleaner longer than other brands, plus it doesn’t make them feel slippery or greasy.

Deep clean with a brush (optional)

A microfiber towel is sufficient for cleaning the seats, but for a deeper clean, use a soft-bristled boar hair detailing brush to clean tight seams and perforations more effectively. To use, apply two to three sprays of the cleaner directly to the seat, then gently agitate the area with the brush, moving in a circular motion on flat surfaces and side-to-side for the seams. The cleaner will form small white suds from the brush, but will clear up soon after. Reapply more cleaner to other areas when needed. Once finished, wipe any residue off the seat with a clean microfiber towel and allow it to completely dry.

Apply Conditioner

Next, condition your leather seats using a 3-in-1 leather cleaner and conditioner or a standalone conditioner. I prefer to use a 3-in-1 leather cleaner and conditioner because it not only conditions my seats but also removes any light dust that may have accumulated on them while drying. The most important aspect of a conditioner is ensuring it conditions the type of leather seats in your car- synthetic or real leather. With my car seats being synthetic leather, I choose a 3-in-1 works with synthetic materials. For cars with genuine leather seats, I recommend a standalone conditioner for optimal results.

To apply, spray or apply a generous amount of conditioner onto a clean microfiber towel and work it into the leather, using a side-to-side or circular motion just like with the cleaner. Be sure to get into every seam, crevice, and all around the headrest to ensure it is completely protected. Reapply as needed, using more if necessary, as a small amount goes a long way. Wipe away any residue to prevent buildup and streaking. If you have perforated seats, be sure not to over-saturate them, as this can clog the tiny holes, causing the seats to fail to ventilate properly.

After applying the conditioner, avoid sitting on or touching the seats for 12 to 24 hours. Sitting in the car too soon will result in the conditioner not fully being absorbed or dry and transferring to your clothes when you sit down. Once finished, your leather seats should look refreshed and protected.

FAQ

How often do you need to clean leather car seats?

To keep them looking fresh and clean, you should clean your leather car seats at least once a month. You can get away with cleaning it every few months, but a thorough cleaning may be required. If you have kids or pets, increase the frequency as needed.

How to get smells out of leather car seats?

Most of the time, cleaning your seats with cleaner and applying conditioner will eliminate the odors from your leather seats. But if they don’t, some car cleaning products have odor-eliminating cleaning solutions for leather seats to help eliminate those odors. Another option is to use baking soda, sprinkled on the seat, and let it sit overnight to absorb the odor. Then, vacuum it up afterwards. Follow with a leather seat cleaner after that.

Are car seats real leather?

Yes and no, depending on the brand and trim of the car. Most leather seats in cars nowadays are not genuine leather; they are made from a synthetic material called leatherette. Higher trim cars will most likely have real leather or a very high-end synthetic leather. Car brands will trademark their synthetic materials to differentiate them from real leather. For example, Toyota refers to it as SofTex, while BMW calls it SensaTec. Leatherette is used over real leather because it is more durable and significantly cheaper; that is why most car brands use it. Also, it is an animal-free option.

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