How to Make Leather Car Seats Last Longer
Years ago the phrase "It's got leather seats", was a source of much envy. Most cars had vinyl or cloth seating and leather was reserved for the upper class. Most of those people had staff or some business that they went to for car care. Now days, you can get leather in almost anything with wheels and very few of us can afford a butler to clean our cars every day. However, a lot of people don't understand that with leather comes responsibility. The salesman isn't going to tell you that to keep this leather lasting as long as the rest of the car (or longer); there is some maintenance that needs to be done.
If you have a leather chair or sofa in your house it can last decades with little or no maintenance. This is because it sees very little, if any, direct sunlight and it spends its entire life in a temperature controlled environment with small fluctuations in humidity. The environment in your car is nothing like this. The environment in your car is one small step from being left under a tarp in your back yard. Wild swings in temperature, from as low as minus 20 degrees to as high as 130 degrees.
Some of you may be too young to remember making the mistake of sitting on a vinyl seat after the car has been sitting in the sun for a couple hours. The sunlight itself is detrimental to your leathers longevity. UV rays, I'm sure you've heard of them, it's what give us nasty sunburns and it will fade and damage the leather. Keep in mind, leather is a skin, it has pores and it breathes. This is one of the reasons leather is so comfortable. It also means that it will absorb things, sweat, soda pop, coffee, ketchup, etc. All of these things can and will do harm to the leather in your car.
Leather is chock full of essential oils, Ask any fashion conscious woman how important essential oils are to the youthfulness of her skin and you'll get the idea. As the leather loses its oils it will harden and crack – thus prematurely shortening the life of your leather.
There are things you can do to help your leather car seats last longer. The fundamental target behind these actions is to replenish the oils in the leather.
- Start by trying to keep the car out of the sun. I know, this is all but impossible. But you can reduce it, when at home the easiest thing is to park in your garage during the day. If you can't do that, try one of those sun shades that you put in the windshield. Anything you can do to keep it out of direct sunlight.
- Next, keep the seats clean, vacuum regularly to remove dirt and grit that can abrade the surface. Wipe it down regularly with a soft damp cloth. Make sure to get into the seams and crevices.
- Get a good cleaner that is made for leather, (DO NOT USE A VINYL PRODUCT). It should be ph balanced and not contain harsh chemicals. When using these products you don't want to scrub. The procedure is more like an agitation. A gentle swirling motion with a soft cloth to coax out the dirt. Let it dry thoroughly when finished. This is important; FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURERS DIRECTIONS!! These companies have spent a lot of time and money to bring you a product that works and how to use them best.
- Now you will want to replenish those oils. This is where the conditioner comes in. Again follow the direction. Most products will want you to apply this very liberally. Allow it to soak into the leather for a period of time; the leather will absorb all it needs. When it has had its fill it will stop. Use a soft clean cloth to wipe off the excess. Stay away from products that contain any form of silicon. Silicon products get greasy, sticky and have a static quality that attracts dust and dirt.
- Finally, you may want to look into some form of leather protectant. These contain UV blockers, kind of like sunscreen for your seats. It will often also contain sealants to protect the leather from spills and such.
Following these simple steps you will make your leather car seats last longer.
