How To Maintain Your Leather Car Seat Covers?

[RSM]

Since i have put my seat cover today, so trying to find out some idea how to maintain it properly.

Found this to be useful. Please share your experiences/knowledge.


The best way to help maintain the beauty and value of you leather car seat cover is to perform regular maintenance on it. Here is the step-by-step process :

•Thoroughly vacuum any loose material from the leather car seat cover, making sure you get into the crevices and seams. Lay the front seats down and pull out the rear seats to really get all that old crud cleaned out.

•If any crud remains trapped in the seams or crevices, use a stiff nylon brush (or even a toothbrush) to work it loose. Be sure not to rub so hard that you scratch the leather.

•It's much easier if you work on a small section at a time. For seats, start off with the backrest portion first, and then take care of the bottom cushion.

•Moisten a washcloth in the bucket of warm water. Wring it out to leave the cloth damp.

•Wash the seatback with the cleaner, getting in the crevices and seams. Don't try to saturate the leather car seat cover, it will only take longer to rinse and dry them out.

•Rinse the same washcloth in the warm water. Wring it out until it's damp, and then clean the soap off the seatback.

•Dry the seat back with a medium-sized towel.

•Repeat this process for each of the seats, washing the top first, rinsing the suds off, and drying the surface. Then do the bottom cushions the same way.

•After cleaning, rinsing and drying, you can start applying a leather conditioner to the first seating surface on which you worked.

•Now you're ready to make the leather car seat cover come back to life ! Dampen a washcloth, and spray a 3"x 3" area of the cloth with the leather conditioner.

•Rub the conditioner into the seat surface, making sure you get good coverage. In general, a circular rubbing motion is more effective than just rubbing in a linear fashion. Don't load up the conditioner in one area, so that the leather is darker in one place than in another.

•Allow the seats about 30 minutes to absorb the conditioner. Then, use a second terry cloth towel to buff out the leather surfaces and any conditioner that has pooled up.

•When you have finished buffing out the leather car seat cover, let the leather breathe for several hours before sitting on them.

Source

 

[cooldhaya]

Hey nice piece of info RSM! Looks like the cleaning is a tough process!

 

[Akash]

Nice points RSM.
@RSM- You can also use Formula one upholstery cleaner for cleaning of your leather seat covers. Its the best cleaner i have come across till date. Just spray it and rub gently with a soft cloth and you will soon find all the dirt out of the seats. Then just wipe off the dirt, also leaves behind a soothing smell.

 

[Aditya]

Looks like you had this in hand even before the seat covers were planned in your vehicle!!

 

[RSM]

Hey nice piece of info RSM! Looks like the cleaning is a tough process!

It looks tough task, but its not.
In short, one should use the air-conditioner as much as possible. Use a moist cloth with a light detergent to remove strong stains. After that, use good quality leather cleaner to treat the leather.

@RSM- You can also use Formula one upholstery cleaner for cleaning of your leather seat covers. Its the best cleaner i have come across till date. Just spray it and rub gently with a soft cloth and you will soon find all the dirt out of the seats. Then just wipe off the dirt, also leaves behind a soothing smell.

Bang-on, this what i was looking for.
I have 3M upholstery cleaner, i am not sure if it can be used on Leather, its not mentione there. I heard Amway cleaner is also good. I will buy something shortly.

Looks like you had this in hand even before the seat covers were planned in your vehicle!!

No Aditya. After they put the cover, i was just looking for some simple way to maintain it. Art Leather/Leather is easier to maintain than Fabrics.

 

[Auto Hub India]

GOOD SET OF INFORMATION RSM,weldone

keep going

 

[Akash]

Bang-on, this what i was looking for.
I have 3M upholstery cleaner, i am not sure if it can be used on Leather, its not mentione there. I heard Amway cleaner is also good. I will buy something shortly.

Formula1 upholstery cleaner can be used on leather seats. I have been using it since we got our City.
About Amway i havent used its upholstery cleaner but using Body polish which gives wonderful results, so trying the Amway cleaner wont be a bad idea. But you will have to shell out a little extra since Amway products are priced a bit higher than regular ones. As for the Formula1 cleaner, it cost Rs.399/- for 600ml bottle.

Art Leather/Leather is easier to maintain than Fabrics.

Thats right. Cleaning fabric by yourself is a tough task especially it requires a lot of effort to get the stains off.

 

[RSM]

I bought Turtle Wax - Leather Cleaner and Cockpit Cleaner.

 

[cooldhaya]

Thats great RSM how much did it cost??


Zinam can you suggest me the places where it is available in Chennai??? Not this brand but any brand which is good! I need these for my Safari and Verna!!

 

[RSM]

Leather Cleaner - Rs 400.
Cockpit Cleaner - Rs 322.

Xenos address in Chennai. Xenos is official distributor of Turtlewax.

HPCL Coco Outlet, 414 - Anna Salai, Nandanam, Opp. YMCA, Chennai - 35.
Phone: 044-32970660
Toll Free:- 1800-2008-222

 

[Zinam]

Thanks RSM for the contacts!

Dhaya,

You can get that at Car Jewels Anna Nagar.

It is near Yesesi Super Market.

 

[cooldhaya]

Thanks Zinam and RSM will check it out!!

 

[RSM]

Dhaya, did you buy these?

I found Leather Cleaner is excellent product. Cockpit Cleaner is OK kind of thing.

 

[cooldhaya]

Hmmm no not yet RSM i got my interiors cleaned at Carnation recently for both the vehicles , so they are as good as new for now!! Will buy it after i get some stains on only!!

 

[Sudhir]

Since i have put my seat cover today, so trying to find out some idea how to maintain it properly.

Found this to be useful. Please share your experiences/knowledge.


The best way to help maintain the beauty and value of you leather car seat cover is to perform regular maintenance on it. Here is the step-by-step process :

•Thoroughly vacuum any loose material from the leather car seat cover, making sure you get into the crevices and seams. Lay the front seats down and pull out the rear seats to really get all that old crud cleaned out.

•If any crud remains trapped in the seams or crevices, use a stiff nylon brush (or even a toothbrush) to work it loose. Be sure not to rub so hard that you scratch the leather.

•It's much easier if you work on a small section at a time. For seats, start off with the backrest portion first, and then take care of the bottom cushion.

•Moisten a washcloth in the bucket of warm water. Wring it out to leave the cloth damp.

•Wash the seatback with the cleaner, getting in the crevices and seams. Don't try to saturate the leather car seat cover, it will only take longer to rinse and dry them out.

•Rinse the same washcloth in the warm water. Wring it out until it's damp, and then clean the soap off the seatback.

•Dry the seat back with a medium-sized towel.

•Repeat this process for each of the seats, washing the top first, rinsing the suds off, and drying the surface. Then do the bottom cushions the same way.

•After cleaning, rinsing and drying, you can start applying a leather conditioner to the first seating surface on which you worked.

•Now you're ready to make the leather car seat cover come back to life ! Dampen a washcloth, and spray a 3"x 3" area of the cloth with the leather conditioner.

•Rub the conditioner into the seat surface, making sure you get good coverage. In general, a circular rubbing motion is more effective than just rubbing in a linear fashion. Don't load up the conditioner in one area, so that the leather is darker in one place than in another.

•Allow the seats about 30 minutes to absorb the conditioner. Then, use a second terry cloth towel to buff out the leather surfaces and any conditioner that has pooled up.

•When you have finished buffing out the leather car seat cover, let the leather breathe for several hours before sitting on them.

Source

Lots of information there buddy. But I suspect its mostly marketing by vendors to sell more products. The best piece of honest advice I got after I did my seats at Karlsson was do not use any leather cleaning products. Just use dilute regular hair shampoo in water and use a sponge to wipe clean. Actually leather / vinyl cleaning products can react with the leather and its a waste of money. Anyone using these leather cleaning products please try it on a small spot and check for reaction before applying it in larger areas.