How to Clean Leather Interior
Wipe your interior down monthly., Vacuum loose dirt with a plastic attachment., Wipe the interior down with water first., Spray an all-purpose cleaner on in sections., Dry each section with a microfiber cloth., Use a heavy duty degreaser., Spray the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Wipe your interior down monthly.
Since it’s harder to get leather interior clean once it’s heavily soiled, try to wipe down the leather monthly.
Use the most gentle method with a soft cloth and water first, and if grime is stubborn, use an all-purpose cleaner second., Accumulated dirt will wear leather interior out, because it rubs into the surface.
Vacuum any loose dirt, crumbs or sand out with a plastic wand or crevice attachment.
Don’t use attachments with a metal tip, because it can scratch the leather.
Pull creases of seats open to vacuum out trapped dirt.
Concentrate the nozzle on the sides and edges of your interior.
Vacuum loose dirt in addition to regularly wiping the interior down., The less chemicals you use on leather interior the better.
Before you use a general cleaner on accumulated dirt, try wiping it off with just a water dampened sponge first.
Use an all-purpose cleaner if only water doesn't work. , A general all-purpose cleaner is great at cleaning leather interior that's fairly dirty.
Spray the cleaner on in sections no larger than 6 inches (15 cm) and make sure it doesn’t dry into the surface, because dirt can soak deeper into the leather.Swap your commercial all-purpose cleaner with an environmentally friendly cleaner made out of three parts white vinegar to one part water.
If you choose to use , Microfiber is strong enough to wipe away residue from the interior, yet gentle enough to use on leather.
Immediately after you spray each section with an all-purpose cleaner, wipe it dry with a smooth microfiber cloth.
Spray cleaner on each dirty section and repeat as needed. , Neglected leather interior can have a thick layer of grime that only a degreaser product can address.
Look for one online, or at your local automotive or home store.
Check labels to make sure you can use it on leather interior.
Some can be mixed in increasing concentrations to use for all-purpose cleaning up to heavy degreasing., Just like regular maintenance using an all-purpose cleaner, spray the stronger degreaser cleaner on in sections no larger than 12 by 12 inches (30 by 30 cm).
Make sure the degreaser does not dry into the leather. , Directly after you spray degreaser on in a section, scrub the area with a medium to soft bristle brush.
Use medium pressure to agitate and remove dirt from any textured areas of the leather.
Work quickly and remember not to let the cleaner dry up.If you want to make your own scrub brush, substitute a painter’s brush with a nylon bristle one.
Cut the length of the bristles in half for more scrub control on the leather., Areas like the sides of seats and door handles can be hard to get to with a handheld bristle or makeshift painter’s brush.
Scrub these areas with an old toothbrush or a cheap one you can throw away afterwards.
Depending on how much dirt you need to clean off, the toothbrush may not be usable.
Determine if it needs to be thrown out by looking at the bristles.
Throw it away if they're flattened down, and if they won't rinse clean. , A smooth microfiber cloth will wipe away all the grease and grime you scrubbed up.
Wipe each section dry as you work through the entire interior of your car. , Make sure leather interior does not dry out by using a leather conditioner on it twice a year.
There's no need to condition every time you wipe it down, but make sure you condition after a heavy cleaning.
Apply a thorough conditioning cream on the interior if you used a degreaser. , Go to your local automotive store and purchase foam applicator pads.
Apply a gumball-sized amount of leather conditioner onto one side and rub it around to saturate and soak into the foam., After you prime and saturate the foam applicator with conditioner, squirt a small amount more onto it and apply to the interior in sections no larger than 12 by 12 inches (30 by 30 cm).
Rub the pad into the leather using small circles and firm, but gentle pressure.
Rub and watch the conditioner absorb into the leather for about 30 seconds.
Some leather interiors have a thick protective coating over leather.
Don't worry and don't apply more conditioner if it doesn't readily absorb.
Move on to the next step after 30 seconds. , Too much leather conditioner can cause the leather to prematurely crack.
Always wipe each area you apply conditioner to with a clean, dry microfiber cloth. , Some areas of your interior see more action on a day-to-day basis than others.
Make sure you fully condition areas like the armrest and driver-side bolster to help protect the life of your leather.
After you apply one coat of conditioner over all of the interior, immediately wipe more conditioner over frequently used areas., Even if you do your best to work the same in each section, some areas will absorb the conditioner better than others.
Reapply to areas that are dull looking and could use some extra TLC. -
Step 2: Vacuum loose dirt with a plastic attachment.
-
Step 3: Wipe the interior down with water first.
-
Step 4: Spray an all-purpose cleaner on in sections.
-
Step 5: Dry each section with a microfiber cloth.
-
Step 6: Use a heavy duty degreaser.
-
Step 7: Spray the degreaser on in sections.
-
Step 8: Scrub with a medium to soft bristle brush.
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Step 9: Get into tight areas with a toothbrush.
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Step 10: Wipe each area dry with a microfiber cloth.
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Step 11: Condition leather twice a year or after a heavy cleaning.
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Step 12: Saturate a foam applicator pad with conditioner.
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Step 13: Use a small amount of conditioner and apply in sections.
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Step 14: Wipe excess conditioner off with a microfiber cloth.
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Step 15: Reapply to areas used more often.
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Step 16: Reapply to any areas not as saturated.
Detailed Guide
Since it’s harder to get leather interior clean once it’s heavily soiled, try to wipe down the leather monthly.
Use the most gentle method with a soft cloth and water first, and if grime is stubborn, use an all-purpose cleaner second., Accumulated dirt will wear leather interior out, because it rubs into the surface.
Vacuum any loose dirt, crumbs or sand out with a plastic wand or crevice attachment.
Don’t use attachments with a metal tip, because it can scratch the leather.
Pull creases of seats open to vacuum out trapped dirt.
Concentrate the nozzle on the sides and edges of your interior.
Vacuum loose dirt in addition to regularly wiping the interior down., The less chemicals you use on leather interior the better.
Before you use a general cleaner on accumulated dirt, try wiping it off with just a water dampened sponge first.
Use an all-purpose cleaner if only water doesn't work. , A general all-purpose cleaner is great at cleaning leather interior that's fairly dirty.
Spray the cleaner on in sections no larger than 6 inches (15 cm) and make sure it doesn’t dry into the surface, because dirt can soak deeper into the leather.Swap your commercial all-purpose cleaner with an environmentally friendly cleaner made out of three parts white vinegar to one part water.
If you choose to use , Microfiber is strong enough to wipe away residue from the interior, yet gentle enough to use on leather.
Immediately after you spray each section with an all-purpose cleaner, wipe it dry with a smooth microfiber cloth.
Spray cleaner on each dirty section and repeat as needed. , Neglected leather interior can have a thick layer of grime that only a degreaser product can address.
Look for one online, or at your local automotive or home store.
Check labels to make sure you can use it on leather interior.
Some can be mixed in increasing concentrations to use for all-purpose cleaning up to heavy degreasing., Just like regular maintenance using an all-purpose cleaner, spray the stronger degreaser cleaner on in sections no larger than 12 by 12 inches (30 by 30 cm).
Make sure the degreaser does not dry into the leather. , Directly after you spray degreaser on in a section, scrub the area with a medium to soft bristle brush.
Use medium pressure to agitate and remove dirt from any textured areas of the leather.
Work quickly and remember not to let the cleaner dry up.If you want to make your own scrub brush, substitute a painter’s brush with a nylon bristle one.
Cut the length of the bristles in half for more scrub control on the leather., Areas like the sides of seats and door handles can be hard to get to with a handheld bristle or makeshift painter’s brush.
Scrub these areas with an old toothbrush or a cheap one you can throw away afterwards.
Depending on how much dirt you need to clean off, the toothbrush may not be usable.
Determine if it needs to be thrown out by looking at the bristles.
Throw it away if they're flattened down, and if they won't rinse clean. , A smooth microfiber cloth will wipe away all the grease and grime you scrubbed up.
Wipe each section dry as you work through the entire interior of your car. , Make sure leather interior does not dry out by using a leather conditioner on it twice a year.
There's no need to condition every time you wipe it down, but make sure you condition after a heavy cleaning.
Apply a thorough conditioning cream on the interior if you used a degreaser. , Go to your local automotive store and purchase foam applicator pads.
Apply a gumball-sized amount of leather conditioner onto one side and rub it around to saturate and soak into the foam., After you prime and saturate the foam applicator with conditioner, squirt a small amount more onto it and apply to the interior in sections no larger than 12 by 12 inches (30 by 30 cm).
Rub the pad into the leather using small circles and firm, but gentle pressure.
Rub and watch the conditioner absorb into the leather for about 30 seconds.
Some leather interiors have a thick protective coating over leather.
Don't worry and don't apply more conditioner if it doesn't readily absorb.
Move on to the next step after 30 seconds. , Too much leather conditioner can cause the leather to prematurely crack.
Always wipe each area you apply conditioner to with a clean, dry microfiber cloth. , Some areas of your interior see more action on a day-to-day basis than others.
Make sure you fully condition areas like the armrest and driver-side bolster to help protect the life of your leather.
After you apply one coat of conditioner over all of the interior, immediately wipe more conditioner over frequently used areas., Even if you do your best to work the same in each section, some areas will absorb the conditioner better than others.
Reapply to areas that are dull looking and could use some extra TLC.
About the Author
Gary Lewis
Enthusiastic about teaching creative arts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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