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What is the best cleaner for leather car seats? Leather has always been a material of attraction and a sign of luxury. People prefer leather upholstery as it can be cleaned easily as well as looks neat.
Leather quickly gets dirty and should be cleaned often. People go for leather seats in their cars as they are easy to clean. You will see leather seats in the majority of vehicles. It does look pretty, but it needs to be clean often, or otherwise, it will become dirty so quickly that you can face embarrassment in front of others.
For this purpose, you should know how to keep your car seats clean, and what is the best cleaner for leather car seats?
But first, we need to know what car leather cleaner is.
Table of Contents
WHAT IS A CAR LEATHER CLEANER IS?
By car leather cleaner, we certainly mean a solution preferred to clean leather seats and upholstery. They have chemical cleaning agents to clean up dirt and greasy substances from the surfaces.
Mostly automotive and household companies are involved in its manufacturing. These cleaners are made by keeping in mind the needs and sensitivity of every surface. Every surface has its uniqueness and properties. There are even hundreds of types of leathers. So, there are chances that cleaner made for one specific body may damage and harm the surface when used on any other surface. Thus, it is better to use a cleaner suitable, and made for that surface.
HOW TO CLEAN THE LEATHER SEATS?
You got the answer for the best cleaners for leather seats, time for the next query. How to clean leather car seats? People usually misinterpret the cleaning of car seats when shown in advertisements. It is seen that most people move directly to the conditioning part of the leather without following the previous steps. Most of the information provided is outdated and wrong most of the time. Then if you ask yourself that why doesn’t your car leather seats getting clean, you may look out for the steps you’ve followed that whether they are correct or not. You can also look at the cleaner you are using because it might not clean well. If it is the wrong cleaner, then you need to change it instantly.
- CHECK FOR HOLES
Leather is sensitive material, and there are chances that it might get damaged easily. Check if the leather is torn or damaged from someplace before cleaning it. If not taken care of, the seat might get hurt.
- VACCUM
Vacuum the car seat so that dust and other solid particles get removed and will not damage the seat when cleaned with cleaner. Be extremely cautious while doing a vacuum so the leather does not get scratched.
- REMOVE SURFACE DUST MANUALLY
After vacuuming, you must check thoroughly if any sharp dust particles are left. This step will make cleaning easier.
- APPLY CLEANSER
You have just removed the concrete dust from your leather tie to get to the next step, cleansing. Applying a cleanser is the primary step of cleaning. Apply the cleaner on a little portion for the test with a microfiber cloth. Cleanse the seat in a circular motion because it is the correct way of applying the cleanser. Use a brush to cleanse your car leather have small holes in it. Keep wiping the surface you have cleansed to avoid accumulation.
- CONDITION SEAT
Please choose the best conditioner for your car leather seats to give it a shiny and clean look. Go for the one which does not contain petroleum or waxes. Conditioning is necessary to provide a neat look to your leather seats. The cheap conditioner may damage the leather leaving them dull and greasy.
- DRY SEATS
After you are done with the other steps, now let the conditioner dry. This is an important step and is considered as the final touch of the process. Park your car in a shady area when you are cleaning during day time. Leave it overnight if you cleaned it at night. Because UV rays from the sun can damage your leather, so this step is pretty essential.
- BUFF IT
Are you done with all the steps? Great job! Now once you are done with every other step and the products have dried, do good buffing of your seats. Use a clean cloth for it and do it in a circular motion as well.
PRECAUTIONS FOR USING CLEANSER?
- SPOT TEST
Make sure that you test a little hidden spot of leather to know whether the cleanser suits the leather or not. Applying it directly on the seat may cause a great deal of damage to leather or sometimes result in discoloration of seats.
- MICROFIBER CLOTH
Use a clean microfiber cloth for cleaning because they are specifically designed to clean leather. They remove tough and dry stains from the pores of the leather and make it clear.
- NON-TOXIC
Make sure that your cleaner or conditioner does not contain any toxic substances. These substances can be highly dangerous for the leather and can damage leather permanently. They might also lead to fading or cracking of the surface.
- DON’T SOAK YOUR CLOTH
Anything in excess can be harmful. The same is the case with cleaner; when the cloth is soaked too much in it, it will damage leather. So, apply a little amount of cleanser to the fabric.
- DO NOT APPLY DIRECTLY
- As discussed above, applying cleaner without testing can cost you a lot. Test the cleaner on a hidden small spot to know if the cleaner is suitable or not. If the leather discoloration happens, then you have the wrong agent. Throw it out and grab another one.
- FOLLOW DIRECTIONS.
Follow the direction written on the cleaner and written in this article to avoid mishap in cleaning.
BEST CLEANERS
Purchasing a leather cleaner might be challenging because they are difficult to match with leather. There are numerous brand which offer leather cleaners for different types of leathers. Some of them are mentioned below
- MEGUIAR’S G10916 GOLD CLASS RICH LEATHER CLEANER AND CONDITIONER
Meguiar Gold cleaner has nongreasy texture and is good in cleaning. It might make the surface slippery for some time but will make it normal as soon as it dry. It will prevent the leather from aging or fading.
- WEIMAN LEATHER CLEANER AND CONDITIONER
Neglected areas can be treated with Weiman leather cleaner. It is safe to use and is available in a spray bottle. Another plus point of this product is that it does not require buffing. It is safe for leather and can give the best results.
- CHEICAL GUYS LEATHER CLEANER AND CONDITIONER
Chemical guys cleaner is enriched with vitamin E. moreover, it deep cleanse and condition leather well. You will get two bottles, one of cleaner and other of the conditioner.
- BICKMORE BOCK 4
Biggest advantage of this product is that it cleans soft leather with ease without harming it.Furthermore, it restore, cleans, condition, and protects the leather without leaving any residues.
- TriNova LEATHER CLEANER AND CONDITIONER
TriNovacleaner improves leather appearance with its balances pH formula. This will protect your seats against UV rays. It is not a big deal applying. You can easily and quickly apply it and clean instantly.
- KEVIANCLEAN LEATHER CLEANER AND CONDITIONER
Keviancleancar leather ensure great results. This will help you remove all type of oil and grease stains from car seats. You can conveniently use it.
- LEATHER HONEY CLEANER AND CONDITIONER
Honey leather cleaner turn old leather into a new one. It does not have silicon or any other harmful substance that can result in ruining the leather.
- SIMPLE GREEN CLEANER
Simple Greenis well-known cleaner manufacturing company who have trust of many customers. This leather cleaner is economical and effective in cleaning the leather without causing damage.
- LEXOL CLEANER AND CONDITIONER
Lexolcleaner is a pure cleaner with balanced pH and no toxic chemicals. Leaves leather shiny and residue free. Along with cleaner, there is a conditioner, which preserve the shine and strength of car leather.
- CHAMBERLAINS CLEANER AND CONDITIONER
It is one of the most recommended leather cleaner. It fixes the dull or scratched leather. Chamberlains cleaner deep cleanse the surface and way away all the dirt. Also, it fulfils all the requirements of best leather cleaner.
BUYING GUIDE
- TYPE OF LEATHER
Keep in mind the type of leather your car seats have. Most commonly, cars have aniline and nubuck leather and tend to absorb water. On the contrary, they also get scratched easily. So it would be better for you to know the type of leather and then choose the cleaner accordingly. Otherwise, you might get into trouble by bringing the wrong agent.
- NON-TOXIC
As discussed above that cleaner should be free of toxic and harsh chemicals to avoid damaging leather.
- PH FORMULATION
pH is an important thing to consider. Choose a cleaner that has a water-based formulation. Too much acidic or too much essential agent can be responsible for discoloring leather and even more damage.
- APPLICATION
Easier is the product to apply, the more customers it will attract. Read the way of application of a cleaner so that you don’t get confused in the future.
CONCLUSION
Cars are dearest to everyone. Most people treat them as their children and take care of every element. When it comes to choosing leather seats cleaner read buying guides and know the type of leather your car seats have. After this, choose what is the best cleaner for leather car seats? Test the cleaner before applying on all seats . Do not let the cleaner dry, wipe it after applying immediately.Find the product that is perfect for your car leather.

Jason Castriota, who is famous for designing ‘Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano’, is the American automobile designer and author. Earlier he graduated from Emerson College. He also admitted to the ‘Art Center College of Design’. He was the Head Designer for the special car project of the ‘Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina. In 2008, he worked as the Design Director at the company