In today's world of cars, leather can be found in virtually every make and model. 15 years ago, Leather car seat care was exclusive to only high-end luxury automobiles.
Now even kiddy-haulin' vans come complete with interiors covered in leather. Due to much misrepresentation through advertising and marketing, as consumers we are left bewildered and confused as to what exactly is proper car leather care.
The industry has you chasing your tail!
Misguided to the point of inaction, many people have simply given up in frustration not knowing where to turn or what to do. Cleaning your leather car seats is actually very simple and straight forward if dealt with from the beginning when your car leather is new. Unfortunately many of us delay proper leather car seat care from the beginning and are now faced with excessive build-up of dirt. So you run out and buy some hyped-up special car leather cleaner and the disappointment sets in!
You have questions...
Trust me when I say you are not alone. One of the more common questions and complaints I receive from people writing in has to do with proper care for car leather in its many forms. The industry has so many people running around from one product to the next trying to find something that actually works.
What works and what doesn't...
In the name of simplicity, I am going to break down your leather car seat care into (2) categories based on the condition in which your car leather is in; meaning, how dirty is it and the level of cleaning involved with getting to a level of clean you are happy with.
The following are my recommendations based on keeping things simple:
Chemical Guys Leather Cleaner and Conditioner Complete Leather Care Kit (16 oz) (2 Items)
COLOURLOCK Leather & Textile Cleaning Brush for car interiors, alcantara car seats and leather furniture upholstery
Car leather interiors that have become excessively dirty will require more "extreme" measures...cleaning leather car seats in a way that most people would never consider due to the following reasons:
Before (with partial cleaning) ![]() |
After (complete cleaning) ![]() |
The dramatic before and after pictures from above illustrate what is possible if the right techniques are combined with the right products. The amount of dirt on the above seat is very common and normal. Most people wait until their car leather seating has reached this point of dirt build-up before they take action, and the disappointment goes as follows:
Don't feel too badly as this is generally how it plays out for most people. For this reason I offer some tips from the world of professional level car leather cleaning tricks.
Since most retail dedicated leather car seat cleaners are "watered-down" to be extra safe rather than be extra effective, most people find that a more aggressive all-purpose cleaner will be the ticket when it comes to leather car seat care and cleaning.
This all-purpose cleaner is my recommendation if you feel your leather is sufficiently dirty to warrant a more aggressive cleaner.
CarGuys Super Cleaner - The most effective All Purpose Cleaner available on the market! - Best for Leather Vinyl Carpet Upholstery Plastic Rubber and much more! - 18 oz Kit
OXO Good Grips Heavy Duty Scrub Brush
Between the industry marketing hype and misinformed people repeating bad information, there is little mystery as to people's ignorance when it comes to car leather in its many forms. Most people would look at this picture taken from the car leather seating of a Chevy Corvette and simply throw their hands up in frustration when they attempted to clean with any number of the traditional and special car leather cleaners available on the market today.
With that said, I am going to bullet point the specifics of your leather car seat care so as to bring clarity to the moment:
Removing color and dye transfer from car leather is also a common problem when it comes to light colored car leathers. Whether it may be from blue jeans, belts, news print, ink pens, etc.
The picture to the right highlights an example of some dye transfer that has taken place inside the leather seating of this Lexus. The reddish dye transfer on the seat back of this car seat could use the treatment as a separate step to complete car leather cleaning.
Car Leather Dye Transfer Remover:
Leather Master Leather Dye Transfer Cleaner (8.45 oz)
Since leather car seat car is a top priority for any car owner with leather car seating, I hope you have become a much more informed consumer and car owner. If you know anyone else you think might benefit from this info, please forward the link or use the socialize it buttons below to share at your favorite site.
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