Leather interior: three tips to preserve and maintain it

The leather seats are beautiful. But it also requires rigorous maintenance, to preserve them over time.

Difficult not to fall for a beautiful leather interior when you buy a new car. First of all for the characteristic smell, but also for the pleasant feeling to the touch, not to mention the high-end appearance that this material gives to any interior. After all, who hasn’t smacked the smell of a new car? But if you opt for leather upholstery, be aware that it obviously requires much more maintenance than any fabric interior, much easier to preserve year after year. But don’t worry, it is also quite possible to keep your interior in good condition when it is made of leather, if you follow a few simple tips. Auto-Moto gives you some of them, in order to preserve this material and allow it to retain its shine over time.

Regularly dust your leathers

It is a simple gesture but too often forgotten, although essential to keep your leather interior in good condition. Remember to clean your seats regularly, to keep them looking good and new. No need to spend your time polishing the seats with a ton of product, since only one damp cloth you will be enough to dust them off. The goal is in fact simply to prevent dirt from becoming encrusted, then clogging your interior and making it more difficult to clean afterwards. If you can, try to wipe it down every week so that dust doesn’t have time to accumulate. Also remember to vacuum regularly, especially on seats, taking care to thoroughly clean the folds, where the crumbs tend to hide. Use a precision bit and be careful not to scratch the leather, which is still quite fragile.

Use the right products

While regular cleaning will prevent you from having to thoroughly clean your seats, a more important cleaning or even a renovation can sometimes be necessary if you have left your interior to get dirty. For that, no question of using just anything, on the contrary. Remember to always opt for specific products, adapted to your leathers. Forget about low-cost renovators, whose composition is rather average, risking even more damage to your interior. The ideal product is indeed made from water, should not contain silicone or wax and should have a neutral pH so as not to damage the material. Be careful not to apply too much product, and always use a microfibre or a clean sponge. All you need to do is apply the renovator and leave it to act for at least an hour, or even overnight, before polishing your seats with circular movements. These should then regain their original shine!

Protect your interior

If it is possible to revive the shine on your leather interior, however, it will be more difficult to remove scratches. To avoid them, you can then opt for protections, in the form of covers for example, especially if you are traveling with children or animals. Also pay attention to the way you sit behind the wheel, avoiding too much rubbing on your seats, and in particular the edge, which is more prone to wear. Make sure you don’t have any keys sticking out of your back pocket that could permanently scratch the leather.