SPEND $75 FOR FREE US SHIPPING

How To Clean Leather Car Seats: Tips & Best Practices

February 2022

Learn how to clean leather car seats and keep them looking as beautiful as the day you purchased your vehicle.

Your car might be well taken care of externally, but a few bad stains and spills on the leather seats can ruin its overall appearance — especially if left untreated or uncleaned correctly.

A car's interior requires as much upkeep as its exterior. Having leather upholstery in your vehicle implies that you have to clean it regularly and care for it properly because leather is susceptible to dirt, oil, grease, and UV damage. If not cared for, dirt and grime can accumulate, and rips and scratches can develop as a result of wear and tear.

As you may probably know, repairing leather car seats can be quite expensive, and replacing them can cost you even more. Here are some simple tips on how to preserve your car’s quality and beauty for years to come.

Fabric vs. Leather Seats

A leather interior feels luxurious indeed! Still, if you want to make sure it stays that way — and preserve your car's market value — you have to first learn how to clean leather car seats the right way.

Car seats usually take the biggest hit when the first signs of wear and tear show up. As they come in daily contact with dust, clothes, food, pet hair, and other contaminants, it’s only natural that we should put in the effort in cleaning them regularly.

Leather seats are a more expensive feature to add to your car, so you need to pay more from the get-go. Apart from this initial investment, you should also be ready to spend more on maintenance.

If it all seems much, the good news is that leather seats are much more forgiving than fabric seats. They don’t tend to hold onto odors quite as much and are generally easier to clean.

The even better news is that learning how to clean leather car seats is a pretty straightforward task. All you need to do is follow the steps I’ll mention below, and you’ll quickly get a handle on the whole cleaning process.

What Is The Best Way To Clean Leather Seats In a Car?

Contrary to what some car owners may think, there’s not such a great science behind upkeeping your vehicle’s leather seats. Yes, leather is a bit more precious; however, it’s also pretty easy to treat once you have the right cleaning solution.

What you need to know, though, is that if you neglect cleaning and moisturizing your car seats frequently, they will start to look dull or even crack.

The simplest and most efficient way to clean your car’s leather seats is to invest in a high-quality leather cleaning product and some microfiber cloths. This is the best option since going with a professional car leather cleaner means you can count on years of expertise and research.

What Is The Best Cleaning Product For Leather Car Seats?

What you need for your leather seats is a product that does its job well in removing stains and dirt without damaging the texture of the leather itself. A product that is tough in what it accomplishes, but gentle in its execution.

Here’s how to clean leather car seats using Nexgen Interior Cleaner:

Nexgen Interior Cleaner has been specially developed to clean a wide variety of interior surfaces — leather included. It comes in a spray bottle, making it very accessible to use, and contains a cleaning agent that deals with the delicate texture of leather seating.

Its professional formula is equipped to remove grease stains, dirt, grime, debris, natural oils, touch stains, and so on. It also works wonders on old stains that are otherwise hard to get rid of. Moreover, it offers UV protection — really important if you want to go the extra mile in cleaning and protecting your leather seats.

When compared to other cleaning products, Nexgen’s Interior Cleaner stands out as it’s equally efficient on touch screens and leather surfaces.

Yes, you might find it to be a bit more expensive, but if you want to learn how to clean leather car seats and get excellent results, you need to use top-level professional products. Luckily, a little goes a long way, too.

When using this spray from Nexgen, you’ll see no residues left behind, nor will it leave a greasy or wet look that attracts dust and lint. Mind you, the Interior Cleaner won’t give the seats any additional shine or gloss but will help restore them to a previous and even improved condition. And that’s what matters most.

How To Clean Leather Seats In 6 Easy Steps

Start by removing dust, dirt, and loose particles from the surface of the leather seats using a car vacuum cleaner.
Use a damp cloth to wipe down any visible stains. Don’t worry about trying to remove it. That’s for the next step.
Mist Nexgen Interior Cleaner onto the whole leather area, using a microfiber cloth to distribute the product. You can also use a soft-bristled brush to gently rub the material and insist on stubborn stains. Avoid rough-bristle brushes, though, as they can damage the leather!
Now that the seats are clean, wipe them one more time with a dry microfiber towel to remove excess cleaning solution.
Cleaning is only half the process. Conditioning is the other half. The role of the leather conditioner is to hydrate the leather and prevent it from cracking. For conditioning and re-moisturizing, apply Nexgen Interior Conditioner with a clean, soft cloth. Let it sink in, then buff to a shine if you’d like.

nexgen interior conditioner to condition leather car seats

Do Household Items Work On Cleaning Leather?

Wondering how to clean leather car seats when a professional product is not handy?

When you need an urgent alternative to cleaning your car’s interior, there are some items we all have around the house which you can use on your leather seats too.

These are:

Dishwashing Liquid

The good old-fashioned dishwashing liquid is good at removing the greasy spots from your leather seats. Start by mixing a 5:1 ratio of warm water and dishwashing liquid. Use a clean cloth and dampen it in the mixture. Be sure to remove excess moisture from it while you clean the seats, or it may otherwise find its way through the seams and seep into the cushions.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a truly miraculous product; and here it is, once again, proving its outstanding properties. Indeed, baking soda is great at dealing with oily patches. If you have them on your leather seats, sprinkle some baking soda on them and allow it to sit for a few hours.

Next, use a soft-bristled brush to remove the baking soda from the leather and dry the surface completely using a dry microfiber cloth. In learning how to clean leather car seats, you need to be thorough and mindful of the details.

Vinegar And Olive Oil

This mix is also powerful if you want to get rid of spots. Just note that vinegar is a strong solvent, which gives it impeccable cleaning properties — it will clean the leather while also disinfecting it. On the other hand, the olive oil acts as a high-quality leather conditioner, leaving the material looking and feeling nicer than ever.

When learning how to clean leather car seats, it’s important to take note of all the methods described above. If you want results that truly show, using a professional product will always beat your kitchen staples.

In a Nutshell

Leather seats deserve the reputation they get. They not only take your car’s aesthetic to the next level but are also remarkably durable compared to fabric.

However, they do require regular maintenance, or they’ll crack. If you like the look, the feel, the smell, and the durability, go for it. But be mindful of these pitfalls while learning how to clean leather car seats successfully.

Thankfully, you can use a professional leather cleaning solution that also works perfectly with other surfaces of your car’s interior, such as the Nexgen Interior Cleaner. To top it up, make the most of the Nexgen Interior Conditioner. As for the cleaning process, it is quite straightforward and, with a bit of patience, any car owner can make their leather car seats look like new again.

At Nexgen, all our products are engineered to provide only the best results and ease of use. Browse our detailing kits, best-sellers, and interior and exterior car care ranges.

If you try and love our products, you can easily become a VIP and enjoy free 2-day shipp i ng. If you have any questions, get in touch, we’ll be happy to help.