How to Protect Leather Car Seats – Expert Ways and Tips

Would you like to enhance the beauty of your car’s interior? Installing leather car seats should top the list of your priorities. This is because leather car seats elegant and classy enough to add to your car interior aesthetics. Besides this, they can last for ages and still look attractive. However, these seats are not immune to wear and tear and thus need to be protected and maintained over time.

By doing so, you will preserve their beauty for ages. After all tender loving care will go a long way in prolonging the lifespan of your leather car seats. In this article, we shall take a closer look at how to protect leather car seats, alongside other related ideas.

11 Ways on how to protect leather car seats

Since leather car seats are expensive to replace, there is a need to offer them the much-needed protection. Besides this, their beauty, elegance, and flair make them a perfect choice for any car owner. Here are the smart ways to go for when you are planning on how to protect leather car seats;

Protect Leather Car Seats

1. Ensure that you keep your car clean and dry

One of the most efficient ways how to protect leather car seats from stains is to keep your car from dirt, liquids, grime, and food particles. Remember that any time you spill something on your car seat, regardless of its amount, it will leave stains behind. If the stain is not removed promptly, it may stick to your leather car seats for log and eventually become too tough a stain.

Although it is difficult to avoid these stains while driving, you should always try to keep these stains at bay by either having a wet or soaked soft piece of cloth around or taking meals before starting your journey.

The wet piece of cloth will help wipe away any staining present on your leather car seat before it dries out. If you choose to go with the latter option, you will not have stains or dirt in your car. Consequently, your car leather seats will remain in pristine condition as they will not have any stains.

2. Purchase car seat covers

Besides keeping your car clean and dry, you can consider investing in car seat covers. For optimal results, you should consider investing in nylon or neoprene seat covers. Unlike other seat covers, these ones are easy to clean. Besides this, they are very effective when it comes to the absorption of messes and spills.

When purchasing these car seat covers, choose the right size so that your car seats can get adequate protection. Ideally, they should be made for your car’s size and type. Finally, these car seat covers should reflect your style. In this case, you can have a set of covers that are personalized to suit your taste and preference.

3. Keep sharp objects at bay

If you have a sharp object in your car, the chances of your car’s leather seats getting scratched and ripped are very high. An object as simple as a key can prick your car leather and thus damage it. Besides this, objects such as pocket knives and metal wallets can damage your precious car leather seats. Removing them before you sit down on your car leather seats can help keep prevent such accidents.

4. Always carry a water-resistant protectant kit that is designed for your car leather seats

Apart from the above-mentioned methods on how to protect leather car seats, carrying a water-resistant protectant can help you a great deal. As we speak, you can get these protectants from stores such as Target or Walmart.

Water-resistant spill kits such as Scotchgard Protector will keep stains and spills successfully at bay. The good news is that Scotchgard Protector eliminates stain besides dealing with the discomfort of smells and lasts longer than other conventional solutions. Better still ensure that you have a spill kit that contains a leather spray, some water, and a rag to remove any spill or stain on the go.

5. Ensure that you are using a high-quality blanket when carrying your pet

One efficient way how to protect leather car seats from dog fur is by laying down a blanket or a large price of clothing where the dog will be seated for the better part of the journey. By doing so, you will prevent the dog’s fur or hair from getting stuck inside the fabric. More importantly, the blanket should be large enough to cover a larger surface area of your leather car seats.

Besides carrying a blanket, you should consider investing in a leather seat protector. As the name suggests, the leather protectant will give your leather car seats an extra layer of protection from oils present in the dog’s fur and its paws.

Apart from this, the leather seat protector will prevent water and mud from the dog’s feet from getting into the pores of your car seats. Remember that these pores usually enable the leather material to breathe, thus making it have a luxurious look and feel. If these pores are clogged by mud and water, you may have a difficult time cleaning the leather car seats in the near future.

Fortunately, the leather seat protectant usually comes in many forms. The smart preference is the spray form. Besides this, they are easy to use. To keep on the safe side, do not spray the leather seat protectant directly and apply it on a soft piece of cloth and then apply it on your leather car seats instead.

6. Always use leather cleaner on spills and stains

Since your leather car seats are not immune to stains and spills, you should always ensure that you wipe them immediately. Many car owners, may opt to use vinegar or alcohol to eliminate these stains. Although these solutions are ideal for wiping out stains and spills, they usually dry the leather seats faster. In this case, they may not be ideal for removing immediate stains and spills. To be on the safe side you should consider water-based leather cleaner.

7. Avoid exposing your leather car seats to sunlight for longer periods

Are you looking for a way how to protect your leather car seats from the sun? Look no further as there are several car protectants that can offer much-needed protection from the harsh UV sun rays. Better still, you can use a window visor or a windshield sunshade.

Also known as a heat shield or UV shield, a windshield shuns shade can help keep the sun’s harmful UV rays from reaching the leather car seats. In most cases, it is normally attached to a car’s side window or windshield.

Apart from this, the window visors work magic when it comes to leather car seat protection. These ones also work the same as the windshield sun shield. Typically, this is a plastic or acrylic attachment that is installed on a car’s window frame so as to prevent excess sunlight from reaching the leather car seats.

The good news is that both the window visors and windshield sunshade can be used simultaneously in order to protect the leather car seat from prolonged exposure to sunlight. Consequently, your leather car seats will not heat up to sauna-like temperatures on a hot afternoon.

8. Clean the leather car seats often

If you have to travel with your kids or pets, spills and stains will always be imminent on your leather car seats. With this in mind, you should not hesitate to clean your leather car seats often. More importantly, use the right cleaners and the best leather conditioners for car seats. By using the right conditioners, your leather car seats will remain in a good condition and can last longer.

Some good examples of these leather conditioners include; Motors VLR, Lexol leather cleaner and conditioner, Armor All, Lane’s Liquid Leather, and Meguiars Gold Class. When applying these leather conditioners, start by applying a small amount on a soft piece of cloth before wiping the leather car seats.

Once the wiping is over, a wet film will develop, thereby allowing the leather conditioner to soak into the leather material. Therefore, you should allow the leather car seats to dry before you can sit on any one of them for optimal results.

9. Park your car under a shade

Sometimes, you may arrive at your desired destination and park your car for hours. If the weather is sunny, you should not just park your car in the sun. Instead, you should lookout for a shade and park it under a shade.

For instance, you can park it below a tree, where the leather car seats will not get exposed to the harmful sun rays. Better still, you can park your car in a garage whenever you are at home. It is no secret that parking your car under a shade is one of the fundamental ways how to protect leather car seats from the sun.

10. Tint your car windows

Most cars usually come with clear windows from the manufacturer. Once you purchase the case, you will be at liberty to tint your car the way you please. For instance, you can choose the tint of the side windows and let the windscreen remain clear. Better still, you can tint all the windows of your car.

However, before you tint your car’s windows, you should first check the local ordinances within your locality so as to ascertain whether it is legal for you to tint your car windows or not. In case it is permitted, you can go ahead and tint them.

The good news is that tinting the windows is another way how to protect leather car seats. By tinting your car, you will be limiting the amount of sunlight entering your car. Consequently, you will be able to protect your car leather seats from the hot sun.

Besides offering the much-needed protection against excessive sunlight, tinting your car’s windows gives your car a nice custom appearance. As a result, your car will stand out whenever it is on the road.

11. Open the car windows

You should also consider opening your car windows every now and then. By opening the car windows, you will be able to prevent excess temperature build-up inside your car. Remember that the cabin temperatures can rise up to 100 degrees.

However, the outside temperatures may just be 75 degrees. Once you open the car windows, you will let in cool air from outside and thus lower the cabin temperatures. Consequently, you will reduce the chances of your leather car seats fading or even cracking.

FAQs

Q: What can I use to protect my leather car seats?

To protect your leather car seats, you should consider applying the best leather conditioner for car seats after every 3 to 4 months. Better still, you can apply this leather conditioner anytime you notice that your seats have started to become dry.

By applying this conditioner on your leather car seats, be sure that your seats will remain moist and thus not crack. In addition, they will get the much-needed protection from the harsh UV sun rays.

Q: Should leather car seats be covered?

Well. You can go ahead and cover your leather car seats so as to preserve them and prevent them from getting dirty. However, you do not need to completely cover them. For instance, if your car is tinted, you may not have to cover the leather car seats as they will be shielded from the harsh sun rays. Besides covering them, you should take care of them so that they can remain in a pristine condition for longer.

Q: How do I protect my leather car seats from cracking?

If you want to protect your leather car seats from cracking, there are many strategies that can help you to get started. First, you should consider shielding the leather car seats from the sun. To achieve this objective, you should consider using a sun shield on your car’s windshield.

Besides this, you should avoid getting into your car with sharp or bulky objects. Here, you should ensure that all your car occupants do not sit with sharp objects such as keys in their pockets. Finally, consider cleaning and conditioning your leather car seats every now and then.

Q: How do I condition my leather car seats naturally?

As we speak, you can now condition your leather car seats naturally by mixing Castile soap with warm water in a bucket. If you do not have Castile soap, you can consider using liquid dishwashing soap instead. For optimal results, you should ensure that the ratio of water and soap is 5:1.

Once you have this solution in your bucket, dampen a soft piece of cloth in the solution and then start wiping the leather car seats up and down. For you to get the best results, you should avoid saturating the leather with too much water as this could make the water pool in your seat and maybe seep into the cushions of your car seats.

Q: How do you protect leather car seats from sun damage?

Since too much exposure to the sun can damage your leather car seats, you should consider using side and rear window covers. Even if you have installed window shades, you can also park your car under a shade or inside a garage so as to keep the harmful sun rays at bay.

Q: How do you keep leather seats from getting hot?

To prevent the leather car seats from getting hot, you should consider putting a towel on top of the seats before you sit on them. This is because sitting on a hot leather car seat can cause burns. If you do not have a towel, you can consider using a cloth seat cover. Such options are ideal during the summer months.

Q: How do I protect my leather car seats in the summer?

There are many strategies that can help you protect your leather car seats during the summer months. One of these strategies is to park your car in a garage whenever you are at home or in a public place. You can also park it under a shade or invest in a quality car or seat cover.

In case, you have a convertible car, always ensure that you put the top up all the time. Finally, always ensure that you invest in a new car leather protection and leather conditioner all the time.

Q: Can you put seat covers on leather heated seats?

No. Unless the covers are made of fire-resistant fabric, it is not advisable to install them on leather heated seats.

Wrap Up

Yes, there are a plethora of methods on how to protect leather car seats and you have gone through the most effective ones. By considering the said ideas, you will be able to maintain the pristine nature of your leather and thus make it look more attractive and classy for ages. Since all the ideas we have mentioned above are practical, rest assured that you will not have issues implementing them.

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Evina Naomi

Ewofere, Evina Naomi is a biotechnologist and passionate content writer. As a great lover of leather and various leather crafts, she broadly addresses leather-related issues. She is a writer of many excellent articles on leather. With great knowledge and enthusiasm, readers can access researched pieces on various leather types and the best techniques that work on them. Naomi is here to lead you through the journey of choosing excellent leather products and ensure you handle them rightly. So you can embark on your leather sewing and crafting journey with her and have an incredible experience.

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