Everyone loves stepping into a vehicle with clean, crisp, and comfortable leather seats.  It adds a sense of luxury to the vehicle and will impress your passengers with that high-class interior of your vehicle.  

Leather car seats might look and feel luxurious but, they come with a price.  The biggest issues with leather seats are the maintenance.  Dust, dirt, and odors can ruin those fancy leather seats quickly which is why we are going to give you the best advice on keeping that smell fresh!  

We will also look into leather car seat covers, to see if they are a viable option to make your vehicle even more enjoyable and comfortable to ride in if you are currently driving a vehicle with cloth seats.  

Cleaning Car Seats

The first step to cleaning your car’s leather seats is to vacuum.  You will want to suck up any dust, dirt, or debris from your leather seat before you start to wipe it down so avoid scratching the upholstery or leather.  

Use the vacuum cleaner to reach all the small crevices around the seat, to get any nasty dirt out of your vehicle completely.  Just be sure to not accidentally scratch your leather seats with the vacuum.  

Next, you will want to purchase leather cleaner at your local auto parts store.  Spray the cleaner onto a clean microfiber towel and rub it all over the seats.  Avoid any holes in your leather seats, because getting cleaning products inside of the holes could permanently damage the chairs. 

Use the leather cleaner to remove any dirt and stains from your chair. Just be sure you avoid using too much of the cleaner.  Once you are finished with removing the stains, use a dry towel to wipe them down and remove the leather cleaner that is leftover.

Fixing Car Seat Smell

Now that you cleaned your leather car seats, it’s time to bring back that nice smell by using a leather conditioner, purchasable at your local auto parts shop.  Using a leather conditioner will help restore the vibrancy and smell of your leather, while also preventing cracks.  

Take your leather seat conditioner and apply it evenly around your seats by following the instructions on the bottle of your product. Typically you will want to put a bit of the conditioner onto a dry microfiber cloth and gently massage and wipe it onto the seats.  

Once you finish, allow the conditioner to soak in by leaving your car in a nice shaded area for ideally 4-8 hours.  Finally, all you need to do is use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe off any residue from the conditioner.  Once you are finished, you are done!  It’s great to do this a few times a year to maintain those fancy leather seats, just be sure to not overdo it.  

Leather Car Seat Covers

If your vehicle has cloth upholstery seats and you want a fancy little upgrade, you should look into having custom leather seat covers added to your vehicle.  If your purchase a nice high-quality leather seat cover, it will make your vehicle look way more luxurious to impress your fellow passengers.  

Front car seat covers and a leather interior can be found for roughly $80-$200 depending on the quality that you are searching for, and imitation leather is also a great option.  Having a nice seat cover will also provide protection against messes, so your cloth seats will always remain clean.  

Vehicle Care

Even if your vehicle is protected with a leather seat cover, or if your vehicle is already equipped with leather seats it is important to protect your entire vehicle.  That is why having an extended auto warranty with DriveSmart is a great option.  Not only do we provide 24/7 roadside assistance, but we also pay for your repair bills, so you can avoid that major financial burden!  

Written by: Stephen Lubas