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Caring for Leather Seats
Leather has been a mainstay in luxury automobiles for years, but
now leather seats are becoming increasingly popular in sport utility
vehicles and pickup trucks as well as in mid-priced vehicles. While
caring for leather seats is essential, it must be done properly
to avoid drying, cracking and discoloration problems.
Leather Care Facts
- Seek advice early. Cleaning
leather can yield excellent results if the original finish coating
is not cracked or worn through. It's important, therefore, to
seek advice about proper care and maintenance early, before damage
has occurred.
- Don't use all-purpose cleaners and
detergents. Damage to leather seats primarily occurs when
people use products that are not designed specifically for leather
seats. Don't use all-purpose cleaners, household soaps or detergents,
as they increase the likelihood of damaging the leather with their
harsh chemical ingredients.
- Never rub leather when cleaning.
Discoloration is caused when the dye in the seat, which is like
a paint on the surface, is rubbed or worn away or becomes dried
out and cracks.
- Don't try to do it yourself.
Because proper treatment and care are so critical, many manufacturers
recommend that car owners actually do nothing to their leather
seats, since the risk of damage is so great.
Ziebart recommends:
- Check the owner's manual to determine the care that the manufacturer
recommends for leather.
- Blot up spills immediately with a clean, dry terry cloth.
- Do not rub cleaner into the leather surface. Go over the surface
lightly with a damp (water only)-not wet-cloth. Then dry and hand
buff with a clean, dry cloth.
- Keep your leather clean. Leather seats are extremely susceptible
to scratches, even from the smallest specks of dirt.
- Be careful about what you carry in your pockets. Sharp objects,
like keys and credit cards, have been known to cause serious scratches
and rips in leather seats.
- Have a qualified professional clean your leather. A qualified
professional will:
- Inspect the leather to identify wear, cracking, loss of dye,
cuts and blemishes in the finish.
- Vacuum the leather to remove dirt and debris.
- Clean the leather with a solution prepared especially for
leather surfaces.
- Condition the leather with products specifically developed
to return valuable oils and moisturizers and keep the surface
moist and supple, preventing it from drying out and cracking.
If in doubt, the best thing to
do is nothing at all. You possibly could aggravate the problem
and cause permanent damage.
Call a professional for help
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