Premade leather-cleaning solutions exist, but you can also make your own in a pinch. A 50/50 mix of water and white vinegar should do the trick, and will help remove any old conditioner that may have surfaced from the rain.
The good news is – a little bit of water, if cleaned up quickly, isn't likely to hurt your leather. In fact, most car leather has a protective layer that will help prevent immediate damage. This coating is designed to give you enough time to clean up a small drink spill or rain before it soaks into your leather.
Mix warm water and Castile soap or liquid dish washing soap together in a bucket. Use a ratio of 5 parts water to 1 part soap. Dampen a cloth with the solution and wipe down the seat surfaces. Don't saturate the leather because too much water could pool in the seat seams and seep into the cushions.
Not only will the water begin to damage the leather but it will also harm the cushioning since they will absorb the water in buckets. In addition, flood water will contain contaminants that will leave a foul odor. Again, if you've had a flooded basement, you know the musty, mildewy smell a flood can leave behind.
The first step to cleaning your leather car seat is using soap and warm water. Using warm water and a suitable leather cleaner, soap wet down the satin or microfiber cloth with warm water, then use it to lightly scrub away some of the dirt that has collected on your seat.
Only use microfiber cloths for scrubbing and wiping. Microfiber cloths are soft and don't scratch leather surfaces, whereas other types of fabrics can create tiny scratches in your leather seat surfaces over time.
Light stains and spills
Dissolve one part washing-up liquid in five parts lukewarm water. Using a soft, lint-free, white cloth, dab with the solution. Don't wet too much. Leave for a few minutes and wipe off.
After cleaning your leather car seats, you will need to condition them. Conditioning leather ensures your seats remain soft and supple and prolongs their life.
Leather not only looks great, but it's practical because it's water-resistant. If you swim or go to the gym often, there's no need to worry about your seats soaking up the water or sweat after a workout, and potentially picking up a bad smell or two along the way!
Do not use petroleum-based cleaning products to clean leather as they can erode the stitching on the leather piece. Harsh cleaners (such as Windex or bleach), furniture polish (such as Pledge), alkaline cleaners, baby wipes, waxes, and silicone may also damage leather, leaving it feeling sticky.
Scrub the seats with cold water and a microfiber towel. Vinegar: Mix a cup of vinegar, a gallon of hot water, and a small amount of dish soap together. You can lightly apply this solution to the fabric and scrub with a brush. Remove dirt and suds with a microfiber cloth and clean water.
If your leather apparel has dried with water stains, use a lukewarm, damp cloth to gradually work the water spots out, covering the entire area with a sweeping motion. Dampening the entire area will fade the water spots. Let the leather air dry and apply Leather Honey Leather Conditioner.
So what happens to leather when it gets wet? The oils in the skin bind to the water molecules, so as the water dries and evaporates, it starts drawing the oils out. It's this shedding of natural oils that causes the leather to lose its supple quality and become stiff and brittle.
Set a fan to blow on the seat, letting it run for at least 30 minutes, to help evaporate any residual moisture. After the leather dries, you'll need to clean it before you can apply a leather conditioner. Premade leather-cleaning solutions exist, but you can also make your own in a pinch.
A good rule of thumb is to apply leather conditioner once a month to keep the leather looking its best. Practice these leather car seat maintenance and cleaning rulesOpens a new window once a month and your leather car seats will remain luxurious!
Leather is available on nearly every car for sale today. But this is no mere cowhide we're talking about. Unlike leather luggage or jackets, automotive leather has to be durable enough to resist stains and fading and survive your butt sliding across it thousands of times. Leather, as noted above, comes from cows.
Be sure to avoid these products when cleaning your leather: Baking soda, white vinegar, cream of tartar, and lemon juice. Some sources online cite these common household products as a DIY solution for cleaning leather. This is actually false as they can be extremely harsh on the material and make stains worse.
Can I use Armor All® Multi-Purpose Auto Cleaner on leather? Armor All® Multi-Purpose Auto Cleaner is not recommended for use on leather.
Olive Oil and Vinegar
An excellent home remedy for cleaning leather car seats is a solution made of a quarter cup of olive oil and half a cup of distilled white vinegar. No water base is needed for this concoction; just pour the two ingredients into a spray bottle and mix them together by shaking the bottle thoroughly.
Mix 1 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup coconut oil or EVOO, 1 tsp dish soap, and ten drops of an essential oil. This amount will do a chair of this size. Wipe on and wipe off with a clean cloth. I tried it in a spray bottle and dipped the cloth into the blend.
It's widely agreed that plain old dish soap and water are the best cleaners for all types of leather.