How to Care for Leather Seat Covers

Caring for leather seat covers requires some maintenance periodically. Extreme temperatures and over-exposure to sunlight can prematurely age and fade your leather. To prevent this from happening, there are some steps you can take to keep your leather seat covers looking like new.

• Avoid parking your vehicle in the sun for long periods of time. Exposure to too much sun can cause premature aging and fading.


• Park your vehicle in a garage or sheltered area. Extreme weather conditions and temperatures can crack and dry out your leather seat covers.


• Use a windshield sun visor to keep ultraviolet rays off of your leather seats. Too much exposure to these rays can cause fading.


• Vacuum and clean your leather seat covers once a week. Use a small soft brush attachment on your vacuum to get the dust and crumbs off your leather. Pay attention to crevices where crumbs and dust have a tendency to settle. Use a mixture of distilled water and a few drops of mild facial or body soap to wash your leather. Follow this with a clean rag dipped in non-soapy water, wrung out completely. Use this rag to wipe off any soapy residue. Dry your leather with a clean soft rag.


• Condition your leather once a month. Use mink oil, and apply it to your leather seats with a chamois. Rub this into your leather in small circular motions, working on one small area at a time. Use a second chamois to wipe off any excess oil.


• Purchase a leather protecting balm, and apply it once every three months to your leather seat covers. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the label.