Leather in the car looks beautiful, but it is a natural product that needs attention. With the right approach you keep it looking good for years and even restore worn or damaged leather. This guide brings the three steps together: cleaning, conditioning and repairing. You will find all the products you need in the leather cleaning and care category.
Always start with cleaning
Every leather treatment starts with a clean surface. Skin oils, dust and hand cream settle into the pores and leave the leather dull and greyed. Apply care over dirt and you seal it in. So clean first with a mild leather cleaner, and use a stronger cleaner on heavily soiled leather. How to do that safely is in the guide cleaning leather with Leather Expert Leather Cleaner.
Feed and keep supple
Clean leather then wants to be fed. A conditioner brings back the natural oils and waxes and keeps the leather supple; for that read the guide on the Leather Expert Leather Conditioner. If your leather is already dried out and stiff, you need more than upkeep: a softener makes hardened leather flexible again, explained in the guide making stiff leather supple. If you have open, unpigmented aniline leather, choose the approach in the guide caring for aniline leather.
Restore and recolour
You do not write off worn or damaged leather. Cracks, holes and scratches you fill and repair with a repair kit, explained step by step in the guide repairing leather with the repair kit. If the colour has worn away, for example on the seat bolster or the gear lever, you recolour with leather paint; how that works is in the guide dyeing leather with Leather Colourant.
How to tackle it step by step
Clean. Clean the leather with a suitable leather cleaner and let it dry.
Assess. Determine the leather type and its state: only dull and dry, or also stiff, discoloured or damaged?
Treat. Feed healthy leather, restore stiff or damaged leather with softener, repair kit or leather paint, and finish recoloured leather with a top coat.
Protect. Keep the leather topped up with regular care, and act quickly on spills so they do not soak in.
Which leather type do you have
The right approach depends on your leather. Pigmented, smooth leather has a closed top layer and tolerates most cleaners and care. Aniline leather is open and unpigmented, feels very soft and needs a separate, gentle approach. Suede and nubuck fall outside these products and need special tools. If you are unsure, do the water-drop test or test on a hidden spot first.
Maintenance that makes the difference
Clean regularly. During every thorough interior session you stay ahead of the dirt.
Feed at least a few times a year. That prevents drying out and cracking.
Work out of the sun. On a cool surface care soaks in evenly.
Act quickly on damage. A fresh crack or spill is far easier to repair than an old one.
Other brands offer good leather care too. Compare, for example, the approach in the guide on Koch Chemie LS Leather Star and Colourlock Mild Leather Cleaner to see what suits your leather best.