Car leather cleaners might not be at the forefront of your mind when it comes to maintaining the condition of your vehicle. But if you’re not a fan of materials wearing out, it’s a useful thing to have in mind. Leather is a fantastic material to have when cleaning your car interior upholstery because it’s very hard-wearing. Unfortunately, if you’ve ever seen the inside of an old Jaguar that needs restoration, leather can wear quite spectacularly. Modern leather is treated with a plastic clearcoat, an invisible layer of protection, but it still needs care.
The fact is, cleaning it with a bit of soap and water simply isn’t enough. Leather requires flexibility and moisturising for longevity, and cracks begin to appear when it hardens. Keeping leather upholstery maintained can prevent this
Properly cleaning leather will stop it from going shiny and greasy too, leaving it with a matte finish. Luckily, there are plenty of products on the market, such as interior dressing, designed to treat, clean and preserve leather. They’re often cheap, simple and easy to use so you can keep on top of everything yourself.
The best car leather cleaners at a glance:
Editor’s pick: Autoglym Leather Clean and Protect Kit – buy from Amazon.
Best multi-purpose cleaner: Meguiar’s Gold Class 3-in-1 – buy from Amazon.
Best conditioner: Leather Honey Conditioner – buy from Amazon.
We’ve put together a list of all you could need to keep your leather interior looking top-notch and protected. From full kits to necessary equipment and even a quick-fix solution, there’ll be something for everyone. For cleaning other bits of the interior, a good carpet brush might be something else to consider.
The best car leather cleaner
Editor's pick
The kit also comes with an applicator sponge and microfibre towel.
Pros
- Protects your seats as well as cleaning them
- Includes a sponge and towel for easier cleaning
Cons
- You could do with a brush for embedded dirt
Best multi-purpose leather cleaner
Rrp: £18.11
Rrp: £18.11
It also integrates UV protection to protect the leather against aging an fading. It can even take care of dye transfer that you might notice from your pair(s) of jeans. To apply, you simply need a microfibre towel to apply the gel to before doing the job. Afterwards, it's recommended to use a different microfibre towel for the final wipe.
Pros
- Comprehensive 3-in-1 gel
- Helps protect and maintain your leather
Cons
- I won't help repair large cracks
The best affordable leather cleaner
Pros
- Good value option
- 500ml is plentiful amount
Cons
- Can leave a dull finish
Best leather balm cleaner
Rrp: £21.41
Rrp: £21.41
Pros
- Great quick-solution
- It'll smell great once you're done
Cons
- You'll need something to wipe the balm off
Best single spray
Pros
- Non-greasy
- Water-based
Cons
- No extras for buffing or scrubbing
Best leather cleaning brush
Pros
- Great quality
- Simple device
Cons
- Comes with no extras
The best interior cleaning sponge
Pros
- Excellent cleaning ability
- Easy maintenance
Cons
- Small size will mean cleaning takes longer
Best leather conditioner
It's also suitable for use on motorcycle leathers, boots, and even saddles. So it can be applied to a number of your leather-made possessions.
Pros
- Acts as water repellent
- Versatile usage
Cons
- Cannot be applied on faux leather
Best leather re-colouring product
Pros
- Covers up light leather scratches and marks
- Restores the leather to its original colour
Cons
- Not a permanent solution to heavily damaged leather
How to use car leather cleaners to freshen up your interior
Check that your car uses natural leather (sounds silly, but some faux leather is very convincing). If your car uses real, then it’s safe to start cleaning. Also, be wary of perforated leather, you’ll need to be more cautious to prevent saturation and leaving damage. Give the areas a good vacuum before getting the leather cleaning products out. Remove larger bits of dirt while being careful not to scratch the leather. We recommend using a proper car vacuum cleaner for this because it’s simply less of a hassle. Pet hair removers are better suited for carpeted areas.
Apply some of the leather cleaner to a microfibre towel and begin removing the surface dirt from the leather. Be careful not to use too much in one go, you’ll be left with a slippery, greasy mess. Using a brush with rigid bristles, begin to scrub more embedded dirt. If you’re careful, a drill brush attachment could be a way to go as well. After this, wipe down with a clean microfibre cloth, you’ll be able to see the dirt and oil on the towel (there will be more than you think).
If you’ve chosen an all-in-one cleaner, so long as you’ve wiped it all down with a clean towel you’ll be done and free to admire your immaculate leather interior. If you’ve chosen one of the sets, on the other hand, it’s now time to condition. Do a spot test with your conditioner on a relatively hidden area, make sure the conditioner doesn’t discolour or mark the leather. If it leaves no marks, use a microfibre towel and begin rubbing in the conditioner. It’s best not to apply the conditioner directly to the leather because it’s very easy to end up using too much and creating a greasy mess. Leave the conditioner to settle overnight before buffing with another microfibre towel. And to give your interior a freshen up from odours, a quality fabric spray will be a fabulous way to finish things off.
Ryan Gilmore is the Deputy Autos and Tools Editor for Parkers, specialising in car cleaning and hand tools. A veteran car cleaner; if it details, waxes or washes he’ll be on hand to make sure it’s worth your money.
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