Aside from caring for your BMW`s exterior, you should also give as much care to your car’s interior parts. And this includes your car’s leather seats. After all, if you fail to maintain this vital part of your car, its appearance will start deteriorating over time.
Luckily, you can always do some leather seat restoration if your leather seats are starting to look old and dull. So, here’s a helpful guide on how to make your leather seats look good as new again.
Why are My BMW Leather Seats Starting to Look Old?
The appearance of your leather seats will slowly deteriorate once it starts losing their natural oils or moisture. Leather car seats can lose moisture upon frequent usage since these oils are expected to cling onto your skin and clothes.
The sun also plays a factor in your BMW car seat’s moisture loss. If your car is often exposed to the sun, its seats absorb the heat frequently, causing its natural oils to dry up quickly. Once your car seats lose their much-needed moisture, your car seats will harden and begin to look dreary, leading to their old-looking appearance. And as the seats lose more moisture and further harden, they will also be prone to cracking.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Make Your BMW Leather Seats Look New Again
If your leather seats are not sparking a lot of joy at the moment, don’t worry! You can always do a thorough leather seat restoration to make them look new again. With that said, here’s a step-by-step guide with tips from the specialist leather dye company “The Leather Colour Doctor” that you can follow to restore your car seats’ appearance successfully:
Step 1: Remove any excess dirt or other substances on your seats
Before beginning the leather seat restoration, you must make sure that your seats are free from any dirt, dust, debris, and other substances. You can get rid of these substances by dusting them away with a feather duster or soft bristle brush.
You may also wipe other substances clinging onto your seats using a soft towel. But before using these cleaning materials on your seats, make sure that your duster or bristle brush is made of non-abrasive, microfiber materials. This ensures you don’t end up scratching your leather seats during the cleaning process.
You’re also free to use a vacuum to remove the dirt and dust piling up in your seats, particularly in those hard-to-reach areas. Again, ensure that your vacuum does not contain rough surfaces that may scratch your leather seats.
Step 2: Clean your leather seats using leather-safe cleaning products
When you’re done eliminating all the dirt and dust collecting on your leather seats, you can now start cleaning your leather seats using leather-safe cleaning products. You can purchase a professional car leather seat cleaner for the job and use it as indicated on the product label’s instructions.
Alternatively, you can make a homemade cleaning solution to clean your leather seats using mild dish detergent and water. Of course, your homemade cleaner will not be as effective as a professional leather cleaner. Preferably, you should use your homemade cleaner for mild or recent stains. Meanwhile, you should use a professional leather cleaner product for stubborn ones.
You can spread your cleaning solution on your seats with a soft sponge or a microfiber towel. Once more, ensure that your towel or sponge does not contain rough materials that may scratch your leather seat’s surface.
Step 3: Apply leather conditioner to your leather seats
After thoroughly cleaning your leather seats, you should apply a leather conditioner to them to extend their life. A leather conditioner also provides your seats with plenty of moisture. Thanks to the added moisture, your seats won’t quickly harden and become brittle. In addition, the leather conditioner does a fantastic job of protecting your seats from stains and water spills.
Other than providing your leather seats with moisture and suppleness, most leather conditioner products also contain powerful UV protectants. These UV protectants will shield your leather seats from the sun’s harmful rays, ensuring they’re well-protected if they’re ever exposed to the sun.
If you drive your car and expose it to the sun frequently, it’s recommended to put leather conditioner on your car seats every two to three months. Meanwhile, if you don’t really drive your car as much, simply applying the product on your seats every six months will be more than enough.
Other Tips to Consider When Caring for Your Car’s Leather Seats
The key to making your leather seats brand new doesn’t end once you’re finished with the leather seat restoration process. Besides, your efforts to restore your car seats will go down the drain if you still do bad practices that speed up your leather seats’ deterioration.
So, aside from doing regular cleaning and maintenance, here are other tips you should consider if you want your car seats to last longer:
- Keep your car out of the sun: As much as possible, you should avoid parking your car in sunny areas. As stated above, too much exposure to the sun will dry out your car seat’s natural oils. If it cannot be avoided, you should invest in excellent leather care products to protect your seats from the sun.
- Consider getting covers for your car seats: Car seat covers are another great way to protect your car from heat, water spills, and unsightly stains. In addition, they will also keep your car protected from accidental scratches, abrasions, and other possible damages. The best part is that covers come in a wide variety of designs. This allows you to personalize your car to your liking while providing it with an additional layer of protection.
- Repair any minor damages as soon as possible: Aside from moisture loss and hardening, minor damages like tiny scratches and snags can also affect the overall appearance of your seats. Therefore, if you see any minor damages on your seats, ensure to repair them as soon as possible.
Wrapping Up
Regular cleaning and maintenance are essential steps that’ll help you keep your leather seats look good as new over the years which work just as well for leather jackets. As long as you follow the leather seat restoration guide and take note of the tips above, you should have no problems maintaining your seats’ appearance. Good luck in restoring your leather seats!