4 Tips to Keep your Vintage Automobile's Upholstery Looking Timeless
Here are a few tips, on how to keep your interior showroom ready.
1: What Type of Leather?
Uncoated leather: While unfinished conditions nicely, it doesn’t repel liquids. For this reason, you need to use a quality conditioner in addition to a cleaners. Look for products that are PH-balanced, and safe for uncoated leather, to ensure you restore the leather’s natural beauty.
Coated leather: There is no need to use a leather conditioner, because the conditioner won’t be able to be absorbed. So after you are finished cleaning the upholstery, use a high-quality protectant to prevent fading, cracking, or stains.
2: Quick maintenance
Vacuum: A couple times a month or as often as you deem relevant, use a vacuum to remove all debris fragments from your interior.
3: Cleaning
Cleaning: Leather can be clean with a combination of warm water, and neutral soap, or invest in a cleaner specifically for your leather upholstery. Use a soft cloth to apply the clean solution, as soon as you have given the surface a good cleaning, remove the solution with a dry microfiber cloth. Don’t leave the solution on the leather, dry by itself.
If you would like to do regular monthly cleaning, invest in a leather specific cleaning solution. Please beware, that too much water-based solutions will weaken the fabric and color with regular use. However, specifically designed leather cleaning solution, will not damage the fabric in anyway.
Heated Seats?
Use the same method, but spray cleaning solution onto microfiber cloth, rather, than directly onto seat.
Cleaning tips:
- Vacuum first. Make sure to use a special upholstery attachment to prevent scratching
- Always clean a small section at a time.
- Never let the solution dry up on the leather, always wipe solution up with a microfiber towel
- When selecting a product solution, always start first with the less aggressive to the most aggressive solution if needed.
- Least aggressive cleaning: Spray the section you want to clean, clean by using moderate pressure, and wipe dry with microfiber towel
Steaming Cleaning:
A steamer will work wonders to exfoliate your seat. Spray some solution of the area, put a microfiber towel over the steamer, applying moderate pressure, work over small areas at a time,and use another towel to frequently dry the finished seat.
4: Condition
- Have leather be clean, and completely dry
- Don’t be afraid of too much conditioner, excess will wipes off with a microfiber towel
- Let conditioner sit for 20-30 minutes
- Don’t use cheap product, unless you are certain that the product is reliable
- Condition your seats every 3-5 weeks