How to Clean Leather Car Seats

leather seats being cleaned

Leather seats are more luxurious than cloth, but they require special care in order to keep them in good condition. Learn about proper leather seat care with these helpful tips from Suntrup Automotive Group.


How Do You Keep Leather Seats in Good Condition?

  • Vacuum: Vacuum the seats, especially down in the crevices and seams, to remove any dust, dirt, or debris.
  • Clean: Using a pH-neutral cleaning solution with a microfiber cloth and soft-bristled brush, gently scrub the leather upholstery. Be careful not to get any of the liquid cleaner into perforated seats.
  • Condition: With a new, clean microfiber cloth, apply a leather conditioner into the seats.
  • Protect: Preserve and protect the leather by parking in the shade beneath a tree, in a garage, or anyplace out of direct sunlight.

What Cleaning Products Should Be Used?

Using a colorless, damp rag to lightly dust your car seats is a good way to keep them clean. For a more thorough wash, you should use warm water with a bit of soap or a specially made leather cleaner to wipe down the seats. Your owner’s manual should have recommendations on products to use, or you can also research online to find the best type of leather conditioners available.Some products that you should stay away from when it comes to leather seat care include:

  • Sharp objects that may scratch
  • Household cleaner
  • Dark cloths
  • Detergents
  • Furniture polish
microfiber cloth cleaning seat

Want to Know More About Cleaning Leather Car Seats?

To find out more about how to care for your leather seats in your car, truck, or SUV, contact the service center at your local Suntrup Automotive Group dealership. We are always happy to provide recommendations and additional information. For example, learn how to create your own car air freshener. Check out our car care tips, and when you’re ready to upgrade your commute, explore our new and used vehicle inventory.

More from Suntrup Automotive Group

  • What Credit Score Do You Need to Buy a Car?

    It is one of the first questions people ask when they start thinking about financing a vehicle, and the honest answer is that there is no single number that unlocks car ownership. Lenders set their own standards, and those standards shift depending on whether you are financing new or used, how much you are putting…

  • What Is Considered High Mileage for a Used Car?

    If a used car’s odometer reads six figures, most shoppers slow down. The 100,000-mile mark has been treated as a hard limit for decades, and for a long time that caution made sense. But the vehicles on today’s used car lots are built very differently than what was on the road thirty years ago. What…

  • How to Increase Your Car’s Resale Value Through Maintenance

    When you drive a brand-new vehicle off the dealership lot, you instantly participate in one of the most predictable financial realities of the automotive world: depreciation. Over the first few years of a vehicle’s life, its market value naturally decreases. However, many car owners do not realize that depreciation is not a completely fixed percentage….

Contact Us


5926 S. Lindbergh Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63123
Suntrup Automotive Group 38.5214964, -90.3451239.