Properly Caring for the Leather in Your Custom Car's Interior

At Customs & Hot Rods of Andice, one of the best parts of our job is outfitting a vehicle with a custom interior that fits the vehicle's look and the owner's style. There are a lot of different ways to go with the upholstery of any vehicle, vintage or modern, but one material that is always sure to please is leather. Many classic cars were originally designed with leather and so when it comes to restoration projects, many owners either want to put new life into the original leather materials or have new, authentic leather upholstery added.

Leather has long been a premium choice because of its ability to handle quite the beating and still look and feel great while doing so. However, even the highest quality of leather upholstery in a custom car interior requires ongoing care and maintenance to keep it in good condition. Left uncared for, this material is prone to cracking, creating wear patches, and eventually tearing and ripping -- and ultimately requiring another round of upholstery work! So save your money on the repeat jobs and instead consider the following tips for the proper care of leather upholstery:

Properly Caring for the Leather in Your Custom Car's Interior

• Vacuum weekly. Once a week, use a vacuum cleaner and hose attachment to thoroughly clean up any and all debris that has accumulated in the nooks and crannies of your leather seats and other upholstery items.
• Use a light spray for topical cleaning. Next, if you see any smudges or similar discolorations, grab your preferred leather-friendly cleaning spray and spritz across the impacted leather. Use a microfiber cloth to wipe the area clean.
• Rehydrate. Once a month, follow the above steps with a high-collagen leather treatment designed to rehydrate the material -- be sure to select a product that has a base ingredient of oil and not water. This rehydration treatment helps strengthen leather fibers to prevent cracking and it can actually help repair those cracks already present if you are working with older leather materials. Rehydration is particularly important in our sunny and dry regions of Texas where the elements are more severe on leather.
• Rejuvenate. Next up, use a rejuvenating oil treatment to further enhance the material's longevity. With this style product, you'll want to apply in layers and allow the leather to absorb the oil. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and use a clean microfiber cloth with gentle soap and water to wipe away any excess oil that fails to absorb.
• Finishing. For old leather upholstery that has begun to fade, you might use a finishing restoration kit to breathe new life in that leather. Take care, however, as these products can be tricky and it's best to test a small, hidden area before applying it throughout. You can also bring your vehicle to our garage to get a more individualized assessment on the proper finishing products and techniques to perform.

Get Your Custom Car Interior Perfect at CHRA

Contact us to learn more about perfecting your vehicle's interior!