Are you looking for the best car leather cleaners on the market?
You've come to the right place!
In this ProperMechanic.com guide, you will learn the following:
- Which leather cleaners are the best choice
- How to properly clean leather seats
- What to look for in a quality leather cleaner
And much more!
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Our Top Pick
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Our Top Pick
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Leather Honey
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View on Amazon |
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Best Budget
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Best Budget
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Meguiar’s
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View on Amazon |
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Best High End
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Best High End
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Trinova
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View on Amazon |
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KevianClean Complete Leather Cleaner and Conditioner
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View on Amazon | |
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Chemical Guys Leather Cleaner
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View on Amazon |
Our Overall #1 Rated Pick
(updated 4/16/2020)
Top Overal Pick:
Leather Honey is our favorite because it is attractively named and priced.
Going with the all-natural product is the way to go on this purchase because leather is a relatively all-natural product. You wouldn't want to treat your skin with
Leather Honey rejuvenates your leather and gives it more life.
There is nothing worse than getting your leather seats greasy and dirty and not having the proper cleaning solution.
Keeping your leather surfaces and synthetic materials shining and sanitized is easy thanks to websites like Amazon that give you plenty of options to choose from at insanely good prices.
Leather or a faux leather synthetic equivalent is undoubtedly the best option for comfort in automobiles, and it is also easier to clean.
Leather repels most liquid substances rather than absorbing them, and if you are a smoker your car won't be permanently wreaking of the stench when it comes time to sell. This is good.
It's pluses all around when opting for the leather seating options on your vehicle.
So the next time you jump inside your luxurious vehicle only to be uncomfortable because of dirty or stinky leather, don't get upset--check out this buying guide for the best car leather cleaners that will help you stay on top of your vehicle's cleanliness.
Below is a quick list of all our top products. Keep scrolling to learn more about how to choose and use the best car leather cleaners
Top 5 Best Car Leather Cleaners
In a hurry? Check out our Top 5 picks below! Keep reading to learn more about these amazing car leather cleaners.
What Are Car Leather Cleaners?
Here are some common qualities and ingredients that leather cleaning products have:
- Natural waxes
- Oleic-rich oils containing vitamin E
- UV Protection
There are so many different car leather cleaners on the market to choose from today it is almost unreal, and most of them consist of a non-solvent solution that either sanitize or conditions the leather(or both).
When you go to choose a product for cleaning up the leather on your vehicle, there are a few different factors to consider.
For example, are you trying to physically sanitize the leather to rid it from dead skin and oils from your body, or are you trying to moisturize it because you live in a dry climate where the sun takes its toll on your upholstery?
It's easy to purchase more than one product to get the job done, and you may just want to try out each product from our list on your vehicle to find out which one you like the best.
What Are The Different Types of Car Leather Cleaners?
As far as application goes, there are three main types of leather cleaners and conditioners:
Wipes
Wipes are meant for quickly cleaning up and hydrating leather surfaces. Don't expect a full treatment from a wipe; if you're looking to restore the leather, then you need lotion, wax or spray.
Spray
Leather cleaners that come in a spray bottle are meant for either strictly cleaning the leather or for applying the conditioner effectively along with cleaning the surface. Be sure the product specifies the purpose of the spray bottle before purchasing because you may want a leather cleaner and a conditioner separate.
Bottled
Leather conditioner that comes in a bottle is usually the best solution for restoring and hydrating your leather. What's important is that you clean the leather surface first with something simple like a citrus-based cleaner.
Wax
Just like you would put wax into your hair and rub it into your scalp; you can do the same with leather and it will have the same effect.
How Do Car Leather Cleaners Work?
Car leather cleaners work to protect and clean the leather surfaces in your vehicle by being applied with a microfiber towel.
After having cleaned the surface first, the leather conditioner is applied, rubbed into the surface, and then wiped clean after a certain amount of time if necessary.
When Should To Clean/Condition Leather?
So how do you know when its time to use leather treatment in your vehicle?
Cleaning your leather is a frequent task, especially when you and other people are constantly getting in and out of the car, eating food inside, opening the windows, etc.
Clean people will wipe down their leather seating anywhere from once every day to once a week.
Treating or Conditioning your leather is a less frequent task, but if you are smart you will apply a leather conditioner to your leather every few months depending on the weather conditioner.
Take care of your leather in a similar fashion as your skin; it's really up to you, and it depends on how much you care about the life of your leather.
What To Look For In The Best Car Leather Cleaners?
Since there are so many leather cleaners on the market, there are a few qualities you may want to look for to be sure you get exactly what you are looking for.
All Natural
Are you a fanatic of natural products? That's normal. Leather cleaners that are made of more basic ingredients are becoming(and always were) more popular because they function well.
Multi-function
Is the product you are looking for compatible with all types of leather? Is it only recommended for use on upholstery in your vehicle, or does it function on other surfaces like your home furniture, leather shoes, and more? Reading the label is important, and it's also smart to think about other objects you might have that could use a leather treatment.
Non-Solvent
It's probably not a good idea to use any cleaner that has a solvent when cleaning or restoring your leather. Sure, leather is technically treated with solvents when being produced, but when maintaining the leather the goal is to clean and hydrate rather than change the state or color of the leather.
What Is a Solvent?
A solvent can dissolve other substances; in other words, using cleaning solutions like bleach is a bad idea when cleaning leather.
You want a leather cleaner that has a neutral pH balance.
Safety
In the absence of vehicle ramps, an individual must use a car jack to lift the front of their vehicle, to service any component underneath its front end.
When a vehicle’s front end is elevated, its front tires lose contact with the ground, and stability can be negatively impacted. This necessitates the use of jack stands to secure the vehicle, if your jack were to fail.
However, when a vehicle is driven onto a set of quality car ramps at the proper lift height, weight is still distributed between all four wheel-end locations, retaining stability.
These ramps are held in place under the weight of the vehicle that they are supporting, and most are rated for a total weight capacity that far exceeds that of virtually any passenger vehicle.
Simplicity: Raising the front end of your vehicle with the use of vehicle ramps is seldom any more difficult than pulling into a narrow parking spot.
Simply line your vehicle’s front tires up with the ramps, and ease forward until you have crested their peak.
This is a far cry simpler than using a car jack and jack stands, or even a car lift to raise the front end of your vehicle.
The use of a car jack can be quite inefficient, especially if you are unfamiliar with your vehicle’s designated lifting points.
Lifting your car with a car jack typically becomes a battle of raising and lowering your vehicle once or twice until you are finally satisfied with the jack's positioning.
This is then followed by the placement of jack stands, that inevitably do not fit in place as you had hoped.
You can entirely bypass this hassle with the use of quality car ramps. For more on vehicle ramps vs. jack stands, read this article.
Read More >> What Are The Best Car Leather Detailing Kits?
How To Tell the Difference Between Real and Fake Leather?
You may have synthetic leather in your vehicle and not even notice it, and that's okay! It can be hard to tell the difference between the two sometimes.
Faux leather is made from a plastic base and then treated with dye, wax or polyurethane.
Real Leather vs. Faux Leather, Which Is Better?
Faux leather is cheap to produce, and it still functions as real leather does without having to use the skin of a cow or another animal.
So the question arises; is faux leather better than real leather? That's a tricky question.
Real leather is technically better on the consumer side because it is more durable and it lasts longer. Leather that may appear to have seen its day can be treated with a restorer like one of the leather treatment products listed above and see new life. Plus, real leather is unique; no two hides are the same.
Discolored Leather, What To Do?
It isn't at all uncommon that leather turns a different color. It is even very possible that if you wear blue jeans, your leather will start to turn blue on the parts where you rub up against the most.
You'll also notice that in the places where you touch the leather it also begins to discolor, usually to a dark and unpleasant tone.
The next time you see a leather steering wheel look closely, you will be able to see grime spots where the driver places their hands because of the dead skin cells and oils from the hands transferred onto it.
The best way to clean off discolored leather is by using a citrus-based cleaning agent and a microfiber cloth.
Does Using Leather Cleaner On Fake Leather Work?
Most non-solvent leather cleaners or conditioners certainly aren't going to hurt a fake leather surface, however, it is recommended that you clean faux leather or protein leather with a non-abrasive cloth and warm water.
You should avoid using strong detergents when cleaning fake leather because it will dry it out.
Steps For Properly Cleaning Leather
The first step in cleaning your leather is removing any debris with a vacuum. It is surprising how much dirt and debris gets in between the cracks of the leather.
Think of leather surfaces the same as you would think about the human skin; it's delicate in ways, and it needs to be cleaned gently and moisturized for the best health. That's why it's also important that the leather conditioner you use can block UV rays; it burns and dries out just like your skin does.
Things You Shouldn't Use To Clean Leather
You're wrong if you think you can use any old cleaning agent to clean leather. Don't be sorry by using the wrong product. DO NOT use products like:
- bleach
- ammonia
- cleaning solvents
- oil varnish
- furniture polish
If you have read all of the information written in this article, then by now you have quite the knowledge of how to clean, condition, and care for your leather car interior. Good job!
Air compressors are a wonder when detailing your leather. For example, you can put a small air blower attachment on the hose and blow out all the dirt/small particles that get stuck inside the beads and stitching of the leather.
Believe us, when a professional details your leather he will most likely be using an air compressor at some point in the process.
Are Your Air Vents Clean?
The dust that builds up in the air vents of a vehicle blows into the cabin of the vehicle, and eventually, the passengers breathe it into their lungs while driving.
You can easily clean the air vents on your vehicle by spraying a citrus-based cleaner inside and spraying it out with an air hose.
My Leather Is Cracked And Torn, Should I Try To Restore It?
At a certain point, the leather on your seats may crack or tear until the point where it is too far gone.
So what do you do if you are leather is unbearably dry and gross? You replace it.
Some professionals devote their time to restoring old seats with brand new leather.
You'll easily be able to find an upholstery shop near you by performing a google search or talking to your local dealer.
Read More >> What Should You Look For In The Top Car Paint Protectant?
Our Reviews Of The Best Car Leather Cleaners
Pick #1: Leather Honey
Leather honey protects and restores all types of leather whether it’s your shoes, a handbag, your car, or even a baseball glove.
Developed from all-natural products, the purpose of leather honey is to retain and give moisture to your leather upholstery, prolonging its life.
Leather honey is our top choice because of its economical price and natural composition.
Pros
Cons
Pick #2: Meguiar's
You may see products like Meguiar's Gold class rich leather cleaner on the shelves in any gas station or local auto parts store.
That's because Meguiar's makes a fine product that is worth trying out on your leather.
Application is easy; you just spray Meguiar's rich leather cleaner either directly onto the seat or a rag and wipe it in.
Pros
Cons
Pick #3: Trinova
Trinova Leather cleaner is safe for any surface and even comes with an applicator pad.
This particular Trinova comes in an 8 oz. bottle to make for a small bottle of quality leather that acts as a sealant to protect against water and spills.
Trinova encourages you to protect your investment by softening, strengthening, and moisturizing your leather surfaces--and they're right.
Trinova's attractive packaging and good reviews are enough to make them our 'best high-end' choice.
Pros
Cons
KevianClean's leather product is made and priced for the quality.
Besides, you wouldn't buy a cheap leather cleaner for a nice car, would you?
With abilities to remove ball-point pen ink and marks from blue jeans, this all-in-one leather cleaner and conditioner will be at your doorstep and ready to better all leather materials in view when you purchase it on Amazon.
Pros
Cons
Pick #5: Chemical Guys Leather Cleaner
Chemical guys give you a complete leather care kit that includes a leather cleaner and a leather conditioner in two separate bottles at a steal of a price.
The enhancement that Chemical Guys leather cleaner will give to your upholstery is OEM approved.
This is our best budget pic, so when you go looking for the cheapest price to pay you will find it with chemical guys.
For just a few extra dollars you can add a bristle cleaning brush that makes the purchase even more attractive on the aesthetic side; a good cleaning tool is a reason in itself to purchase Chemical Guys two bottle kits.
Pros
Cons
Our Top Pick: Leather Honey
What's sweeter than having your car's leather hydrated and soft? Nothing.
That's why we recommended you go with Leather Honey when its time to clean and preserve your vehicle's upholstery.
You will likely be using Leather Honey leather conditioner on leather articles other than your leather car seats.
Apply Leather Honey every six months, and you will have a leather surface that is healthy and comfortable.
Plus, it's an excellent value for the money! Check the low price now on Amazon.
Read More >> How Can You Remove Car Scratches On Your Own?
Final Thoughts On Best Car Leather Cleaners?
Did you know you can also use a leather conditioner to dress your engine bay?
This is an old classic car detailer trick.
It may sound weird, but after having cleaned off your vehicle's engine with a degreaser, try spraying some leather cleaner on the plastic covers and other parts (coolant reservoir, hoses, etc) and wipe it off with a microfiber towel; your engine will be looking slick.
You may be wondering--"Why do I need to dress my engine?"-- trust us; when you go to sell your car and the engine compartment looks professionally detailed there will be a higher probability of making the deal.
Questions? Ask Away
Here at ProperMechanic, we are your go-to source for car care and maintenance. Free feel to ask us any questions you have concerning your vehicle, and we will be sure to get back to you right away.
