Restoring Leather Interiors
Restore leather car seats, restore dry leather, restoring car interior
There are some good quality leather restoration products on the market these
days. Shop online or get some recommendations from your local car club or
auto parts retailer. Unless the leather is worn to pieces, there is often
the prospect of a good result using quality products.
Once you have chosen the product you will be using, talk to the company
itself about the color match you require. It is often worthwhile to send
in a small sample, usually from underneath the seat, so that they can color
match perfectly. If you know the manufacturer’s color code or color name,
this can lead you to the right color as well.
Cleaning
To make the work easier it may be worth removing the seats from the car
interior entirely. The first step is always a thorough vacuum and clean.
Pay very close attention to stitching and seams, where dirt tends to accumulate
and can be quite difficult to remove. Never use a regular household cleaning
product. Stick with leather cleaners, and follow the instructions using
a cloth or gentle bristle brush. After cleaning, wipe over with isopropyl
alcohol to remove all remnants of the cleaning products, and leave the
leather to dry completely.
Now take a good look at what you are dealing with, and make a final decision
on whether the integrity of the leather is good enough to warrant restoration
rather than replacement. If you have any rough spots or imperfections,
use a 600 grit sand paper to even them out, and clean once more.
Apply liquid leather
Use a small, inconspicuous area to test the liquid leather for color matching.
Most suppliers will send you a color toner so that you can make any slight
color alterations yourself. Once you are happy with the match, follow
the directions on your product closely. Usually, liquid leather is applied
with a sponge or a spray gun.
Where you have creases and cracks in the leather is where you need to
dilute your liquid leather with one third water. Rub the solution into
the cracks and creases and leave it to dry for about one minute. Wipe
the excess off with a damp cloth; this will leave the dye in the cracks
but remove the excess from the intact leather.
Repair
Where you need to repair and restore color on a patch of good leather,
apply the liquid leather at full strength and dry really thoroughly; use
a hair dryer. It is often necessary to repeat this step to repair the
color entirely.
Finally, once you have finished repairing and re-dyeing the leather, and
it has dried completely, apply a leather conditioner to bring out a fantastic
shine.