Have you ever seen the driver’s seat in a car where the leather or vinyl material is severely cracked, maybe chipping or tearing and becoming a real eye sore? There are several reasons this happens, here are a few:
• Surface damage from small particles that are ground into your seat’s surface as you enter the car and reposition yourself while driving. These particles act as sandpaper and although you may not see the damage occurring as it happens, you will see the results over time.
• Leather or vinyl drying out and becoming hard and brittle, because of neglect.
• Sweat & oils from your skin causing the protective coating of your seat’s surface to deteriorate due to pH changes in the leather and vinyl.
What can I do to prevent these problems?
There are many lotions, polishes, conditioners and other “cures” that are marketed to extend the life of not only our leather, but also our skin, plastic products, wood furniture and other surfaces. Snake oil cures are abundant and found in many industries, often overused, but it can’t be overstated the need to clean and condition the leather seats of our vehicles and furniture. As the owner of a leather repair business, I see the damage caused by neglect and failure to clean and condition and know first hand how expensive it can be to repair the damage. When extensive damage is present, the results of repairs often do not yield the results desired. Re-upholstery is expensive. Prevention is the answer.
Cleaning removes the small particles that grind our seats as well as the contaminants from our skin, hair and clothes that transfer to our seats. Conditioners provide a protective film to the seat’s surface which reduces its surface temperature and provides a barrier to spills and oil/moisture from our bodies and from our pets. These films allow us to slide onto and across our seats reducing damage from the rough surfaces some clothes have. (Think
belts, belt loops, clothes labels and rivets). Finally, if your seats are already damaged (noticeable or micro tears and scratches), the conditioner fills in these areas and provides moisture protection like the original protective coating did. It also reintroduces pH balanced ingredients to reconstitute the leather or vinyl’s original characteristics.
Cleaning and conditioning do protect - ensuring a greater lifespan for the leather and vinyl surfaces we want to last.
Working in the industry, I know first hand how leather seats are damaged and what best can be done to protect them so repairs can be avoided. The old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” says it all.