Cleaning Car Leather: BEST methods for professional results

Cleaning car leather is a tricky part of auto detailing and car care. The industry wants you to believe you need special cleaners and special conditioners to clean and maintain your car leather.
The truth is that cleaning your car leather is easier than you have likely been taught or believe.
Darren shows you how to clean car leather in the same way he does professionally as well as offer alternatives to the hyped-up car leather conditioners you think you need to buy as part of your other auto detailing products.
CLEANING CAR LEATHER: www.best-auto-detailing-tips....
MUSIC CREDIT:
CFM Production
kzbin.info/door/Ie5... provided by CFM: cfmfreemusic.com

[@lordhamptonwick5320]

I'm watching this video from in the UK and I think the amount of information is necessary. I personally don't need this amount of information, but some people do. Keep up the good work it is appreciated, thank you.

[@ArtyTomato]

Good job being informative. Most people just show tutorial but you explain certain scenarios you’ll run into as well. Been detailing for 6 years now, love watching other people’s detailing videos. Learn something new everyday

[@arivera1170]

Your video was incredible and very informative. Not only did you explain every single step to clean your leather you took the time to reiterate possible scenarios that may and will come up. I thank you very much for the time you took to produce this instructional video. You are a professional 

[@davidrose4942]

You ROCK Darren. I love the detail you provide. Never drove til late in life so now must learn how to care for my FIRST car! So happy!

[@smokeysmith1282]

You’re a man who first of all is extremely smart and pays attention to the smallest detail and more importantly, can remember it lol. ThankYou

[@oldatarigamer]

Darren has been telling us this for years now. Good to see him driving his point home again in a new video.

[@davidlees8426]

Solid information Mr. Priest, keep up the great work, I appreciate it

[@jesuisprest4175]

Wow, I've been cleaning my own cars for 30 years and I had no idea how wrong I was doing it! I am going to go fix all the car leather in my cars this weekend. Thank you so much for all the information.

[@VfRuckus]

Thank you for making this, made my life a lot easier knowing I can use diluted Simple Green to clear the leather. I agree, shorten the video by 10 minutes.

[@mkrs01g]

Good stuff, going to try it as soon as possible

[@37rdm37]

Just found your video, this is a masterclass, thank you so much. I also as an uber driver in the so called greater Philly area completely understand your frustrations explaining common sense to people.

[@SueTay.]

Love your detailed videos, thank you 🙏

[@williampinchbeck4321]

Love your videos they have helped a lot. What year did the manufacturers start using clear coat on the leather? Thanks again!!

[@ChuddleBuggy]

Very practical and knowledgeable advice. A true professional.

[@robwoods5434]

Appreciate the professionalism of all your videos. Great information for people like me who aren’t professional detailers but who enjoy the process of properly taking care of my own vehicles. It can sometimes be tough, as a consumer, to cut through the marketing info and figure out the right regimen.

[@brainfleming8756]

I like you unorthodox ideas!

[@jamiclemente3626]

Thanks Darren! Been following for a couple years and always learning a great deal from you. Where can I get a short crevice attachment like that? I have the same rigid hose but the ones that are sold are way to long to attach to the hose.

[@evangarthforsyth2943]

Excellent!! thanks for changing my mind set around Automotive cleaning products & where else in the vehicle you can go to work with them!! You are Obviously a Very intelligent Man...thank you for explaining in a way that i could take the knowledge on board for myself.

[@alejandroperalta1982]

Man this guy is the Scotty Kilmer of detailing,great video thanks!

[@einarbenedettirosenqvist3415]

Excelent information . Thank you very much.

[@indetailsydney2852]

Nice and informative video Darren. I have 2 new cars with leather interiors so I find this of particular interest. I have applied CarPro Leather to my white leather interior and find it allows me to clean off my dry transfer stains very easily. What is your opinion of further coating the leather interiors? Looking forward to more insights as I set up my business.

[@DiegoRodriguez-wj2nb]

Great video Darren. Happy to see you are still active making videos. Keep them coming...

[@JohnCena-zb5ss]

Pure common sense! Great information! I have the Simple Green and would love the CSI products for protecting that synthetic coating on my leather.

[@adolphlara495]

Dude I cant thanbk you enough, this is exactly the information I was looking for

[@yesgetfit]

Great video, just what I needed to know!

[@javisanchez3136]

Darren, this is hugely informative, thank you so much. How would you deal with light water stains?

[@bigdane1327]

I have saved most of your vids for when I receive my 2021 Corvette C8. Thx

[@sarahturps1384]

" I can reassure you that no the hell it won't..." 😅 Thank you. Very informative for us first timers.

[@vespasianwayneschickedanze]

Great advice, well presented!👍

[@scott1564]

Be careful with the Simple Green products on leather. SOME of them say don't use on leather. Now, that may not include car leather due to the coating, but I'd still be cautious -- it isn't a car care product like Meguiars. As far as the Rubbermaid (yellow handle) brush he uses in this video, I have the brush and I wouldn't recommend it on leather. I don't think it will do any harm to the leather but it is so stiff, I don't think it will be very effective. I like the softer brushes that can work into the seat a little better. The stiffer brush may not work as well on corners and the area where the back meets the seat. Of course, Darrin is a pro and gives great advice, so take mine with some caution. However, be aware that what works for him may or may not work for you.

[@OldSchool-dr5ql]

Yes the Simple green all purpose cleaner says DON'T use on Leather. He did say do a 10:1 ratio but it makes you wonder.

[@freddygarcia8610]

Very helpful Sir Thx 🙏👌

[@doughusom2176]

Very good video with lots of great info. 👍

[@ados7f]

Mega detailed video about leather detailing... not hating, just remarking. 👍 Thank you for details in-between the avalanche of information

[@nedrajacobs9161]

Great information. Thank you

[@Rocky_Inspire]

This is really helpful! I just purchased the most beatiful Jeep Grand Cherokee, 80th anniversary edition with all the bells and whistles and it’s such an awesome car. There is black interior throughout with ventilated seats and since we are in the Nevada desert I wear sunblock all the time and there are marks from the sunblock all over the driver’s side. I honestly don’t fully trust “Joe Blow” to just swing by and clean my car, I’d rather do it myself and this video helped me to know how clean the leather properly. I had no idea about the additional protective layer. It makes sense because cars from 20 years ago that had leather seats would crack and fall apart within a few years and it seems like in newer cars leather lasts forever and doesn’t crack and expand like it used to. Anyway, thank you again! Great video!

[@jonmonetmonet2727]

ENJOYED THE DETAILING STEP BY STEP - THANKS FOR ALLOWING US TIME TO WRITE DOWN ALL THE DETAILING STEPS AS NEEDED - MOST OF MY CARS ARE CORVETTES-FERRARIS-PORSCHES-JAGUARES AND SOON ASTON MARTINS .... I AM WORKING UP TO BUILDING A CAR SHOW ROOM ONE DAY AND DETAILING MY CARS WILL BE PURTINANT TO VIEWING....THANKS - JM

[@joyceperreault4237]

Wordy, but there was a lot of useful tips that made it worthwhile.

[@MapleLeafForever99]

Great video and pls disregard the comments about it being too long. You provide great info in this video. Thanks.

[@Cupids_Victim]

I always pay attention to his videos,and never notice how long they are. 👍🎮

[@cpeu671]

great vid, very detailed, make sense. what 's a good spray bottle?

[@adalbertopena1179]

Thanks very helpful

[@prennrecaj2957]

Your videos are always top notch compare to others thanks 4 extra explaining very importantly necessary

[@christopherallen1107]

Great info, do you have links to the products you are sing scrub pad and brush and chemicals?

[@Fit4EVR]

Thanks for the info!!

[@antoniomolinabendeck]

I liked te long video. It for people who want to get some insight or just listen to experience. Good.

[@khue6377]

Excellent video

[@patriciaglemser8330]

Thanks so much I just cleaned my leather headrest in my 15 Hyundai Sonata and it cleaned the hair product buildup off of it. Took a little work but it all gone and clean.

[@sasakelner2518]

Great guy, greetings from Croatia!

[@user-bk8hs8gf3o]

Hello, thank you for sharing your knowledge, I now use p21s because of your video with the black Mercedes, been using it since 2015 now, thank you. I did not say how often leather should be cleaned, what is your rule of thumb, not just for visible soiled leather, but more so regular maintenance up keep?

[@samueleisenberg8746]

Very informative

[@deedowdell5347]

Good Video, what do you think about using a Steamer to clean leather seat and carpet on occasion?

[@Baby_Suge]

Due to having a Full Top (Convertable) K5 Blazer and often having it parked in the sun during car shows, are there extra steps that I need to do other than shown?

[@Adam-ff3me]

Darren you're leather bangle bracelets are hip cool and with it dude.

[@koioo2]

2016 edition opel corsa .it has cloth seats plastic dashboard where the transmission is there a leather cover (or I believe its leather ) handbrake is plastic the cover is leather I believe and one leather steering wheel. can I maintain the same way? I don t have access to csi product but are other brands I can use

[@rg3412]

Phenomenal video. Thank you for taking the time to explain all this. I’m a novice and I feel better armed now.

[@desireemcallister7406]

Where did you get the non abrasive synthetic scrub pads?

[@HighImpactPromo]

I'm ready! I'm excited! Mind blowing wisdom to protect, beautify & preserve the COATINGS on our Leather Seats! Smart precautions to avoid surface scrapes from vacuum attachments, fingernails, rings. Novel (Wow!) conditioning products along with common alternatives! Thank you! ... My notes: CSI Q-7 DETAILER (QUICK DETAILER) / CSI Q-7 WAX! (CARNAUBA) / CSI NU TYRE LOTION (SHINE. DRIES.) --- Cleaning: SIMPLE GREEN (DIL 10:1)! "SCOUR CLOTH", MICROFIBER TOWELS. BRUSH.

[@SuperRife1]

How do we use cleaners on leather seats that are highly vented for heating & cooling? My new to me Lincoln i want to do. Thanks!!!

[@Ekopvu]

You've blown my mind😳

[@jaymiller5934]

Do u have advice and or video for how to treat and fix minor cracks before they get worse and perhaps even make them go away. Thanks

[@JonathanCheco]

Can I use a silicone based? Will it damage the leather? I usually just use a 3 in 1 silicone based leather cleaner.

[@freddygarcia8610]

After once I am done three the process Could I put the leather condition afterwards

[@joshholbrook7396]

How often do you recommend doing this process? Obviously, when it's dirty, but do you recommend twice a year or more? Great info, btw!

[@trackmastersdj]

I bought a brand new 2023 Honda with leather seats last month. How often should I apply any cleaner or "conditioner"? Any tips? Thanks.

[@cristinasaenz5498]

What about Alcantara on the trx? I plan to use your cleaning methods to clean my truck's leather but just vacuuming over the alcantara for now...

[@davek5777]

Great video and information. I totally understand the cleaning methodology you mention using the Simple Green. But, using the 3 step (CSI c-7, q-7, and tyre lotion) has me a bit dumbfounded. Wouldn't using these 3 - especially the q-7 wax and tyre lotion just build up additional "layers" on the leather? Might be wrong - assuming the Wax would add an "un"-penetrable layer, could cause more harm than good? Also, I'm scratching my head pondering the fact that you didn't use a leather "softener". My father's car is 14 years old, he never applied anything to his leather - granted, it's still in decent shape - but I noticed that it is terribly "stiff" possibly from no treatment at all. Would it be wise to apply a leather softener i.e. similar to the one I use on my cowboy boots?

[@juliusjarrett8832]

Is the inside of my car vinyl or leather ? 2017 Mazda 3 and do you clean it the same way as leather?

[@glorialange6479]

I just bought a Lincoln town car 2007 Designer series. It has 29,000 miles and I would like to know if it has a synthetic clear coating. I would like to clean and protect, but I’d like to know if I’m cleaning and protecting the clear coating.

[@russellsheridan3957]

If a car already has some damage to the clearcoat in the leather seats, is the same soap still good to use? Is there anything that'd fill in the gaps in clearcoat so it doesn't get worse? I imagine wax will give some protection.

[@Greysonbird]

I love this guy. Great tips and he’s hilarious.

[@kgkrause1]

Hey Darren, I used Meguiars leather cleaning wipes on my leather seats and now I have these ugly streaks all over them. Any tips on how I can get rid of these streaks?

[@Marcoosianism]

Excuse me for asking a question 4 years after the publishing of this great information. In my view, a conditioner is something that works by being absorbed into the material it is applied on. As most leather still has an intact layer of protective synthetic coating on top of it, there is no product that will actually penetrate (soften, rejuvenate) a synthetic coating. Please correct me if I'm wrong. In view of this, would a cleaning followed by a simple UV protectant suffice as a leather preserving protocol for the life of the car?

[@arnoldsantiago8170]

Meguiar's All purpose cleaner 10:1 is also okay? My leather is black

[@beth8678]

Great video! Im looking for how to remove a red dye stain from pale butter colored leather. Ugh im so upset !!! I may have ruined my once perfect interior

[@valentinogarrycinematograp2297]

Very nice!!

[@TheDoosh79]

Can you use 303 on leather after you've cleaned it?

[@scottpage4229]

Always entertaining...boys and girls

[@the1beard]

100 percent agree It's not leather on the surface Great advice

[@carolegordon4912]

I have black leather seats. My lipstick broke (while I was applying it in my car). I thought it fell to the floor but no, it was myseat and now the seat is stained with lipstick. Please tell me what I can use to remove it. Thanks.

[@chaduphoff1]

I leather protectant armor allied brand new Hyundai Santa Fe. Left terrible streaks. Help- how to get off?

[@bigdane1327]

Does mulan leather wear better than napa leather, in general, or if you have specific info on leather used i new Corvettes?

[@tatianna0119]

What advice would you have for a mom whose husband is buying the family a brand new suv and we still use car seats??

[@hcwbw3]

Thanks for the great info. Since it is obvious you like to be right and the details are important, just a little clarification. When dealing with dilutions a 10 to 1 dilution is 9 parts diluent 1 part solute yielding a total of 10, a 9 to 1 ratio. Dilution vs ratio.

[@pindiwal4717]

For the love of leather seats, show us!

[@mr.lad-detailingtricksntip]

So your products have no silicone at all??? Thoroughly interested!

[@grownupgaming]

If we just always do the cleaning steps, and skip the detailer, wax, tirelotion..... will that be good enough to keep the leather long lasting (though may not be good looking)

[@wagoner518]

Thanks so much for this! I bought a new cream leather seat vehicle. Within 3 months, my blue jeans had stained the driver seat blue in spots. I asked the dealership what they recommended to clean it and they had no recommendations. Now at a year, I tried your methods and products and it cleaned right up! Thank you!

[@ObjectFit]

Anyone got links to these products? I am looking for a nonabrasive scrubbing pad similar to what he has but the ones on amazon seem different don't want to buy the wrong thing

[@EggieWun]

What about woolite VS simple green??

[@RoycelynLGray]

CSI Q-7 Wax Spray car Wax 16oz - Non-staining, Carnauba Spray Wax is no longer available. What is the substitute?

[@rodolfosuave45]

Watch at 1.5x speed and thank me later lol

[@juliusjarrett8832]

Does it matter which side of the microfiber cloth you use?

[@tealtree4019]

Do you have tips for detail in a car dealership

[@kingchile32]

What are the white pads exactly? aluminum silicate ?

[@poltergeise2340]

Where can I buy the bottled CSI products you are holding in this video ?

[@freightpeddler]

I thought I was watching scott from Dallas paint correction. Nerve racking

[@kk-yy8oi]

Thanks for thee video... Do you kNow which kind of chemical dealership use to detailing new car? I want to get that as the smell is good.. thanks again

[@seanmack7760]

Meguiars APC

[@JAutomated]

So if I’m vacuuming and cleaning weekly with Simple green, is it super necessary to apply protective coating? If so, how often should I apply protective coating as opposed to just cleaning? Thanks.

[@miriama4505]

I wonder the same thing!

[@MrChuckwagon55]

What happened to the Meguiares x press spray wax?

[@skinscapsfan]

All of your audio is coming out of the left channel only. Right channel only has static. Please fix

[@G-SpecDetail]

Darren Thanks ... You are really truly helping us become true Detailers Would you have a list of all the products you use😇?