How To Repair Leather Car Seats With Cracks?
Many car lovers love to have leather seats for a lavish look and feel. These leathers get cracks with time because of the tension and abrasion caused by people and other things rubbing over them. High temperature exposure also causes it to crack.
You should repair the cracked leather seats as soon as possible because it does not only lessen the aesthetic appeal of your car upholstery but also lead to further potential damages. You can easily manage to repair small cracks by following this detailed process.
Material required:
Detailed process:
1. Remove all extra stuff from the seat:
First of all, eliminate all the extra debris and trash from the seat. And use a vacuum cleaner with a brush to get rid of hidden or tiny dirt particles.
2. Use leather cleaner:
Now use the leather cleaner with the help of a microfiber towel and scrub it over the entire surface to clean the seat properly for the next steps.
Apply this cleaner directly to the stubborn stains and leave for some minutes to let it work over there. Then clean the entire solution using a clean cloth.
3. Use leather conditioner:
Apply leather conditioner, with a soft towel, over the cracks to smooth them down. Leather cracks take time to completely absorb this conditioner to rehydrate themselves. Wait for an hour to dry the conditioner properly.
4. Sand the cracked surface:
Gently sand the cracked leather seat with the sandpaper of 800-1000grit to remove leather scrapes. Don’t sand too much; it can damage the seat rather than helping. Clean the sand dust with a soft rag or towel.
5. Apply leather-repairing filler:
Use plastic scrappers to apply leather-repairing fillers uniformly over the entire surface. It helps to fill the crack gaps and provides smooth finishing. Let it dry properly for the recommended time as mentioned in its manual.
6. Choose the correct paint color:
Purchase the paint can or aerosol spray of the exact color matched to the color of your car’s leather seats.
7. Spray the paint over the towel:
Use a soft towel to apply paint to the cracked leather seat because it can stain the color if you directly spray the paint over there. Therefore, heavily spray the paint over one side of the towel that you can easily rub over a leather seat.
8. Use lacquer thinner:
Apply a small amount of lacquer thinner also over the painted towel because it helps to blend the new paint with the old paint color that was already applied to the leather seats. If you don’t use the lacquer, then paint colors cannot be mixed well, and cracks will be clearly seen within the material.
9. Apply the paint:
Fold this towel in half and make sure the paint does not come out of this surface.
Rub this towel over the cracks to apply the mixture of paint and lacquer in an upward and downward direction.
10. Apply another layer of paint:
Examine the cracks on your seat, if they are still visible, then apply a second layer of the paint and lacquer mixture over there. Make sure the first layer is still wet when you apply the second layer of the paint. It helps the proper blending of both layers. Let the seat dry for a night.
11. Reuse the leather conditioner:
Apply some conditioner again to the repaired surface to protect it from cracking in the future. Use a soft cloth to rub this conditioner over there until all the conditioner is absorbed.
Preventive measures to protect your leather seat from cracking:
Regular maintenance:
Leather seats require regular maintenance, such as cleaning and deep conditioning, to sustain the luxurious look of your overall car upholstery.
Clean your leather seats with leather cleaner every time you wash your car prevents from accumulating dust over there. It’s essential to use leather conditioner on your car seats once or twice a year to keep them hydrated, which protects them from cracking and also ensures longevity and smoothness.
Protect from direct sunlight:
Direct exposure to sunlight is the main reason for leather cracks and its color fading; therefore, try to park your car under shade and use a protective shield over side windows to protect the leather seat from direct sunlight.
Window tinting:
Car window tinting also protects your car upholstery from the accumulation of high temperatures inside the car by blocking the UV rays and infrared light. It dries the leather moisture quickly and causes it to crack.
Be careful with sharp objects:
Don’t put any object that has sharp corners directly on the seats because it can tear your leather seat. Use a protective blanket before placing these objects.
Conclusion:
You can repair small cracks in your car’s leather seat with this DIY method to sustain its look, and regular maintenance is necessary to extend your leather’s life. But if the cracks are too severe and the leather seat is torn, then you need to go for professional services. You can also visit Car Detailing Abu Dhabi to handle these extensive cracks either by repairing or replacing them with proper tools and techniques.
