Leather Upholstery Repair

There is so much wear and tear endured by our leather chairs, couches, and car seats. Many of us, including myself, want to keep our leather furniture or upholstery looking like new, especially for the cars. But as time keeps on moving forward, the leather seats in the car take a toll and can tear or get cracks. In such a case, repairing your car's leather upholstery is a must. It is unappealing and also decreases the value of a car drastically. I mean, would you like to buy or sit in a car where the interiors are ruptured? And the answer is, not at all. Which is why, the sooner we get to the task the better. The following steps will show you want sort of materials and equipment you need to repair the upholstery.

Repairing Car Leather Upholstery

Materials Needed

• Dish soap
• Towel
• Scrub brush
• Bucket
• Scouring pad
• Blow dryer
• Paper towels
• Terry cloth
• Leather prep (SEM Leather Prep)
• Leather water sealer
• Leather dye (SEM Classic Coat)
• Denatured alcohol
• 240-grit sandpaper
• Sheet

Step #1: In the bucket, add some warm water and 2-4 drops of dish soap in it. Take the scrub brush and place it in the soap water. The soaked scrub brush has to be used on the entire leather seat surface for cleaning. Make sure that you clean all the crevices properly as well. Once the upholstery is cleaned, dry the seats completely with a clean terry cloth.

Step #2: After you wipe the seat, now place the scouring pad in the soap water and clean the seat in circular movements. The scouring pad will pick up dust and dirt particles that the scrub brush might have missed. Also, the scouring pad can prep the leather seat for the new dye application. Take a clean terry cloth and wipe the soap water clean.

Step #3: Dab some denatured alcohol over a fresh paper towel. Only take a small amount and wipe the entire torn or cracked leather seat(s). Go in a up-down manner and cover all the surfaces. Take a new paper towel and wipe the seat again. Don't let the denatured alcohol dry before you get a chance to clean it. The denatured alcohol will remove all the silicone and/or other chemicals, which can stop the new dye from sticking.

Step #4: Now submerge the 240-grit sandpaper in the soap water and start sanding the seat with cracks. As you are in the process, you will see that the original dye is starting to come off. Take the sandpaper and collect the dye underneath your hand, to fill it inside the visible cracks. This will work as the car seat filler. Keep on sanding the surface till you find that the seat is beginning to feel smooth. Take another clean terry towel and wipe the seat properly. With a blow dryer, dry the seat till there is no trace of water.

Step #5: Take a thin layer of the SEM leather prep and spread it over the seat. As the SEM prep works, it will help settle the new dye comfortably. On a fresh paper towel, dab some leather water sealer and apply it on the damaged area of the seat. Allow the prep to work its magic, as it will protect the leather and let it dry.

Step #6: Cover the other parts of the interior of your car so that when you spray the new dye, it doesn't stain your dashboard, windows, or anything else. Keep the leather dye at least 15 inches away from the area that needs to be sprayed. After the first coat is on, run the blow dryer over it. Fill all visible cracks properly and apply another coat, if necessary.

As a final step to the leather upholstery repair, the seat needs to be dried thoroughly. Make sure that the coats are thin and are applied to only the visible cracks on the seat. Match the original color of the before damaged area. Let the leather seat dry, which will take a few hours. So don't sit, drive, or use the car for anything. There you have it, you have successfully brought your damaged leather car seat back to life.