Leather, the need to restore
When looking after your skin - don’t forget the car by PETER COLEMAN, DIRECTOR, CVS
Any proud owner of a nice car with leather upholstery shouldn’t forget that leather is just skin, and it needs similar treatment to your own skin.
Leather is skin, dead skin. Like your own it gets dirty and dries out in the sun and heat. Mechanics suffer from ingrained dirt, which dries and cracks their fingers; this also happens to leather. Dirt must not be allowed to become ingrained and "cut" into the creases.
Protecting the leather from deterioration. At the tannery, all leather is impregnated with "oils" to keep it flexible. However your body heat, sunlight and car/central heating will evaporate these "oils", and if not replenished the leather will crease and the longer it's neglected the sooner these creases become cracks.
Treat the leather with a leather conditioner to replace these lost nutrients. Three or four times a year is advisable in a UK climate, but
more often in a hot climate.
For cars parked in the sun, where the inside temperature can become extremely hot, treat the driver’s seat every month. However in all cases don't apply too much conditioner in one go; little and often, well rubbed in, is far more effective.
Avoid conditioners which tell you to polish off or buff up after several minutes. They are telling you this
because not all the product gets soaked into the leather.
Leather, the modern dilemma To many people ‘leather’ is just leather - but it's not. Modern leather (post 70's cars, post mid 90's Rolls and Bentley) is very different today. It’s thinner for a start, therefore softer and it wears more quickly. It’s not inferior, it just needs more care.
When looking after your skin - don’t forget the car
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