How to Care for Automobile Seat Fabric & Dry Rot

A car with a leather interior can often be challenging to care for.

The average American spends hours every week driving back and forth to work or shuttling the kids to soccer games. Although you might consider the toll such a hectic schedule can take on your own body, you probably don't consider the damage it may do to the interior of your car. Automobile seats often take the brunt of your busy schedule---and the combination of sunlight, food/liquid and body friction often degrades the interior quality long before the rest of the car begins to show its age. But with proper maintenance, automobile seats can stay in almost perfect condition.

Things You'll Need

• Cloth/paper towels
• Window covers
• Old ripped T-shirts/cleaning rags
• Leather conditioner
• Seat covers

Instructions

1. 

   Teach kids at an early age to not eat inside the car.

   Stock paper or cloth towels in the back of the car to expediently clean up any accidents. Be proactive by refraining from eating foods that will drip or leave crumbs on the seats. If you sweat or visit the beach, be sure to wipe moisture from your body before you get into the vehicle.

2. Install window covers, which will uphold the integrity of your car by protecting it from the damaging UV rays it absorbs on a daily basis.

3. Apply leather conditioner to automobiles with a leather interior. Leather conditioner can be purchased at a variety of automobile shops or grocery stores, and its application involves little more than cleaning rags and elbow grease.

4. 

   Apply leather conditioner regularly to leather seats.

   Purchase seat covers. Seat covers are available in a variety of materials (from cotton to velour) and a myriad of sizes (from custom-fitted to one-size-fits-all). These literally shield your car upholstery from all types of damage.

5. Store moisture-absorbing packets, or other products that will reduce the amount of moisture in the air, inside your car. Moisture leads to mildew, and mildew is the eventual cause of fabric seat dry rot.

Tips & Warnings

• Most automobile shops sell products created to remove mold/mildew from car seats.

• Cracking your car windows can reduce the temperature in the car by at least 15 degrees, which will help slow the process of leather fading.

• Consider adopting a "no food in the car" policy.

• Personally inspect your car every two months from top to bottom and look for things that you can improve.

• Some leather conditioners that are expensive and promise a lasting shine for your car's seats may contain silicone and will only harm them in the long run. Check the ingredients on the back of the container before a final purchase.

• Beware the myriad tacky seat-cover patterns available---for it is possible that they, and not moisture or UV damage, may prove to be the end of the quality of your automobile's seats!

References

• Auto Anything: Why Should I Buy a Set of Seat Covers?
• Fabrics: Vintage Fabrics