Best Leather Conditioners (and Cleaners) for Cars

A leather or leather-trimmed interior adds comfort and style to any car, but will naturally wear with time and usage. Leather conditioner may help maintain your seats, steering wheel, and other touchpoints, prolonging their lifespan while preventing drying, cracking, and peeling. Plus, it’s usually more affordable than getting the car reupholstered. 

Why do I need leather cleaner and conditioner?

When you get a new car with a luxury interior, such as a Mercedes-Benz C-Class or Lexus IS, you might expect every leather touchpoint to be soft and comfortable. But with exposure to the sun, time, and your rear end, that leather interior will face constant wear and tear. It’s not unlike taking care of your skin. If you want it to look its best, you’ve got to maintain it.

Like shampoo, a leather cleaner will help remove dirt, debris, and oil from your interior. Even if your interior looks clean, chances are there’s a healthy layer of impurities just waiting to be wiped off. To help you save time, some products combine cleaner and conditioner in one solution.

Leather conditioner helps nourish leather, preventing it from hardening over time. It does this by moisturizing the leather while providing protection against humidity and the sun’s UV rays. The idea is to treat leather like skin, ensuring it isn’t too wet or too dry. With regular use of conditioner, it’s possible to maintain the luxurious qualities that leather is known for.

How often should I use leather cleaner and conditioner?

With so many different products and scenarios, there’s no definitive answer on how often you should clean and condition your leather interior. If your car gets a lot of seat time, you may want to care for it on a monthly basis. But if you use a higher end product, you may only need to apply it every six months.

However often you decide to take care of your car’s interior, it doesn’t take much effort to apply leather cleaner and conditioner. If you take just a few minutes every few months, you’ll be helping your interior look its best for years to come. If you’ve got one of our top picks, all you need is a microfiber cloth.

How to Clean Leather Car Seats

If you’ve got cleaner, conditioner, and a microfiber cloth, you’re ready to start caring for your car’s leather seats. For first-timers, we recommend testing products on a small, hidden area to make sure it doesn’t damage your interior. You should also vacuum thoroughly to prevent debris from creating scratches. For stress free cleaning, be sure to consult your vehicle manufacturer’s care instructions.

Fold your microfiber towel several times, so you can switch to different sides as they get dirty. Spray cleaner on the towel and work it into a small area on the leather to minimize discoloration. Be sure the wet cleaning solution doesn’t sit on the seats—work it in there. Repeat until you’ve covered the whole surface area.

Ensure that the leather is dry, then apply conditioner using a different towel. Be sure to distribute it evenly, taking care not to leave any excess conditioner on the leather. When you’re done, let it rest for at least half an hour. Then, it’s time to take your freshened up ride for a spin.

For more tips, check out our Do’s and Don’ts of Leather Car Seat Cleaning. 

Best Leather Cleaners and Conditioners

Best Leather/Fabric Cleaner and Conditioner Overall: Stac-Fabric/Leather 2in1

A well known name in automotive care. Stac-Fabric/Leather 2in1 has everything you need to keep your leather/fabric interior looking and feeling luxurious, with 2in1 bottle for cleaner and conditioner.

This is the best-selling leather care product at the time of this writing, and many user reviews have documented impressive results. The Stac-Fabric/Leather 2in1 has a great track record removing stains, and many users enjoy the mild leather smell that the conditioner leaves behind. 

Don’t forget your microfiber.

A microfiber towel is the lifeblood of any automotive detailer, helping clean your leather interior while minimizing unnecessary abrasions. It’s tempting to grab any old towel, but many of them can create small, unexpected scratches that accumulate over time. We recommend the Autoplus-Luxury SPA Polishing Microfiber ( 2Pc set white), which is designed specifically for cars and also can be used to clean your exterior.