I've been cleaning my black leatherette seats with just a damp paper towel every now and then for 2 years. Just using water dampened then dry it off. Been wondering if this was a good thing or bad thing for the seats. Might dry the material out? Promote fading? Any ideas?

Thanks for reading,

-Drew

 

I have been using 303 Aerospace to clean & protect my leatherette for 2+ years & even though my 70LB puppy rides in the passenger seat 4 days a week my seats still look brand new

 

Using a product like 303 or Nero will add UV protection and will help keep the seats from fading or cracking. As for cleaning, water won't do much but if you use a good cleaner like Einszett you will be able to remove any crud that may be on them. Then just follow with 303 or Nero.

 

I have used water too... I am worried using a cleaner it will leave the seats greasy or something - kind of like armourall does on dashes...

 

Being on the cheap end here, ive been using the Armor All vinyl cleaner wipes, they do the job and it ads UV protection!

 

303 Cleans & protects in one step Armor All Their protectant doesn't offer much protectant so I doubt their cleaner would either. You may think you are saving money using Armor All but you will pay for it down the road when your seats start cracking/tearing.

 

The biggest killer plastic (which leatherette is) is UV rays. Most plastics have made great improvements in combating UV so it is not as much a problem as 20 years ago. Also the MINI windows have a UV protection in the glass.
So, using a UV protectant is the thing to worry about. 303 is one of the best.

 

I use Meguiars Leather Wipes on my seats and I wipe them down about once a week. The wipes aren't cheap at $10 a container (hold about 30 wipes) but it only takes 2 wipes for me to do all the seats, so it's not so bad.
I also probably wipe the seats more than i need to. They sure look pretty though. Better than new (albeit that's only been two months)

 

I use armor all wipes. Purple top i think... or blue... i don't know i'm color blind. After it dries for a few minutes, I back it up with Pinnacle vinyl and rubber protectant. Rub it on, let it sit for a minute, and buff the excess off. 3 years later still looking good. I use this method on the dash board, the door panels, and the ruber seals around the doors as well. I used to use 303 to do this before I got hooked on Pinnacle products and it works just as well. Pinnacle smells better though.

You could also use Pinnacle vinyl and leather cleaner instead of armor all wipes (becuase I know some people don't like armor all), then the protectant, but I find the armor all wipes to be much faster and easier to use, and yield the same results. Just make sure you use the protectant afterwards.