No one likes to see their leather fade, crack or stretch, yet this is an extremely common problem. As most people are aware, good leather care involves a regular routine of cleaning and conditioning. Cleaning your leather helps remove contaminates that become embedded in the leather and clog the leather’s pores. Conditioning helps replace proteins and other natural properties that can fade over time due to normal usage, UV rays, etc. These basic steps are essential elements to good leather care but there are other ways to care for your leather that are just as important.

The driver’s side bolster, or the part of the driver’s seat closest to where the driver enters and exits the vehicle, often shows the most wear and tear. This area is prone to stretching and cracking due in large part to the method by which the driver enters and exits the vehicle. Often times while entering the vehicle you will sit down on the edge closest to the door and slide into the middle of the seat. While this method is natural to most people, there are two basic problems with this technique. Most seats are slightly concave with the lowest point being in the middle of seat. Therefore when you sit on the edge you force the leather to flatten, which stretches and flexes the leather, especially on the outer edge. If you repeatedly stretch and flex the leather you may prematurely start to add permanent creases, cracks and stretch marks to the leather. The second problem is when you slide and twist your body to move from the outer edge to the middle of the seat. Your body’s downward force will generate plenty of friction to start to slowly wear away the top layer of your leather. This can lead to your leather looking worn and faded and this damage is generally permanent. These same exact problems happen in reverse when you’re exiting the vehicle. Most people twist and slide their body towards the outer edge of the seat and then exit the vehicle. To help prevent these kinds of problems try and reduce how much you slide and twist in your seat. Instead lift straight up and down when entering and exiting the vehicle. This simple step can be a tremendous help towards preserving your leather.

One step that should be apart of everybody’s routine is protecting your leather. Ultra Violet rays from the sun can dry out and fade your leather. Heat helps opens the pores of your leather, which allows proteins and other nourishing elements to evaporate more readily. Without these properties leather becomes less flexible which can lead to fading, cracking and stretch marks. After you have cleaned and conditioned your leather you can protect your leather with a product like the 303 Aerospace Protectant. Lightly mist the protectant on a microfiber towel outside of your vehicle, to avoid overspray, and wipe down the seats. Make sure you regularly protect areas that have prolonged exposure to the sun. A good protectant will also make it easier to remove contaminates and oils during future cleanings.

Here are some other areas of concern that you should be aware of to help care for your leather. Be careful that your seatbelt does not regularly rub against the leather. Always use safety first, but adjust the belt accordingly if it’s potentially damaging the leather. Be careful of what you and others wear in your vehicle. Some articles of clothing and jewelry can be sharp or blunt like buttons, rivets, and zippers that can potentially scratch or otherwise harm your leather. Human oils, lotions, make-up and contaminates that are commonly found on the human skin can prematurely dry leather. Avoid touching your leather excessively and wipe down any areas that regularly come in contact with human skin.

Try and observe any other habits you may have that may be harmful to your leather, and see what you can do to minimize them. Follow the tips listed above and regularly clean and condition your leather and you’ll have leather that always looks great.

I see the question asked quite a bit, “When can I detail [or wash] my brand new car?” . The answer is simple, the sooner the better. Many people have the misconception that the paint has to cure so many days after receiving a new car before they apply a coat of sealant or wax. New vehicles typically undergo a process that bakes, or heats up, the painted shell during production. By the time this process is over and the vehicle reaches its destination, the paint has typically had enough time to fully cure.

When you get work done from a body shop, the paint typically needs between 30 – 120 days of cure time before you should apply your favorite sealant or wax.   This means you can still wash and dry, clay bar, polish and glaze your vehicle.  It is best to ask the place that performed the paint work exactly how long you should wait for the paint to cure.  Different shops use different products and techniques during the painting process which can vary the cure time.

There seems to be a lot of confusion over what hand application method works best or is the safest (straight lines vs. circular motions). The major difference between applying products in a circular motion verse straight lines is your coverage. I feel a circular motion allows you to work in a product more evenly and hit areas at multiple angles for a more thorough application. This is especially important when polishing for best results. The same thing applies for a wax or sealant that you want to be applied to every microscopic peak and valley in the clear coat. The Porter Cable 7424 moves in an oscillating pattern which is basically a tight circular motion meant to replicate circular hand movements. This results in very good product breakdown and coverage for a thorough application.

Some people feel that a circular motion will create micro-scratches in a circular pattern in the clear coat. Therefore with that logic, they feel straight hand motions will only create straight micro-scratches that are less noticeable to an observer. If you are creating micro-scratches in the clear coat your problem lies in your prep work or products and tools used during the process, not your technique. If micro-scratches are being added you may be experiencing one or more of the following problems:

– You are using a contaminated applicator pad
– You are using a non-paint safe applicator pad
– You are using a contaminated removal towel
– You are using a non-paint safe towel
– You are applying a product over a contaminated area

With any one of the above situations you can easily be grinding in contaminates in to the clear coat which can cause micro-scratches regardless of your technique. Additionally the same concept is true if the applicator or removal towel you are using is too coarse. Some common problems we see are people using an applicator pad or removal towel that has old and dry product (i.e. wax) in it or a large piece of contamination that’s abrasive. Contaminates and old product can become lodged in an otherwise good applicator or removal towel and make it a potentially dangerous tool. Contaminates left on the surface of your vehicle can also be very dangerous. To decrease the risk of grinding in contaminates make sure you do a thorough wash with a pre-wash degreaser and use a clay bar to deep clean the micro-ridges of the clear coat. When wiping an area that has contamination you may loosen the contamination or part of it. These contaminates can then be grinded in to the clear coat or become lodged in your applicator or removal towel. It’s very important to regularly inspect all of your towels, applicators, buffer pads, etc. for contamination that could be potentially dangerous and replace as needed.

Selecting the right color paint for a new vehicle or knowing more about your current color will help you understand your paint better. Darker colored paints will typically absorb more light and heat which gives off a deeper reflection then lighter colored paints. The depth and gloss of your paint is a major asset to achieving the maximum shine. Therefore when you complete a full detail on darker colored paint it will generally look better to most people. Conversely black paint also tends to show imperfections such as swirls and contamination build-ups much more than lighter colors. Some vehicles have flat paint while others have metallic flake added to the paint. The metallic flake makes the paint appear to have varying depth. In my opinion the metallic flake takes away from the overall depth and gloss but it helps hide imperfections.

Flat black paint will typically give off the most gloss while metallic silver paint will hide imperfections the most. There is no one universal best color, only the color that works best for you. I recommend darker colored paints to those who enjoy caring for their paint and having that deep shine after a detail. Lighter colors are probably better for those who prefer low maintenance vehicles.