Taking Care of Your Leather: A Real-World Guide to Conditioning and Protection

Start by vacuuming the ever-loving crap out of the seats. Use the soft brush attachment. Pay massive attention to the seams and the 'taco' fold where the back meets the base. This is where sand and red dust hide, and if you start scrubbing with that stuff still there, you’re just sanding your leather.

Look for any rips or thinning areas. If you've got a hole, don't go splashing cleaner in there, you'll soak the foam underneath and it'll smell like a wet dog for a month.

Most modern cars have 'leather appointed' seats, meaning the sides and backs are vinyl. Test a small spot. If the cleaner beads up immediately, it's likely heavily coated or synthetic. Treat it accordingly.

Park in the shade. Never, ever work on leather that's been sitting in the sun. It'll dry your product out before it can work, leaving nasty streaks.

Try your cleaner on a hidden spot (like the bottom of the headrest). Some cheap re-connolly'd seats (re-dyed) will bleed colour. Better to find out there than in the middle of the driver's seat.

Don't try to do the whole car at once. Break it down: headrest, upper bolster, lower bolster, seat base. This keeps the product from drying out.

Don't spray the cleaner directly onto the seat. Spray it into your horsehair brush. This prevents 'spotting' or the liquid running into the perforations (the little holes for cooled seats).

Use circular motions with the brush. You don't need to push hard; let the bristles do the work. You should see a light lather forming. If it's turning brown, that's the dirt coming out.

Use a damp (not dripping) microfibre to wipe away the dirty lather. Use a fresh side of the cloth for every section. If you just use one cloth, you're just moving mud around.

Once the seat is dry, look at the finish. It should be matte. If it's still shiny, that's usually body oil or grease. Go again with the cleaner.

Give it 10-15 minutes. You want the leather pores to be open and empty of water before you add conditioner.

Put a 50c piece size drop of conditioner on your foam applicator. Squish the pad together to distribute the product evenly through the foam.

Work the conditioner into the leather using light, overlapping circles. Think of it like putting moisturizer on dry skin. It should look slightly wet, but not dripping.

The bolsters (the bits that stick out on the sides) take the most abuse from you getting in and out. Give them a bit of extra love.

This is the part everyone rushes. Leave the conditioner to sit for at least 15-20 minutes. If it's a cold day, leave it longer. You want the leather to 'drink' what it needs.

Take a clean, dry, plush microfibre and gently buff the entire surface. This removes any excess that didn't soak in. This is the secret to getting that non-greasy, factory finish.

If you have cooled/heated seats with holes, check if any conditioner is stuck in them. Use a dry detail brush or a quick blast of compressed air to clear them out. Nothing looks more amateur than white dots in the seat holes.

The wheel gets the most body oil. Clean it twice. When conditioning, use a tiny amount and buff it until it's completely dry. You don't want a slippery wheel when you're trying to park.

Run the back of your hand over the leather. It should feel smooth and 'supple', not sticky or slidey.

Ideally, don't drive the car for an hour. Let the protection bond to the surface properly.