Leather Upholstery Care Tips
Easy care is one of the advantages of owning a leather interior. Everyday dirt and grime can be removed with a soft cloth and mild soapsuds in warm water. Dry the surface with a clean towel. Use extra care to get the seams and piping dry. When clean and dry, apply a reliable leather conditioner such as our Connolly Hide Food (Moss #220-210). Hide Food will soften and restore the surface of leather without leaving a sticky residue. Easily applied with a soft cloth or small sponge, just rub a small quantity into the leather and polish with a towel. Aging and cracking of new leather surfaces can be prevented with regular applications of Hide Food. Another product useful for the care of your leather interior is Lexol (Moss #220-200). Especially useful for reconditioning old or neglected leather which has become stiff of mildewed., Lexol will penetrate the inner fibers of old leather which will help maintain suppleness and durability. Lexol is applied much the same as Hide Food - spread a thin coat with a sponge or soft cloth and allow time for the preparation to penetrate the surface. Rub the excess off with a clean dry cloth. Repeated light applications of either Lexol or Hide Food will produce a soft water resistant surface.
Other Tips
Advice from leather experts on storage and daily care.
Cover your car in sunny weather if possible. Direct sunlight will fade the color of leather and vinyl. The heat generated inside a closed car will bake your interior in a surprisingly short time. Vinyl, in particular, is susceptible to "gassing" or vaporization. The familiar smell of a hot interior is the result of the vinyl releasing fumes. A Moss car cover is particularly useful in this respect.
Ventilation is important to prevent moisture and its results, mildew and rot from attacking your car's interior. Keep a window slightly opened when your car is garaged and see that the garage itself is ventilated. Dust your seats occasionally and do not allow grit to remain in the seams. Use a vacuum cleaner to clean the interior at regular intervals.
Easy Installation
Your new seat cover will slide readily over the base padding if a lightweight plastic bag is fitted over the padding first The bag is then easily pulled from the seat from the bottom before final assembly.
Markers
Professional upholsterers use a soapstone to mark out fabric for cutting or stitching. A China marker or crayon will do an adequate job as will ordinary chalk. Avoid using ball point pens as markers. The ink will soak into the surface of the fabric and later spread.
Additional leather Tips
1 .Consumers should be aware that while Lexol will in fact soften even severely dried leather, it will also darken it progressively with each application. This is particularly evident on pastel color leathers - any product containing neatsfoot oil will have a darkening effect.
2. Heat and sunlight are traditional enemies of vinyl and leather, but cold is just as deadly. Extremes of temperature that cause expansion and contraction of leather should be avoided at all costs. Take your leather seats inside for the winter!
3. Dusting and vacuuming seats is, of course, necessary but some cleaning with saddle soap or very mild soap is also required to allow Hide Food to do its best. This should be based on use and done before applying Hide Food.
4. Perhaps the greatest threat to leather seats is the unknown effect of silicone based polishes and protectants. These products are wonderful for vinyl but spell doom for leather since they will eventually clog the pores of the leather and prevent penetration of the needed oils in Hide Food. Leather seats (even factory top-coated) are not meant to be shiny, and treatments used for vinyl should be carefully left off leather seat faces. Other 'clear seal' products made for the shoe industry are far too effective for leather seats and should be avoided if they contain silicone, and used extremely sparingly in any other case. If you are worried about spilling coffee on the seat, get a temporary cover rather than load up the surface with clogging topcoats.
Editor's Note: One of the greatest advantages of real leather upholstery is that it is largely impervious to spills and soiling. If your seats are protected with Hide Food or Lexol, a spill can be easily wiped up, 'no harm done'.
Michael A Mascelli
Latham, NY
Working on automobiles is inherently dangerous. Moss Motors, Ltd. is not liable for injury or damage due to incorrect installation or use of their products. All products are sold with the understanding that the safe and proper installation and use of the products is the customer’s responsibility. Follow factory workshop manual procedures and instructions, but use current shop safety standards and common sense. Some tasks will require professional advice or services which Moss Motors cannot provide.If you have a specific comment or question and you'd like an immediate reply from Moss Tech Services, don't post here - please first email: BritishTechnicalSupport@mossmotors.com Please include the Title and Location of this tip if applicable.
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