For Mercedes owners, there is a pride of ownership that comes the minute the new owner drives the car off the dealership lot. Owners take care of their babies. Most drivers will spend the money to take their vehicles in for a regular check up, but this will only take care of the outside of the vehicle. To keep the vehicle looking like new, it is equally important to maintain the interior of your Mercedes, especially leather seats. Here are a few tips on how to keep those leather seats looking like new.

Determining Which Product To Use

There are a lot of products out there that will take care of the leather seats in your Mercedes. The challenge is determining which one is the right one for your vehicle. If you’re unsure of which product to use, your Mercedes dealership will be happy to recommend one. However there are a few things to keep in mind which should make choosing a product easier.
First, make sure the product is indeed meant for leather, and not vinyl. Leather has microscopic fibres that require oils to keep them flexible and not brittle. The oils will evaporate over time and need to be replaced. Secondly, make sure the product does not contain neats foot oil, lanolin, mink oil or any other lard based ingredient. While these can be good conditioners, animal based products can leave the seats feeling greasy, and this greased can be transferred to the clothing of the people sitting on the seats.

When and How To Apply Conditioner

Leather conditioner should be applied every 60 to 90 days. The timing will depend on the climate the vehicle is in; the hotter and drier the climate, the more often the conditioner should be applied.

To apply the conditioner, use your hand or a damp terry or microfiber cloth. The cloth should be slightly damp to prevent too much of the conditioner from soaking into the cloth. Start at the top of the seat and work down toward the bottom of the seat in small circular motions.

Some leather seats are actually a combination of leather and vinyl, so it is not necessary to condition the vinyl portion of the seat. However, most luxury vehicles use all-leather seats. Leave the seats for about 20 minutes to allow the conditioner to soak into the leather, then buff with a clean dry cloth to remove any excess.

If you have questions about the maintenance of your Benz, stop by West Chester Mercedes, Mercedes Benz - Fort Washington, PA, or Mercedes Benz - Wilmington Delaware for answers on everything you need to know to keep your Mercedes looking new.