Leather is a beautiful and durable material used in many products, including car seats. But I understand the frustration involved with trying to keep leather seats dry and avoid water damage.
People often ask…”My leather car seats go wet, will they be ruined?” Leather seats can get wet, however, there are several actions that you need to take to avoid ruin.
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Does Water Ruin Leather Seats
Leather car seats don’t typically suffer from water damage, as long as the water is dried up quickly.
Water left on leather seats for extended periods gets absorbed and corrodes the fibers. The corroded fibers eventually cause the cracking and flaking observed on the leather’s surface.
When water gets absorbed into the surface of the seat, it gets trapped in all those nooks and crannies on a car’s upholstery and never dries out completely. The absorbed water that takes a long time to dry can mold and mildew inside the leather seats.
Most leather seats have a thin layer of water protection. The thin layer is made up of synthetic materials that slow the absorption of water.
The slow absorption gives you enough time to remove the water. But if you do not remove the water, absorption occurs, resulting in leather damage.
How Do You Get Water Out of Leather Seats
As a general rule getting water out of leather seats requires methods that focus on moisture absorption, heat source applications, and air circulation. The process used depends on the penetration of the liquid into the leather seat.
Light methods of moisture absorption may be sufficient for small water spills, but you will need to combine multiple methods for deep water penetration.
Please continue reading for a brief explanation on each method.
Moisture Absorption Methods
Towel
A towel is best for moisture absorption when the water has not penetrated the surface of the leather.
The towel method is effective when you immediately recognize water on your leather seats. Some examples include water spills or situations where a little rain gets on your seats.
I have found that two or three terry cloth towels work the best for removing water from the surface of leather seats. Cloth towels are more absorbent than most other fabrics, so they’ll be able to cut down on how long it takes for them to get completely dry.
I use a cloth towel to dry the wet leather seat as thoroughly as possible.
Next, I grab a different towel to pat the leather seat. Finally, I continue to blot and wipe with a towel until I’m sure all of the moisture is gone from the car seat cover.
I was warned by some who have a little more experience with car seats to avoid rub forcefully. Rubbing the leather seats too hard has the potential of wearing down the surface of your leather car seat.
Moisture Absorbers
I found a lot of success wrapping wet leather car seats with towels until the towel was too soaked to absorb any more water. Then I would change it out with a new towel.
I have moved away from the multiple towel technique because it was time-consuming and wasted a lot of towels. Many people still use the technique to dry leather seats soaked in water because they are unaware of better techniques.
I now use moisture-absorbing bags. Here’s why.
Moisture Absorbing bags work much better than towels at removing water that has penetrated the surface of the leather. These bags work off the idea that things dry faster in drier environments.
When the dehumidifier bag is placed inside a closed vehicle with wet leather seats, it pulls the humidity out of the air. The air becomes drier inside of the vehicle, and your leather seats begin to dry faster.
The bags are relatively inexpensive, and they have so many uses. It’s best to stock up or at least have a few lying around.
Heat Source
The second component needed for getting water out of leather seats is using a heat source.
A heat source drys out the leather by raising the temperature of the water that has penetrated the leather seat. As the temperature of the water increases, it begins to evaporate, and the leather seat becomes drier.
However, you have to be careful with heat applications. Excessive heat causes leather to dry out, resulting in cracks and splits.
Hair Dryer
Use a hairdryer to dry wet leather car seats. A blow-dryer should be able to do the job in a fraction of the time if you’re looking for a more straightforward and faster drying solution.
Most hair dryers have a no heat selection, and this is what I recommend using. But if you insist on using heat, be sure to use a really low heat setting.
Finally, always direct the airflow away from any electronics or other parts of your interior before turning it on.
If you are unlucky enough still to have water spots on your car’s seats then it can take hours of drying time before
SunLight
If you live in an area that receives a lot of direct sunlight, then leaving your car out in the sun is another excellent option.
Air Circulation
The last part of the equation in drying leather seats is air flow or circulation. Experts always told me to place a fan on the car’s floor so that the air could blow upwards on the seat.
I never really knew why until it was explained that gravity naturally pulls water down ( I actually knew that). When a fan blows downward, it causes the water to form thick droplets. But if a fan blows upward against gravity, the water spreads out into a thin film making evaporation easier.
I can’t take credit for this information. More of it can be found at the Cleaning Technology Group.
Fan
Fans are an excellent alternative to using a hairdryer for removing water from leather seats. Fans provide both the air necessary to evaporate moisture and a passive cooling process that helps from overheating your interior.
When it’s not raining or too humid outside, and your leather surfaces are still damp, turn the fan on low so that there is a breeze blowing across the surface of the seat. The cooling air will help dry up any remaining water droplets, and the fan will help circulate the air to help dry out wet surfaces.
How Long Does It Take Leather Seats To Dry?
In general, it takes leather seats hours to days to dry completely. The amount of water absorbed into the leather seat determines the dry time. The absorption of more water equates to a longer dry time. Additionally, the amount of time it takes to dry also depends on the car’s ventilation and the temperature outside the vehicle.
Rain on Your Leather Seats: Here’s How to Dry Them
As a general rule, leather seats soaked by rain require a high amount of heat and ventilation to dry completely. For maximum ventilation and heat, remove the leather seats and allow them to dry in the sun. However, turning the heat on inside the vehicle and cracking the windows provides the ventilation and heat required to dry the leather seats.
Moisture absorbers can be used to increase the speed of drying the leather seats.
It’ll take a long time to dry because the leather limits how breathable the core is from the outside, water probably seeped in pretty deep into your seat if it’s still damp, but at least it’s just water, it’ll eventually dry. Keep the heat on instead of the AC.
Does Salt Water Damage Leather Seats?
Saltwater causes a chemical reaction on the surface of leather, which can lead to cracking or peeling. Saltwater also causes a natural drying process that causes cracks, splits, and wrinkles.
There is no need to be concerned about saltwater damage if the seats are cleaned immediately with a damp cloth, then dried off right away.
However, stains will form if you don’t immediately treat leather seats exposed to saltwater. The saltwater stains leather seats and causes the leather to look faded and dull.
Beach water on leather seats can cause damage to the material and a weakening of the leather over time.
Can You Fix Water Damage Leather Seats
The two most common types of damage to leather seats from water exposure include water stains and shrinkage.
Water Stains
You can fix water-damaged leather seats. But the longer you wait to repair them, the harder it will be.
Water stains usually result from the water sitting on top of the leather. You can remove water stains if you wipe them off very quickly.
However, if a stain develops, the best you can do is make the area unnoticeable by blending.
The best way to do this is by dampening a cloth a wiping outward from the center of the stain. Decrease the amount of pressure applied to the leather as you wipe outward. The reduction in pressure creates the fading effect.
Shrinkage
When water soaks into a leather seat and dries, the seat becomes stiffer. The stiffness is a result of leather shrinkage. Once the leather seat shrinks, some parts of the leather stretch and become mishappen.
The best way to handle this is to condition your leather seats after being exposed to water for an extended period. The conditioning process will restore some of the lost moisture, and you will be able to stretch some of the seats back into shape manually.
However, in some cases, the shrinking may be irreversible.
Best Way to Remove Sweat From Leather Seats
Vinegar
- Mix about a cup of vinegar with three cups of water.
- Pour a little of the vinegar mixture onto a cotton towel or lint-free cloth.
- Use the cloth to gently rub the area.
- I typically rub the area for about 1 minute.
- Once you have finished rubbing the sweat stains, blot the area with a dry cotton towel.
Mild Soap
Another common option is to use a mild soap.
- Baby shampoo is pretty mild and can be safely used on leather car seats.
- Mix a few ounces of shampoo for every cup of water.
Saddle Soap
For tougher stains saddle soap is probably the next best option. Saddle soap is my go-to cleaner for tough stains on leather. It comes as a liquid or paste. I keep both in my garage. I used the paste for tougher stains.
For all of the methods mentioned about you will need to condition your leather after cleaning it. There are several conditioners on the market. More to come on this topic. I am currently reviewing the best conditioners for leather car seats.
Look for any discolorations that might have been caused by sweat patches, and then blot them with a towel or cloth. You may need to repeat this process multiple times in order to remove all of the moisture from your car seats.
Best Way to Remove Urine from Leather Car Seats.
Many of us have had to transport our pets in our cars, but accidents happen sometimes and urine gets on the leather car seats. Urine is very acidic and can permanently damage leather.
I highly recommend reading it. You never know when you may need the information. But just in case you don’t wanna take me up on my offer, here is a quick rundown of what to do.
- The first thing you should do is apply some baking soda to the area to absorb the urine.
I know what you’re thinking. Who keeps baking soda in the car?
- If baking soda is not available, use a paper towel or cloth to blot the area dry.
- Disinfect the area with a Clorox or Lysol wipe.
