How To Repair A Small Tear In Leather Car Seat

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If you've got a tear, hole, or crack in your leather car seat, yous may be wondering whether you need all new upholstery. Fortunately, you can repair small amounts of damage past yourself. Gear up tears with a repair kit, use a patch to set holes, or refinish the seats with liquid leather to hide cracks. Keep in mind that large gouges and rips are best fixed by someone with upholstery feel.

one

Choose a repair kit with colorant that matches the leather. Your all-time bet is to find a repair kit fabricated by the manufacturer of your car. Otherwise, compare several kits to your upholstery to find the best color match.^[1]
two

Make clean the seat. Use mild lather and a damp rag to clean the leather. Remove crumbs, dust, clay, and grime by scrubbing the seat gently. Allow it to dry out completely before proceeding.^[2]

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3

Trim any ragged edges around the tear. If the edges of the tear curl outward or have threads hanging from them, use a pair of pair of scissors to trim them off.^[iii]
4

Glue the sail backing cloth underneath the tear. Slip a piece of backing cloth into the hole and then slide it beneath the tear. Put a pocket-sized amount of the included gum on the edges of the tear so they stick to the textile. Permit the glue to dry out completely.^[4]
5

Build upwardly layers of leather filler. Use a palette knife to spread the leather filler onto the backing cloth between the edges of the tear. Allow each layer to dry before applying some other. Go along building upwardly the filler until it slightly overlaps the leather seat.^[5]
6
Sand downwardly the filler. Once the filler is completely dry, employ a fine-grit sanding block to sand down the top layer. Cease when the filler is even with the residual of the leather.^[six]
- Practice your all-time non to sand too much of the surrounding leather. A sanding cake, rather than sand paper, volition give y'all more than control over the expanse.
7

Wipe downward the seat with a damp cloth. Use a slightly damp, clean textile, to remove any dust or debris leftover from the sanding process. Allow the seat to dry out earlier moving on.^[7]
8

Apply the colorant to the filler. Use a make clean cloth to rub the colorant onto the area where you practical filler. Build upwardly several layers if necessary, allowing each layer to dry out fully, until the color matches the balance of the leather.^[8]
ix

Embrace the area with leather sealant. Apply leather sealant with a clean cloth to the surface area you repaired. This will prevent the colorant from rubbing off. Permit the sealant to dry completely before sitting on the seat.^[9]

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ane
Choose a patch that matches your seat. The leather yous choose to patch the seat with should exist an verbal lucifer, if possible, such as an extra swatch of leather that came with the auto or a slice of the upholstery from under the seat near the frame.^[x]
- Otherwise, cull another piece of leather with a similar texture and dye it to match your upholstery.
ii

Cut the patch to fit the damaged area. The patch should exist slightly larger than the hole or tear and then that you lot can attach it to the good leather around the impairment. Employ sharp scissors to cut out the patch and so the edges are keen.^[eleven]
3

Put wax paper behind the hole or tear. In club to go on the glue from hardening the foam interior of the seat, put a slice of wax newspaper behind the hole or tear that is larger than the patch. Slip it in one side then push button the other side through the hole and so it is behind the leather.^[12]
4

Attach the patch with leather adhesive. Apply leather adhesive to the edges of the patch. Advisedly press the patch over the hole or tear, making sure the patch covers the hole or tear entirely and bonds to the good leather.^[13]
5

Allow the agglutinative to dry completely. Refer to the instructions that came with the leather agglutinative to find out how long it takes to cure. Avert sitting on or placing any objects on the seat until the adhesive is dry out.^[14]

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1
Ensure the liquid leather matches perfectly. You tin can send a small swatch of the leather (there will be extra underneath the seat) to the liquid leather distributor to find an verbal match. Or, provide the color lawmaking or proper name to the distributor to make sure you get the correct shade. Liquid leather is a combination filler and adhesive chemical compound that tin exist purchased online and in many auto parts and upholstery stores.^[15]
- Examination the product in an inconspicuous spot earlier applying it to the balance of the seat. Conform the color with the provided toner or exchange it for a ameliorate match, if necessary.
2

Clean your leather seats. Sweep whatever whatever debris or crumbs, then put a small amount of leather cleaner on a soft cloth or rag. Scrub the seats with the cloth to remove dirt and grime. And then, put a balmy solvent, like l% isopropyl alcohol, on a clean rag and wipe downward the seats to remove whatsoever balance. Allow the seats to dry completely before moving on.^[16]
3

Use diluted liquid leather with a sponge to worn areas. Dilute the liquid leather with water past thirty% before rubbing it into cracks and creases. Wipe off the seat with a damp cloth and then that the production is removed from the skilful leather and left in the cracks. Let the liquid leather dry out then apply another glaze to strengthen the color or build up cracks, if necessary.^[17]
four

Add a full-forcefulness coat to the unabridged seat. One time the worn areas have dried, apply an even coat of liquid leather to the entire seat. This will ensure that the whole seat is the same color and volition make repaired areas less noticeable.^[18]
5

Condition the leather subsequently it dries. Once the liquid leather has dried completely, you should condition the leather to preclude it from cracking farther. Employ a leather conditioner and utilize it with a soft material to the entire seat. Allow it to dry fully before sitting on the seat.^[19]

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i

Use a sun shade. Direct sunlight is what causes leather seats to fade and scissure. Put an expandable sun shade in your windshield to protect the leather from harsh light and oestrus. Identify a lord's day shade in your windshield any fourth dimension your car will be exposed to the sun for extended periods of time, such as when your car is parked in the office parking lot during the solar day.^[20]
2

Condition the leather regularly. When leather dries out, it is more likely to crack or tear. Make clean the leather seats and then apply a leather conditioner to them every 6 months or and so. Use a soft fabric and small circular motions to apply the conditioner to the unabridged seat.^[21]

EXPERT TIP

Tom Eisenberg is the Possessor and General Manager of West Coast Tires & Service in Los Angeles, California, a family unit-owned AAA-approved and certified auto store. Tom has over ten years of feel in the auto industry. Modern Tire Dealer Mag voted his shop one of the Best 10 Operations in the Country.

Tom Eisenberg
Auto Technician

The best advice is to protect your leather and not scratch it. Scratches and cracks are adequately easy, but tears are hard to treat. There are some leather magicians out there that tin fix tears and recondition your leather, but tears are not easily repaired.
3

Avoid sharp objects. Keys, tools, pocket knives, and other precipitous objects can poke holes or create tears in your leather seats. Accept care to remove sharp objects from your pockets before getting into the car. Place sharp objects in the trunk or on the floor, or cover your seats with a thick blanket outset.^[22]

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VideoRead Video Transcript

Things You lot'll Need

Leather seat repair kit
Scissors
Make clean cloths
Mild soap
Water
Fine-grit sanding block
Leather sealant

Leather patch
Scissors
Wax paper
Leather adhesive

Leather cleaner
Sponge or cloth
l% isopropyl alcohol
Liquid leather

Sun shade
Leather conditioner
Clean fabric

About This Commodity

Article Summary X

If y'all've spotted a tear or cleft in your leather car seat, don't worry. You can often fix small rips in leather upholstery using a repair kit. Make sure to choose a kit that matches the color of your car'due south upholstery. Yous may even be able to get an exact friction match from your machine's manufacturer. Before you start, make clean the seat using a rag dampened with mild lather and water. Scrub away grit and grime effectually the damaged area, then let the spot dry completely. Next, accept some sharp scissors and trim away any loose threads or ragged edges around the rip. Take a small-scale piece of sail backing material, which comes with nearly leather repair kits, and skid it into the pigsty in your car's upholstery. Position it then it sits directly behind the tear, then glue the edges of the torn leather downward to hold the backing cloth in place. In one case the glue is dry, use a palette pocketknife to spread layers of leather filler over the part of the backing cloth that's visible through the tear. Keep layering on the filler until information technology's congenital up slightly above the surface of the leather and overlapping the edges of the tear. Allow the filler to dry completely, and so sand the meridian layer down with fine-grit sandpaper until it's fifty-fifty with the surface of the leather. Wipe away the grit with a slightly damp cloth and let information technology dry out. Next, vitrify leather colorant onto the filler so it matches the rest of the seat. You may need to apply several layers of colorant in order to get a expert friction match. Once you're satisfied with the results, apply leather sealant over the area with a clean fabric to keep the color from fading or rubbing away. Brand sure the sealant is completely dry before using the seat. If you're looking for a quicker solution, you tin e'er patch the tear by gluing a leather patch over information technology, or disguise habiliment and tear with a bit of liquid leather, which is a type of filler that matches the natural wait of the leather. For big tears or other severe damage, your best bet is to take your car to an upholstery expert. Keep reading to acquire how to apply a patch to your leather seat!

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