Leather car interiors with parchment colors add a distinctive elegance to cars, setting them apart from the typical black vehicle interior. The seats have a look that’s refreshing to the eyes, almost like a white leather interior with a yellow and/or green undertone.
One example is the Mazda CX 5 parchment interior. Unfortunately, because of its light color, the leather’s appeal may dull quickly as it gets dirty, which can be challenging to deal with. Compared to regular Mazda CX-5 leatherette seats in black, they tend to be hard to keep clean.
So, how to clean parchment leather seats? Read further to know the process.
Table of Contents
5 Steps to Clean Parchment Leather Seats for Regular Maintenance
What You Need:
- Leather cleaner
- Soft-bristled brush
- Microfiber towel
Step 1: Apply the Cleaner on the Parchment Leather Seats
If you use a new cleaner, you have not put on your car seats before; you should spot-test it on a hidden area. This way, any adverse reaction will only be limited to a small section of the seats.
- It’s advisable to avoid using soap like Pine-Sol or Murphy Oil Soap leather car seats because such cleaners are too harsh for the leather and can cause it to dry out, crack, and tear. It would be best to use a specific cleaner for leather car seats.
- The product would effectively clean your seats without ruining them. Some good examples of cleaners for parchment leather are Lexol Leather, Chemical Guys, Meguiar’s Leather, and Leatherique Prestine
The instructions on how to use leather cleaners may differ among products. But this article will demonstrate how to clean with them generally.
Depending on the product’s instructions, its bottle might need to be thoroughly shaken before application. Apply the cleaner onto a microfiber towel and wipe it on the seats.
Step 2: Gently Scrub the Parchment Leather Seats
Using a soft-bristled brush, agitate the surface to lift the contaminants from the seats. Do it gently to not damage the leather.
Step 3: Wipe the Surfaces With a Microfiber Towel
Take another microfiber towel that’s clean and dry for wiping off the residue left from scrubbing. Wiping must also be done gently to avoid damaging the leather, and you should do it in circular motions.
Step 4: Repeat Steps One to Three if Necessary
If your leather seats are so dirty that there are still contaminants left after your first attempt at cleaning, repeat steps one to three. Just don’t overdo it to avoid damaging the leather.
Step 5: Let the Parchment Leather Seats Dry
After you finish cleaning the leather interior of the car, let the leather surfaces dry.
For Stubborn Stains or Very Dirty Parchment Leather Seats
What You Need:
- Lukewarm water
- Mild soap
- Spray bottle
- Scrub Daddy
Step 1: Create a Gentle Cleaning Solution
Unfortunately, light-colored parchment interiors, like some Mazda leather seats, easily get stains that may be hard to remove.
A trick for cleaning stubborn stains on parchment leather seats or very dirty seats is to combine lukewarm water and mild soap in a spray bottle for your cleaner and use Scrub Daddy as your cleaning sponge.
Step 2: Scrub the Parchment Leather With Scrub Daddy
The lukewarm water and mild soap mixture is effective and gentle enough for cleaning your parchment leather seats, especially when you use it with Scrub Daddy, which is a powerful but gentle sponge.
Scrub Daddy is a temperature-controlled pad that becomes soft with warm water. So when you use it with lukewarm water and mild soap solution, cleaning tough stains on parchment leather seats can be made easier while avoiding damaging the leather.
Thoroughly shake the bottle of your homemade cleaner, spray it on a microfiber towel, and wipe it on the seats. Afterward, scrub the leather seats.
Step 3: Wipe the Surfaces With a Microfiber Towel
Soak up the remaining cleaner and all residues with a clean towel. You can let the seats air-dry at this point.
Tips to Condition Leather Car Seats
An additional task that you can do to take care of leather car seats well and keep them from cracking, tearing, and getting stained is to apply a leather conditioner. It is important to do it immediately after cleaning.
- Like the leather cleaner, if you use any of the products for the first time, spot-test the product first on a hidden area to avoid causing damage or discoloration.
- A good rule of thumb for how often you should apply a conditioner is once every three months. However, leather conditioners usually have instructions on how often they should be applied and how to use them on their back label.
- In general, you have to apply the solution using small, circular motions; leave it to cure on the leather for at least 10 minutes, then wipe the area clean.
FAQS
Is Parchment Leather Real Leather?
To answer that question, let us delve into the definition of parchment and leather:
- Parchment is a thin, untanned, tough material made of animal skins such as donkey, sheep, goat, buffalo, pig, etc. processed for use in transcriptions and book coverings.
- Leather is a flexible but durable material made of animal skins. Unlike parchment, it undergoes a chemical process called tanning and is strong enough to be made into various things, such as shoes, bags, upholstery, etc.
Parchment and leather are not the same, meaning parchment is not leather. However, the term parchment leather for car upholstery is usually used to refer to modern-day treated leather with light colors like parchment.
If you are unsure about your car upholstery’s material, you can check what it is in the manual for your car. Or you may ask the dealer or manufacturer.
What Is the Best Thing to Clean Leather Car Seats?
Whether you’re cleaning faux leather seats (also known as vegan leather car seats) or real leather seats or looking for leather cleaner for perforated car seats, it’s always best to go for something that isn’t too harsh but can gently and effectively get rid of contaminants.
You can go for a gentle homemade cleaner made of mild soap and water or a commercial leather cleaner designed to clean the car interior.
Conclusion
Cleaning car leather upholstery parchment colors only require some specific cleaning products and tools and possibly more elbow grease to get desirable results.
It may not be as easy as cleaning leatherette car seats (which only need mild soaps to become pristine), but knowing how to clean parchment leather seats will help you preserve the elegance of your car and ensure comfort during drives.
