Have you got perforated leather seats in your car that need cleaning, but you don’t know how to clean them?
Maybe this is the first time you have had a car with perforated leather seats and you want to make sure you are cleaning them correctly?
Or are you curious and want to know more? Whatever your reason might be that brought you here today, we have the answer for you!
The last thing any of us want to do is damage our leather car seats while cleaning them.
But if you don’t know what you are doing, then you can easily damage them, leaving you with deep scratches that ruin the appearance of your car and even eat into any downpayment you put down. Who wants that?
So what can you do? Well, you can turn to us for some support! We are here with a complete guide that will walk you through cleaning perforated leather seats in your car.
Just keep reading to find a step-by-step guide and get any questions you have answered!
What Are Perforated Leather Car Seats?
Before we get into today’s article, let’s have a quick recap for anyone that needs it. Perforated leather car seats are seats made with perforated leather.
Perforated leather is made when large pieces of leather are passed through a machine that punches small holes in the leather.
These holes are tiny, but if you look closely at your seats, you should be able to spot them!
These holes help make the leather more breathable, with increased air circulation.
This helps make the leather feel more comfortable when you are sitting on it and can help with any stale smells you might find on thick leather without any holes.
You can think of these holes as tiny air vents, keeping the air moving through the leather to reduce sweating and keep you comfortable.
More and more car manufacturers are offering perforated leather car seats as an add-on, or as standard on their models.
If you have the choice of perforated leather seats, we always recommend going for them!
They look good and are a lot comfier. If you drive for extended periods, we think it’s worth paying a little more for some extra comfort, especially if you have the budget for it!
You can ask your car manufacturer directly or speak to a salesperson at the dealership to find out how much perforated leather car seats will cost you.
Now that we have briefly established what perforated leather car seats are, let’s move on to why you came here today and get you the answers that you need!
How To Clean Perforated Leather Seats In A Car – Quick Answer!
For those of you in a rush, we have a quick answer for you so you can get back to your busy lives!
You simply clean perforated leather car seats the same way (mostly) as other leather seats.
The only difference is you need to spend more time brushing and vacuuming them to make sure you get all the dirt out of the tiny holes!
It really is that simple!
For those of you that have some more time to spare or want a more detailed guide, keep reading!
We have a step-by-step guide that you can use to clean your perforated leather car seats today. So let’s get into it!
Step 1 – Vacuum
To start, you will want to vacuum the leather seats, paying extra attention to the tiny holes.
The holes in your perforated leather seats can attract dirt and debris which can get stuck, making it tricky to remove even when vacuuming.
So you will want to be thorough and really get into these holes to remove as much dirt and debris as possible.
Work slowly, moving the vacuum over these little holes to remove as much diary as you can.
Work gently too, as this avoids the seats getting scratched by the vacuum nozzle.
Move across the seat in its entirety slowly and you should be able to pull out a fair amount of dirt!
Step 2 – Clean The Leather
Next, you will want to clean the leather. You can do this with a high-quality leather cleaner that you can spray onto a brush.
Use the brush to work the cleaner into the leather. This can help to soften any dirt still inside those tiny holes, making it easier for you to brush it out!
Remember to spray the cleaner directly onto the brush rather than the seats.
The cleaner can settle in the tiny holes on your perforated seat, which is difficult to remove.
Make sure the brush you use is suitable for leather cleaning too, the last thing you want is for your brush to damage the seats!
After you have cleaned the perforated parts of your seats, swap to a detailing brush.
These can get into the tiny holes on your seat and clean them far quicker than if you are using a standard leather cleaning brush.
This helps to cut down time and make sure every little hole is cleaned thoroughly!
Step 3 – Wipe The Seats
After brushing the seats, take a clean microfiber cloth and wipe your seats down.
This will help remove any residue and also show you if there is any product left stuck in the tiny holes.
If there is, you can vacuum them again to remove any product or remaining dirt.
If you find that your seats are still quite dirty when you are wiping them down, add some of your leather cleaner to your microfiber towel and run it over the seats again.
This will help to clean all the dirt and leave your seats perfectly clean! You can then take another clean microfiber towel to ensure there isn’t any residue left on the seats.
Tips For Cleaning Dirty Holes
Now, if you have noticed that the tiny holes in your perforated leather seats are full of dirt, even after cleaning, you will want to go in with a deeper clean.
This isn’t always essential, but if you haven’t cleaned your car for a while, then you might need these extra steps.
There are lots of ways you can remove the first, and we have some of the best (and easiest) methods below for you!
You should go in with one, or more, of these methods after the three steps above if there is still dirt inside the perforated parts of your seats.
You only need to do the following steps on the dirty parts of your seats too, there’s no need to waste your time cleaning already clean parts!
Let’s take a look at some of these tips and extra steps now!
Use An Air Compressor
Your first option is to use an air compressor as a detailing tool. These are super handy tools to have, especially if you like making sure your car is extra clean!
To use an air compressor, attach the compressor to an air blower gun and use compressed air to get the dirt out of your perforated seats.
If you are unsure how to use your compressor, follow the instructions listed in the user manual, or you can follow a tutorial online.
As you use the compressor, the dirt will leave the holes and either fall on the seats or the floor. It works best with solid pieces of dirt like dust, food, small rocks, etc.
Use the compressor in all dirty holes you can see until they are clear. You will need to wipe the seats again or vacuum them to clean up the debris that you’ve moved from the small holes.
Use An Interdental Brush Or Toothpick
If you don’t have an air compressor, then you can use a toothpick or interdental brush to remove dirt and debris from the holes in your perforated seats.
We recommend only using this method on dirty holes, otherwise, you would spend most of your day working across just one car seat!
Where possible, opt for an interdental brush as they can pick up the dirt easily through the teeth and hold onto it as you remove it from the hole.
We have found it gives you a better clean than a toothpick, and it runs less of a risk of scratching your leather!
To do this, insert the brush into the hole and remove it, you should see the dirt on the brush. You might also want to wiggle it in the hole to grab as much dirt as possible.
Once removed, wipe the interdental brush with a microfiber towel. The last thing you want to do is use a dirty brush and make even more mess for yourself!
Make sure the dirty microfiber towel isn’t left on your seat either, as it could leave dirt behind.
Use A Steam Cleaner
Steam cleaners are a fantastic tool to clean your car, yet many professional cleaners and detailers still aren’t using them!
They can be expensive to buy, so if you don’t have one, we don’t recommend dropping a lot of money on one, especially if money is a little tight.
But if you do have a steam cleaner, they can be incredibly useful and help you clean your car easily!
These are a good option if you have any old spills that have stained your perforated leather seats.
A steam cleaner will break down and soften these stains, allowing you to clean them with a towel, vacuum, or brush.
The steamer alone won’t help you remove the dirt from perforated leather seats, but it can help when all else seems to fail!
Use A Different Vacuum Nozzle
If your vacuum comes with a thin nozzle, this can be used to remove dirt and dust from the tiny perforated holes.
They will often have better suction power than an air compressor too, making the task a little quicker and easier.
Ideally, you want a thin nozzle that can give you a high level of suction on a small area. It doesn’t need to be for very long either, just enough time to get the dirt out of the hole!
Simply cover the hole with the nozzle, or insert it if the nozzle is thin enough and turn the vacuum on. In just a few seconds, the dirt should be lifted and sucked out of the hole!
You can repeat this on other dirty holes until all the dirt and tough residue has been removed from the seats.
Once you are finished turn the vacuum off and wipe off any excess or dirt that might have fallen out of the nozzle.
Using a vacuum like this will work, but it isn’t always as precise as using a small brush or air compressor, especially if your nozzle is still a little large for the tiny holes.
But it is a good option to use alongside these methods to give your perforated car seats one final clean!
It is also a quick way to make sure the final bits of dirt are removed before you finish cleaning your car and its seats.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it, a step-by-step guide that will help you clean your car’s perforated leather seats!
We bet it isn’t as tricky as you first thought, and not that different from your usual cleaning method.
Although you will need to pay more attention to the tiny holes in your car seats, there are several easy ways you can remove the dirt from them without too much effort, or without needing to spend any extra money!
Make sure that all tools you use to clean your car are suitable for leather seats and that they are all clean before use. After all, you won’t clean much with a dirty cloth!
Don’t forget to check out any online tutorials if you are unsure of the steps or need help using an air compressor, and you are sure to have dirt-free perforated leather car seats in no time!
