Naturally, leather is a durable material, but it will fade, crack or age over time. To keep it in the right shape, you will need the best leather conditioner and cleaner. With an effective leather cleaner solution, the fabric will be less prone to wear out, breakage and drying. The producers also create solutions to protect the leather from violent UV rays and help the material remain water-resistant. You have to be careful when choosing conditioners and cleaners to protect your belts, car seats, door panels and leather because substandard products are likely to ruin your items.
Related: Best Car Leather Cleaners and Conditioners
We have created this guide to help you choose the best conditioner and cleaner available in the market today.
Why You Need Leather Cleaner
Perhaps, you already know that leather is only available with high grade or luxurious vehicles. There is a good reason for that and you have to protect it. Apart from its beautiful appearance, leather is soft and fresh – it beats cloth in almost every scenario. Whether you own a vehicle with real leather or synthetic vinyl leather, it is likely to suffer abuse more like the other common materials.
Grime, dirt, dust and body sweats are some of the materials that will get trapped in the crevices and pores of the leather. Even though the cleaning part can be labor intensive, you can easily get rid of the unwanted materials at any time. You just need a high-quality leather cleaner designed for your type of leather to bring the material back to its original shape. And to keep the leather soft and protected, you will need a high-quality conditioner.
Types of Leather Cleaners
When choosing the type of leather cleaner to use, you will have to consider your leather material. Each type of leather cleaners in the market is made specifically for one type of leather material. Here are the three main types to expect when shopping.
- Protected or pigment leather cleaners: Most people call this type of leather cleaner the all-round cleaner due to the many characteristics of pigment or protected leathers. Pigment and protected leather are the types of leathers that feature durable coating, typically polyurethane or silicone coating that give them superb dirt resistance and waterproofing. As a result, almost any type of leather cleaner will work on pigment or protected leather. The cleaner is a good choice for car seats – almost every type of vehicle comes with this form of leather.
- Aniline leather cleaners: Aniline leather cleaners are made specifically for semi-aniline or aniline leather. Some of the features that characterize the types of leather are rich feel and look – the epitome of luxurious leather. The aniline leather cleaner you select should be able to prevent staining of the leather, particularly if it features protective sealant. Keep in mind that aniline leather is hard to maintain because unlike other types of leather, it is fragile. The products made with this type of leather are more prone to moisture, dirt and oils, which lead to staining and even damage. Aniline leather cleaners contain protective sealant components to offer enough protection for the leather material.
- Nubuck leather cleaners: This is the third type of leather cleaners. Nubuck leather cleaners share more qualities with the aniline cleaners. Generally, nubuck is full aniline, commonly known as suede or distressed. The leather is easier to maintain compared to the semi-aniline leather. However, it cannot compare to pigment leather, which is very easy to maintain. Nubuck leather, including aniline, contains protective sealant to protect the leather from the well-known damages.
Here are the 10 best leather conditioners and cleaners:
Best Overall: Leather Honey Leather Conditioner and Cleaner
The Leather Honey Leather Condition, Best Leather Conditioner Since 1968 is our top pick for the best leather conditioners and cleaners in the market. You can use it on furniture, leather apparel, auto interiors, shoes, accessories and bags and every single application will last for up to six months. The formula penetrates deep into the leather pores and hydrates every fiber. The process will rejuvenate any old leather and make it flexible and soft while smoothing any crack or scratch.
When buying the product, you will realize that the manufacturer also provides a satisfaction guarantee. You can demand a refund if you realize that the product does not match your goals. It does not leave any odour on your leather material after application and the result will be waterproofing. The conditioner absorbs easily into worn-out leather and conceals cracks on both dry and old leather. Unfortunately, it will darken the light color leather surfaces and it is not an ideal choice for vinyl and suede materials. It might discolor your clothing, so you have to ensure that it is completely dry before you sit on your seat.
Best Multipurpose: CarGuys Super Cleaner and Conditioner
The CarGuys Super Cleaner – Effective All-Purpose Cleaner is among the highly concentrated cleaning gels. Put differently, you can easily apply it on your leather surfaces, carpets, upholstery, and plastic rubber, metal and vinyl to give them a sparkling clean appearance. It will do a great cleaning job each time you apply it on your outdoor and indoor surfaces by removing every stain and debris. For better results, you will have to spray it directly on the affected areas – in case of soiled surfaces – and allow it to settle. When cleaning delicate surfaces like instrument panel screens and glass surfaces, you will have to spray the formulation on a soft microfiber cloth and use it to wipe the surfaces gently. That way, you will get rid of any stubborn stain.
Best All-Natural: Chamberlain’s Leather Milk Leather Milk Conditioner and Cleaner
The Chamberlain’s Leather Milk Leather Milk Conditioner and Cleaner offers a combination of organic ingredients that will condition your leather material without affecting its elasticity. Most of the people who use the product say that a few wipes are enough to keep the leather healthy for a long time. Chamberlain’s Milk Conditioner and Cleaner will remove any staining on your leather seats that might have come as a result of seating on the when in blue jeans.
Its combination of oils will nourish and strengthen the leather material so that it maintains its good appearance for a long time. Before shipping any product, Chamberlain’s uses it to condition their leather items so that they can be sure the PH balance is safe for your surfaces. You will get it in 6 and 12-ounce bottles.
Best Premium Quality: KevianClean Complete Leather Cleaner and Conditioner
The KevianCleaner Complete Leather Cleaner and Conditioner is among the expensive products in the market but it is worth every coin. The producer supplies it as a premium all-in-one leather treatment product to help rejuvenate your leather surfaces. It is purposely made for the luxurious, vintage, genuine, vegan, real, antique, distressed, Italian, designer, exotic and alligator types of leather.
And because it is of premium quality, you just need to use a little of it to protect your items. It will penetrate deep into the leather fibers and bring out any embedded debris while preventing drying, premature aging and cracking. It is usable on coach leather, sofa leather, leather jackets, and motorcycle gear and horse saddle. Speaking of versatility, it is the best leather conditioner and cleaner to try. The quality organic formulation does not contain chemicals, which means it will not harm your hands during application.
Best Value: Chemical Guys Leather Cleaner and Conditioner
The Chemical Guys Leather Cleaner and Conditioner Complete Leather Care Kit offer two items in one pack. If you are among the individuals who like a separate bottle for every function, this product is worth buying. The manufacturer prefers to provide a bottle for each function. One bottle contains the cleaner while the other provides the conditioner for all types of leather.
The PH balance of both the cleaner and conditioner is good, so they will deliver efficient and effective cleaning while preserving the durability, originality and appearance of your leather item. The product will make your leather material remain soft and original. Keep in mind that the formulation is colorless and odorless. After cleaning, you will not get any sticky residues, which can lead to fast deterioration of your leather item.
Best Microfiber: TriNova Leather Cleaner & Conditioner
The TriNova Leather Cleaner is a good choice for people who would want to maintain leather saddles, jackets, couch, car interior or shoe. The product is safe for use both in your car and at home. So, there will be no need of buying two separate products – one for home and the other for your vehicle. When buying, you have to keep in mind that the producer provides both the leather cleaner and conditioner formulations in one bottle.
The product is easy to use and cleans the leather deeply, protects and nourishes it. Like many other products from TriNova, you can use it on a large variety of surfaces. The balanced formulation allows you to restore your leather and vinyl surfaces easily. It is PH balanced and weighs only 1.13 pounds.
Best For Auto Interior: Leather Honey Leather Cleaner & Conditioner
Leather Honey enjoys a large customer base, possibly because they provide quality products. This leather Cleaner is ideal for people who want to protect their shoes and accessories, leather and vinyl apparel, furniture or their auto interior. The producer supplies it as a concentrate in a 4-ounce bottle. After diluting, you will end up with 32 ounces.
Initially, the product looks expensive per ounce but after diluting it, you will realize that it is budget-friendly. One benefit of its benefits is that it works on many surfaces but you should never use it on suede surfaces. With the 100 per cent-unlimited satisfaction guarantee, you should never worry about losing your money.
Best Gold Class: MEGUIAR’S G10924SP Gold Class Rich Leather Cleaner & Conditioner
It is now time to meet the MEGUIAR’S G10924SP Class Rich Leather Cleaner and Conditioner. The product is designed for people who want to clean, condition and to protect their leather products. One of the things you should remember when buying this product is that it is not only safe but it also features a unique spray formula with aloe to protect your surfaces from spills and stains. Aloe will nourish your leather materials for a supple feel.
MEGUIAR’S G10924SP prevents cracking of leather and penetrates deep into the material to remove dirt and grime and leave behind a sparkling clean surface. It will restore your old leather to its original appearance, protect it from UV rays, prevent drying and reduce premature wear out. After application, the leather cleaner will feel slippery but that has no negative effects. The product is non-greasy, meaning that you will never end up with greasy clothing.
Best Protect Leathers: Bickmore Bick 4 Leather Conditioner 16 oz
Unlike many other companies, Bickmore has existed since the year 1882. So, within the last decade, they have seen it all. They now know what works and what does not work. Apart from cleaning your leather material, the conditioner will open up every pore to make it breathable. And after using it, there will be no traces of sticky or gummy residues on the leather surface.
The ingredients making up the formula pass through rigorously tests to ascertain that they can extend the life of your items. The product does not limit you on the surfaces to treat. You can use it to clean and condition driving gloves, handbags, PU leather, boots, couch and even saddles. Lastly, it will leave your old and torn items with their original shine.
Best Budget: TriNova Leather Conditioner and Cleaner
The TriNova Leather Conditioner and Cleaner is an easy but more effective solution that will clean, protect and condition your leather items. The application part is very easy and quick. The product will penetrate deep into your vinyl or leather materials and extract the dirt and debris to leave the new-looking soft surface. What’s more, this product will restore the original color of your leather furniture, wallets, belts, bags and other leather products.
This product enriches fibers and leaves them feeling supple and soft. It will prevent premature aging of the leather in addition to protecting it from UV rays. You do not have to worry about the application because the manufacturer offers a complimentary applicator pad. On the downside, the bottle cap design can cause spills.