Minor signs of wear, scuffs, scratches, cracks and rips on leather seats can be easily cleaned, repaired and protected with our product range. In most cases, the side bolster on the driver’s seat is the area most affected. 99% of leather car seats are made from pigmented leather which have a coloured surface finish. This means the leather is not porous and absorbent. As the seats get used, general friction and abrasion due to getting in and out of the car cause the surface finish to rub off and give it the worn appearance. 

STEP 1 - CLEAN & PREP THE SURFACE

In order to achieve a good quality, durable repair it is crucial to ensure the leather is cleaned and degreased very well. This prep work forms the basis of a good repair and we highly recommend taking the time to ensure this is done correctly. First, thoroughly clean the leather with either Geist. Rapid Cleaner or Geist. Rapid Cleaner PRO. Use, Geist. Leather Cleaning Brush to remove dirt stuck in the pores and grain of the leather. It is a handy tool that makes cleaning easy and does not damage the leather. Geist. Rapid Cleaner is a plant and algae based leather cleaner that lifts the soiling and dirt. It is a perfectly safe cleaner to use on leather & vinyl surfaces that are not absorbent. 

After cleaning, thoroughly degrease the repair area with Geist. Surface Prep to achieve good adhesion of the filing and colouring products. Geist. Rapid Cleaner & Rapid Cleaner PRO remove dirt effectively, but not permanent oils, waxes and silicones.

STEP 2 - FILL CRACKS IF REQUIRED and RE-COLOUR

If your car seat does not have deep scratches or cracks, proceed to applying Geist. Easy Colour Restorer. The colour restorer has some filling properties but mainly it will colour the cracks and not fill them entirely. Deeper scratches, dry cracks and rips can be filled with Geist. Easy Filler for leather & vinyl.  Apply the filler (can also be colour matched to your interior) using a spatula and even spread on the damaged area or cracks. Allow the filler to dry on its own. Usually takes around 20-30 mins. Once dry, remove excess filler using Geist. Dissolve and gently sand the surface down. 

Smooth rough areas by sanding gently in circular motions with Geist.Leather Sanding Pads. Repair colour damages with Geist. Easy Colour Restorer. Geist. Easy Colour Restorer Dye is a one step colouring product that has the binders and the clear coat built in it. First, test for accuracy of colour match on a hidden area. Contact us if there are any issues. Any test spots can be cleaned using Geist. Rapid Cleaner as long as you don't leave it overnight. If you are satisfied with the colour match, wipe the product on the surface using the sponge provided and dab over it. For best results, build multiple thin layers and dry each layer using a heat gun or a hair dryer. Dab Easy Colour Restorer repeatedly on areas in need higher covering power. As the binder in the Geist. Easy Colour Restorer has a light filling effect, light surface defects will almost completely disappear.

Geist. Easy Colour Restorer is available in 20 standard colours. If the desired colour is not on our colour palette, email photos of the damaged area from your car interior, include details of the Vehicle make, model and the VIN. We provide a free service where we investigate and find out the exact details for your car interior trim details. Following this, we can mix a custom colour based on your interior to ensure you have a good colour match.

In some cases, when interior trim details are not available or hard to narrow down or if we don't have a physical leather sample in our archive - we will need you to send/post a physical sample of the leather. A minimum sample size of 1 inch by 1 inch is required to be able to colour match. However, customers often send a headrest or any other removeable part that we can use to colour match and return the items securely with any products ordered.

You’ll find a list of the available colours by manufacturer name here. 

STEP 3 - PROTECT THE REPAIR USING GEIST. DYE & FRICTION BLOCKER

A day after carrying out the repair, we recommend applying Geist. Dye & Friction Blocker. Spray onto a soft cloth or microfibre and gently apply the product without buffing. Work on one panel at a time. This will provide the repair extra durability and give you a long lasting result. 

TYPICAL CASES

Typical friction damage. Can easily be repaired with Geist. Easy Colour Restorer Dye & Geist. Easy Filler for Leather & Vinyl

 Colour & wear damage on a car seat and a Porsche bolster. Repaired with Geist. Easy Colour Restorer Dye for leather & vinyl.

Jaguar Steering Wheel restored using Geist. Easy Colour Restorer dye - one step colouring product. Cleaned with Geist. Rapid Leather & Vinyl Cleaner & degreased with Geist. Surface Prep

Heavier damage - requires Geist. Easy Filler and Easy Colour Restorer. Fill cracks using Geist. Easy Filler after cleaning and prep. Remove excess filler using Geist Dissolve & sponge on Geist. Easy Colour Restorer to complete the repair.

A stitch in time saves nine - While most damages can be restored, there are some that are beyond repair. For instance, if the damage is too close to the seam and stitching. It is still possible to attempt a repair but we recommend getting it re-trimmed. Most trimmers can do just the panel for you rather than the whole seat and this new panel can be painted over to match the rest of your interior.  

If the leather and foam are both missing on a car seat, it will absolutely need to be re-trimmed.

RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

• Geist. Rapid Cleaner Plant based or Geist. Rapid Cleaner PRO against soiling and dirt. 500 ml bottle of either cleaner will be more than enough for one vehicle multiple times. Rapid Cleaner (Plant & Algae based) is available in a spray bottle while the PRO cleaner comes with a free foam dispenser for easy application.
• Geist. Leather Cleaning Brush in case of dirt deep in the grain.
• Geist. Surface Prep for degreasing areas which are to be treated with Easy Colour Restorer or Easy Filler.
• Geist. Leather Sanding Pads for rough areas.
• Geist. Leather Conditioner for basic care of older leathers. 500 ml bottle provides multiple treatments for one vehicle. 
• Geist. Leather Preserver for older convertibles or very dry leather 
• Geist. Dye & Friction Blocker for protection of the entrance area (use before Protector and/or Elephant, in case of heavy wear)

Before adding these products to your cart, you will have to pick a specific colour:

• Geist. Easy Colour Restorer according to our standard pre-mixed colours or  a custom paint which will be colour matched to order based on your interior trim details.
• Special colours are available in 200 ml, 1 Litre or as part of a restoration kit and the colour mixing charge will be applied only once per special colour and order, so you won't be charged twice should you also choose a Easy Filler 20 ml in the same colour.
• Geist. Easy Filler can also be colour matched for use on rips, cracks and scratches which need to be filled. We recommend not ordering the filler on its own as the Easy Colour Restorer helps in adjusting colour and gloss.