Restoring Automotive Seats the Professional Way

Written By: Ram Iyer, CEO, Colourlock North America & UK

Leather has been used in cars for well over a century. The first motorised vehicles copied the seat cushions and backrests found in horse-drawn carriages, which was the main form of transport when cars were first created. 

In the olden days, most car seats were made from vegetable-tanned leather, which was dyed and then made water repellent with oils and fats. However, modern-day leather seats have a layer of paint or pigmentation in addition to the dye. This paint layer is protected using a clear coat, also referred to as topcoat in leather terms. 


The most common types of damages on car leather interiors are caused by general wear or by accident. Friction and abrasion caused by getting in and out of the car over time lead to the topcoat, and subsequently, the paint layer being eroded. To prevent or delay this kind of wear damage, the right care products should be applied regularly.



The standard process to repair these damages is to clean and degrease the leather thoroughly. Then repair by sanding, filling, and recolouring as needed. Lastly, a protector or care product is applied to complete the process a day later. 

Another typical type of damage on leather is caused by accidents such as rips and spills. Tears on leather can be fixed by following the standard process used on wear damages. Stains on leather, however, will need to be treated with other specialist products and studied on a case by case basis, as it would depend on what caused the stain and when.



The market for leather repair, specialist stain removal, and cleaning is huge and there is a significant lack of knowledgeable and skilled professionals in the trade, which is why we have put together a 2-day course involving theory and heavy hands-on practice making sure our trainees walk away feeling confident in their ability to provide leather repair services. 

We advertise dates and locations for our training at different venues across the USA and in London, England on our website. However, availability is currently limited due to restrictions caused by the pandemic, so please feel free to contact us directly with your preferred dates and location so we can add you to our waiting list if you don’t find dates available online.

*This article was provided by Colourlock, an IDA Diamond Sponsor. It does not constitute an endorsement, guarantee, warranty, or recommendation by the IDA. The IDA makes no representation or warranties about any information contained herein.