Sunlight doesn’t just make leather furniture and car seats hot to sit on — over time, the sun’s rays can actually damage and discolor leather, making it faded and dry. If your leather gets a lot of direct sunlight — as leather car seats almost always do — it’s important to know both how to protect your leather and repair sun-damaged leather.
The best solution for sun-damaged leather is to prevent the damage in the first place, and that starts by following two simple rules:
1. Prevent direct sunlight from hitting your leather whenever possible
If you can situate your leather furniture away from a window, that’s ideal — your leather will last longer and will resist fading. It’s not always possible, but when it is, aim to prevent your leather couch or chairs from getting extended periods of direct sunlight.
With leather car seats, you can aim to park in the shade during the hot summer months. When that’s not an option, or you’re not sure that shady parking spot will remain shady, you purchase a window shade — used regularly, it will protect your leather seats from those harmful rays.
2. Keep the leather hydrated
Keeping the leather moist and hydrated will help prevent sun damage, which drys out the leather considerably and leads to fading. A good leather conditioner will protect your leather when you’re not able to shade it from the sun.