Summer sun and fun is here! Maybe you have a cool road trip planned, a beach vacation, or just some unscheduled time to cruise the backroads of America and enjoy life at a slower pace. That all sounds great! But when you go through your car checklist to make sure your car is road ready, don’t forget to take steps to keep your leather protected this summer. Just as the sun’s UVB rays can cause cancer and skin damage, it can also cause damage to the leather in your cars. A vehicle research study found a 70-degree day can cause temperatures inside a car to hit 104 degrees, while 80–100-degree days can cause the temperature inside a vehicle to soar to 130–172 degrees! Those UV rays will cause premature fading, drying and cracking of your comfy, classy leather seats. But a few ounces of prevention can keep your auto leather like new this summer.
Here are five tricks from our repair and restoration experts to keep your auto leather and vinyl looking great this summer:
- Use an Aluminum Shade Cover
Those extreme summer temps that can wreak havoc on your leather can be defeated with a reflective aluminum shade. Throw a cool pair of shades in your front windshield and reduce the heat inside the car by as much as 40 percent. Bonus: many can be reversed in the winter to provide a thermal effect in cold temps.
- Park in The Shade (and leave your windows cracked)
The easiest and cheapest way to protect your leather is to avoid direct sunlight altogether. Find a shady spot to park your wheels and crack the windows to help lower the interior temperature and equalize air pressure.
- Don’t Leave Your Top Down
As tempting as it may be, leaving your convertible topless is like sitting out on the beach without a drop of sunscreen. Don’t let your baby burn!
- Don’t Leave Out Meltables
Meltables — it’s an adjective, but we’re using it as a noun. And we are referring to anything that can liquify from a solid state in the hot blaze of summer. Think crayons, M&M’s, lip balms; we know some of you have kids that can get creative in the back of the minivan. Do your seats a favor, and keep those items put away in a container on the floor of the car, or better yet, leave them in the house.
- Take Care of Your Leather
Just as you schedule oil changes and tire rotations, extend the life of your interior by showing your leather a little love, especially in the summertime. You can get the same results as our professionals when you use CCI’s Leather Care Kit, now available to consumers. Our water-based leather cleaner is designed for protected and pigmented leathers common in vehicles and penetrates the surface with cleaning agents without causing any damage to the natural finish. For best results, follow up with the water-based conditioner that restores essential oils to replenish leather that may start to wilt under the gaze of the earth’s brightest star.
Hopefully, these quick tips keep your car in tip top shape this summer. However, if your leather and vinyl surfaces need some love, we’re here to help. Get started here - https://www.wecanfixthat.com/request-a-quote/.
