Leather Dye: A Rewarding Do-It-Yourself Project to Refurbish Leather Automobile Seats

Are your once beloved leather automobile seats filthy beyond regular cleaning, worn, or faded looking? Do your once very classy car seats look so haggard that they are taking away from the beauty of your interior or are lowering your vehicle's value? The seats in my Volkswagen Cabriolet met all of the fore-mentioned criteria. However, I purchased my seats with the sole intention of performing a d.i.y. restoration. In doing so, I not only learned to save hundreds of dollars by completing the project myself, but I also am in awe of how gorgeous my seats are, and others are, too.

Before you decide to take on this incredibly rewarding d.i.y., there are first some things you should consider. Firstly, how long can you be without seats in your car? While a project of this nature can possibly be completed on a weekend, technically, it would not be advisable since seats that are dyed need a few days to fully cure. Secondly, do you have the basic skills required to paint? This project necessitates little more than knowing how to use a paintbrush, along with a little elbow grease. Lastly, are your leather seats ripped? If so, the rips must be repaired with a leather repair kit, which you can buy at your local AutoZone for around $12.00.

Now, in discussing the specifics of the project, it is important to acquire all of the necessary materials first. You will need a foam paintbrush, which you can purchase at your local Walmart, and acetone, which you can also purchase from your local Walmart or any other hardware store. What is the purpose of the acetone? Acetone is a stripper and is practically the most important material for this project. If you do not first strip your leather automobile seats of all waxes and cleaner build-up, the pigments of the leather dye will not be able to permeate the pores of the seats, and it will essentially not work like a stain as it is supposed to.

Next, you need to purchase leather dye, and your purchase will likely be from an online retailer, due to the general lack of availability of this type of dye. In my region in Connecticut, I was unable to find this dye at sporting goods stores, upholstery shops, craft stores, or even automotive stores. After doing some research, I decided to go with Zelikovitz brand, which you can buy at their website at http://www.zelikovitz.com. This company's color selection is impressive, and their customer service and product quality are excellent.

While the type of dye that you purchase is completely up to you, I cannot anticipate the results you will receive with other products, since Zelikovitz is the only brand that I have tried. Generally, leather dyes are either water or oil based. I prefer water based since most water based stains usually apply with more ease, clean up with soap and water, and dry more quickly.

For easier reading, I will now list the exact directions in a step-by-step format. Enjoy!

Comprehensive List of Materials:

• Foam Paintbrush
• A few quarts of Acetone
• Zelikovitz (or another brand) of leather dye
• Chemical-resistant gloves
• Rags to use with the Acetone
• An old sheet or towels to place under your car seats
• Basic tools to remove and reinstall your vehicle's seats
• Time

Step One

Remove the seats from your vehicle. While many American and Japanese auto manufacturers bolt down car seats which requires the use of a wrench, German auto manufacturers such as Volkswagen have seats that simply slide in and out of tracks and can be removed that way. If you have the type of seat that slides on a track and is not bolted down to the track, look for a stop on the track and remove the stop so that the seat is able to come out. Back seats are often more difficult to remove, simply because the bolts are usually hidden. Refer (if applicable) to your vehicle's owner's manual, or, as occurred in my case, explore your vehicle thoroughly for the best way to remove your seats, as there is always a way.

Step Two

Once the seats are removed, place them in an area where they will not become dirty on an old sheet or towels. At this point, take out your acetone, chemical-resistant gloves, and a rag and start scrubbing your seats. Unfortunately, this project requires a large quantity of acetone, simply because it evaporates so quickly, not allowing you to do large areas at a time. I personally use several quarts, although my seats were in very poor condition and required quite a stripping.

As you are using the acetone, you will notice that your leather seats are becoming dry, the grain of the leather is expanding, and your seats look downright horrible. Don't panic! This is okay since you want the pores of the leather to be open and you want the leather dry so that they dye can effectively permeate the material.

Also, make sure you evenly and very thoroughly strip the seats using the acetone, as waxed portions will not accept dye and the overall job will look uneven.

Step Three

Get out your leather dye and get ready to either change the color of your seats or restore the original splendor of your expensive leather.

One thing that you should know about Zelikovitz leather dye is that it covers and spreads very well. I only used ¾ of a 32 ounce bottle on my front and back seats, but keep in mind that my vehicle (the VW Cabriolet) is a small vehicle.

After pouring the leather dye into a paint tray, dip in your foam brush and start with a light, even application. Since this water-based dye dries rather quickly, you must also work at a somewhat fast pace in order to avoid streaking. I have found that saturating the foam brush and applying a large amount to just to spread that large amount all around works best. Remember to get in the cracks of the seats minus portions that are not leather or vinyl.

Depending on the thickness of coats, drying time should be 30-60 minutes between coats. Use as many coats as you feel is necessary. In the instructions that accompanied the Zelikovitz dye, it is stated that the dye can be diluted for a more transparent or a more opaque application. I used the dye full strength, but my seats had many imperfections to cover, and I was also looking to make my seats a more solid "French vanilla" color.

After you are finished dying your renewed leather seats and waiting a few days before sitting on them, apply a leather wax/protectant to coat and shield them from dirt.

Step Four:

Reinstall your leather seats and watch as others are envious of your top condition and super classy interior.

Final Note:

The only thing that I was slightly unhappy with when using the Zelikovitz leather dye is that my seats no longer have a slippery, leathery feel, and now feel more like a vinyl material. However, despite this, the dye itself did seem to deeply condition the leather, and the leather has retained its buttery soft feel and has not hardened in any way.

Good luck and enjoy the project.