Taking care of your car’s interior is just as important as maintaining its engine. And when it comes to luxury and comfort, leather car seats are a top choice. But let’s face it, they can get dirty. That’s why finding a Good Car Leather Cleaner is essential to keep your car interior looking and feeling its best.
We put four leading leather cleaners to the test in a head-to-head competition to determine the best good car leather cleaner on the market. Leather Honey, Chemical Guys, Weiman, and Fibrenew faced off in a rigorous evaluation to see which one reigns supreme in leather maintenance for your vehicle.
Who will emerge as the champion? Let’s dive in and discover.
Initially, our quest to find the best good car leather cleaner started a bit unorganized, but that’s part of the fun, right?
Despite the somewhat informal start, we ensured every product underwent the exact same testing process. This meant each car leather cleaner received a fair and objective assessment. We followed a similar methodology to our previous comparison of leather conditioners.
With that said, let’s introduce our contenders for the title of best good car leather cleaner.
Meet the Top Car Leather Cleaner Contenders
Our selection of top car leather cleaners is based on recommendations from sources like this product review list and our own expertise in leather care.
The car leather cleaner brands we tested are: Fibrenew (our own professional-grade product), Leather Honey, Chemical Guys, and Weiman. All these brands are readily available online through Amazon or their official websites.
Leather Honey, established in the 1960s, specializes in leather care. Their product range, including their popular Leather Honey leather cleaner, focuses on quality. They’ve become the top-selling leather care kit on Amazon, known for their leather cleaner and conditioner.
Chemical Guys offers a vast array of car care products, including their Chemical Guys leather cleaner. Made in California, they have a global customer base attracted to their extensive line of car cleaning solutions.
Weiman stands out for its diverse product range, offering cleaners for various surfaces like stainless steel, hardwood, and, of course, leather. Weiman leather cleaner is part of their broader home and car care lineup, providing multi-surface cleaning solutions.
Finally, Fibrenew’s good car leather cleaner is a professional-grade product developed in-house. It’s designed for various leather surfaces, including car seats, furniture, and more, using a proprietary formula trusted by leather repair professionals.
Next, let’s look at the criteria we used to judge each good car leather cleaner.
Judging Criteria for the Best Car Leather Cleaner
Each car leather cleaner was evaluated based on packaging and branding, the user experience, and, most importantly, the final results.
We used a 40-point scoring system, with each product rated on four 10-point scales:
- Effectiveness in Deep Cleaning: How well it removes dirt and buildup from car leather.
- Visual Polish: The aesthetic improvement and finish it leaves on the leather car seats.
- Feel to the Touch: How the leather feels after cleaning – smoothness and lack of residue.
- Scent: The pleasantness and strength of the product’s smell.
Let’s outline the testing process used to compare each car leather cleaner.
The Car Leather Cleaner Testing Process
We initially planned to test each car leather cleaner on different car seats. Four cleaners, four seats – seemed logical.
However, we quickly realized that capturing the subtle visual differences between each car leather cleaner through photos would be challenging. So, while we still used car seats to demonstrate application, our focus shifted to describing the feel and scent more thoroughly.
Car seats ready for cleaning to test each car leather cleaner.
To better showcase cleaning effectiveness, we also used a piece of colored leather, deliberately soiled with snow to simulate dirt, allowing for a clearer visual comparison of each good car leather cleaner’s performance.
The lineup of car leather cleaner brands ready for testing on leather scrap.
We began with a spot check, followed by cleaning a panel of each car seat. Then, we performed single swipes on the snow-dirtied leather scrap before fully cleaning sections to truly assess each car leather cleaner.
If you’re planning to use car leather cleaner products at home, follow these simple steps for the best results.
DIY Basic Car Leather Cleaning Steps
- Preparation: Begin by removing loose dust and dirt from your car’s leather surfaces. Use a soft brush or a dry cloth to prevent scratches during cleaning.
- Patch Test: Always test the car leather cleaner in a hidden area first. Apply a small amount to check for any adverse reactions like discoloration. Wait a few minutes to ensure it’s safe for your car’s leather.
- Apply Cleaner: Apply a small amount of good car leather cleaner to a clean, soft cloth. Gently work it into the leather in circular motions, section by section. Ensure even application across the surface.
- Remove Excess: Use a clean, dry cloth to wipe off any excess cleaner. Thorough removal prevents residue buildup, which can attract more dirt over time.
For more detailed leather care tips, watch the video below and check out our article on how to clean leather furniture.
Now, let’s get into the car leather cleaner showdown!
Leather Honey Leather Cleaner Review
First impressions of Leather Honey are strong – the branding and packaging are excellent.
The old-fashioned, general-store aesthetic of the box and bottles is appealing. It definitely creates excitement when you receive and open the product.
However, neither the cleaner nor the conditioner comes with a spray nozzle. While acceptable for the thicker conditioner, a spray bottle for the car leather cleaner would reduce mess when applying it to a cloth or directly to the car leather.
leather honey bottle top–non-spray
Leather Honey’s non-spray bottle top for their car leather cleaner.
We purchased the Leather Honey leather care kit for $43.99 on sale (regularly $70.99), which includes two 8 oz bottles and two microfiber cloths in the stylish box.
The Leather Honey leather cleaner can be purchased separately for $24.99.
Effectiveness for Car Leather: 7/10
In our single swipe test, Leather Honey’s cleaning power was somewhat lacking. It didn’t lift as much dirt as we expected from the car leather surface initially.
The non-spray bottle contributes to this issue. Dispensing the car leather cleaner directly onto the cloth by tipping the bottle results in less product applied to the leather initially. The cleaner tends to dry quickly on the cloth, requiring more applications.
A single swipe with Leather Honey car leather cleaner showed moderate dirt removal.
After cleaning the entire section, Leather Honey proved adequate at removing dirt, achieving a satisfactory level of cleanliness for car leather.
Visual Polish on Car Leather: 9/10
Leather Honey left a mid-sheen, almost matte finish on the car leather after drying.
This is subjective, but we found the matte finish visually appealing for car interiors. The photo accurately represents the final look.
Excellent visual result for a car leather cleaner!
Feel on Car Leather: 10/10
The feel after using Leather Honey is frictionless and smooth.
This car leather cleaner felt almost like water, which is a positive attribute.
No residue was left behind, and it didn’t feel like we had used a harsh chemical on the car leather.
Scent: 7/10
Leather Honey car leather cleaner had virtually no detectable scent.
This lack of aroma sets it apart from other products tested and is a matter of personal preference. Given its subjectivity, we rated it mid-high.
Some may prefer a scentless cleaner, while others might miss a fragrance.
Total Score: 33/40
Chemical Guys Colorless and Odorless Leather Cleaner Review
Chemical Guys is almost the opposite of Leather Honey in this good car leather cleaner comparison.
The leather care kit came in a plain package with a single microfiber cloth and two 16 oz bottles – cleaner and conditioner.
You can buy the “colorless & odorless” car leather cleaner separately for $10.99. Their leather care kit, including cloths, sponges, and a brush, is priced at $59.99.
Let’s evaluate its performance as a car leather cleaner.
Effectiveness for Car Leather: 10/10
The cleaning capability of Chemical Guys is outstanding – a significant improvement over Leather Honey in terms of immediate dirt removal from car leather.
With just a single swipe, dirt and grime seemed to vanish instantly.
With just a few more wipes, all traces of dirt disappeared. It was incredibly effective at cleaning car leather.
Top marks for Chemical Guys’ effectiveness as a car leather cleaner.
Visual Polish on Car Leather: 9/10
Chemical Guys also left a matte finish on the car leather.
Chemical Guys almost dry after application on car leather. Visibly clean with a matte finish.
Again, the matte finish might appeal to many car owners. We liked it, giving it the same high visual polish score as Leather Honey for car leather.
Feel on Car Leather: 6/10
As mentioned, Chemical Guys offers a contrasting experience to Leather Honey in several aspects, especially in feel when used as a car leather cleaner.
The feeling was unfortunately not pleasant.
There’s a slightly harsh sensation, almost like the chemicals could irritate skin over prolonged exposure. While this chemical strength contributes to its cleaning effectiveness and sanitation, it’s a drawback when handling the product during car leather cleaning.
We recommend using gloves when applying Chemical Guys products to car leather.
Scent: 5/10
“Odorless” is a misnomer for Chemical Guys.
Unfortunately, the harsh feel is mirrored in the scent. While the smell doesn’t linger long as the product dries quickly, the initial scent when spraying and close to the car leather cleaner is strongly chemical and offensive. Chemical Guys lives up to its name in this regard.
We also recommend a face mask, especially for sensitive individuals when using this car leather cleaner.
Total Score: 30/40
Weiman Leather Cleaner and Conditioner Spray Review
Next is the most budget-friendly option in our car leather cleaner test.
Given Weiman’s wide range of cleaning products, a combination cleaner and conditioner spray makes sense for their product line. However, considering the distinct purposes of cleaner and conditioner, we were skeptical about its effectiveness as a car leather cleaner.
Spoiler alert: it’s not ideal as a dedicated car leather cleaner.
Nonetheless, at $7.99, this product has some merits. For example, the spray mechanism is excellent and applies the product evenly. But this doesn’t compensate for its mediocre performance on car leather.
Let’s delve into its performance as a car leather cleaner.
Effectiveness for Car Leather: 5/10
While Weiman’s spray might handle minor smudges, it fell short for more significant cleaning tasks required for car leather.
It required considerably more effort to remove dirt compared to other car leather cleaners in this review.
Visible residue left behind by Weiman car leather cleaner.
Not terrible, but not impressive either. Mid-range marks for its effectiveness as a car leather cleaner.
Visual Polish on Car Leather: 7/10
The sheen isn’t bad, but the main issue is the visible residue left behind by this car leather cleaner.
This means if you’re only cleaning a small stain, you might need to clean the entire car seat panel to blend the cleaned area, as it doesn’t seamlessly integrate with the untreated leather.
In summary, the visual effect is okay, but achieving a consistent look across car leather requires more product and effort.
Feel on Car Leather: 4/10
Weiman left a noticeably waxy residue, even after drying.
This unpleasant feel makes you want to wash your hands immediately, which isn’t ideal if you’re spending time cleaning your car leather interior.
Scent: 8/10
Surprisingly, the scent was a positive aspect.
Weiman adds a fresh citrus fragrance – similar to lemon air freshener. There’s no harsh chemical odor, making it a more pleasant experience than some other car leather cleaners.
Pleasantly surprised by the scent, earning a high score in this category for a car leather cleaner.
Total Score: 24/40
Fibrenew Leather Care Kit Review – Good Car Leather Cleaner
Finally, we come to our own Fibrenew good car leather cleaner, and we’re proud to present our leather care kits.
This kit includes a 16 oz bottle of both leather cleaner and conditioner for around $43.69 (USD). It’s the same professional-grade product used by Fibrenew franchise professionals – tried, tested, and trusted for car leather and more.
Note: Initially, the conditioner spray nozzle wasn’t optimal, but we’ve upgraded it to the same efficient nozzle type used by Chemical Guys.
Effectiveness for Car Leather: 9/10
Fibrenew’s car leather cleaner offers cleaning power just slightly below Chemical Guys, but without the harshness.
While Chemical Guys cleaner is highly aggressive due to its strong chemicals, Fibrenew delivers excellent sanitation with a gentler approach, making it a good car leather cleaner for regular use.
Visual Polish on Car Leather: 9/10
Fibrenew’s car leather cleaner leaves a finish that’s between matte and sheen. It blends seamlessly, becoming almost undetectable once dry on car leather.
As mentioned, visual preference is subjective, so it matches Leather Honey and Chemical Guys in score for visual appeal on car leather.
Feel on Car Leather: 8/10
There’s a slight friction to the touch, but it’s minimal.
A small step down from Leather Honey in smoothness but a significant improvement over Chemical Guys in terms of feel on car leather.
Scent: 9/10
Here, Fibrenew’s good car leather cleaner truly excels.
We’ve added leather extract to each bottle, giving it a fresh leather scent. This pleasant aroma also serves a functional purpose – as the scent fades, it’s a reminder to clean your car leather again, ensuring regular maintenance.
We deducted one point because not everyone may love the scent of new leather, although we believe it enhances the experience of using a car leather cleaner.
Total Score: 35/40
And the Top Pick for Good Car Leather Cleaner Is…
Fibrenew!
Before you think this is biased, consider the advantages of Fibrenew as a good car leather cleaner:
- Same price as Leather Honey but with double the product volume.
- Equal cleaning effectiveness to Chemical Guys, but without the harshness or strong chemical odor, making it a better car leather cleaner for regular use.
- Two dedicated products that blend perfectly and leave no residue on car leather.
- Non-toxic, professional-grade, and user-friendly for car interiors.
We are committed to continuous improvement and will keep refining our leather care products.
We encourage you to try our good car leather cleaner for yourself and are offering 25% off your first care kit with code “Carekit25pOff” at checkout.
For any leather care questions or needs, contact your local Fibrenew professional. Until next time, keep your car leather looking its best!
Meet the author
Julian Foulds
Marketing Communications Specialist
A marketer and writer, I focus on data-driven strategies to highlight Fibrenew’s value and provide our franchisees with resources for consistent success.
