How to clean and protect artificial leather and plastic in car interiors

Imitation leather or Artificial leather is also called „faux leather”, “synthetic leather” or “leatherette”. In cars a lot of surfaces are iartificial leather or plastic with a leather grain texture. Such surfaces are usually robust and easy to maintain. Clean soiled surfaces with COLOURLOCK Artificial Leather Cleaner. In case of heavy soling, let soak for a minute and also use the COLOURLOCK Leather Cleaning Brush to remove the dirt.

Protect the surface with COLOURLOCK Artificial Leather Protector. The surface gets an invisible protective film that prevents penetration of dirt and the surface is preserved. The recommended products are available as COLOURLOCK Artificial Leather Clean & Care Set.

Older artificial leather and plastics lose their softening and become dry, brittle and break sometimes. This process can hardly be influenced. Regular cleaning and sealing delays this process. It also reduces the dulling and fading of surfaces.

Some synthetic leather and plastic surfaces tend to fade or soft paint layers on plastic surfaces rub off. Local and little colour damages can be repaired with COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh.

COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh cannot sink into the surface. Therefore COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh has to be repeatedly dabbed on the surface and has to be dried with a hairdryer between each layer. Before using COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh, degrease the surface with COLOURLOCK Degreaser. Use the COLOURLOCK Leather Sanding Pad to smooth down irregularities.

Big surfaces of artificial leather and plastic parts can be recoloured professionally with a spray gun. Please refer to our instruction “HOW TO COLOUR ARTIFICIAL LEATHER AND PLASTIC - FOR PROFESSIONALS”.

Little cracks and rips can be filled and repaired with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather. Then work over with COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh to adjust colour and gloss level. Preserve older imitation leather and plastic parts with Artificial Leather Protector. The Artificial Leather Protector prevents soiling and reduces friction damages. The Artificial Leather Protector does not add any gloss. Apply evenly with a soft cloth and let dry.

Paint is too soft. Adjust colour with COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh.

Small crack: COLOURLOCK Degreaser, COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather and COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh. A scar will remain and repairs will not be invisible

Friction damage: Use COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather, COLOURLOCK GLD Pen and COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh

Recommended products

Leather Cleaning Brush normal
The Leather Cleaning Brush is ideal for:  Using with the Mild or Strong Leather Cleaner to remove ingrained dirt Using with the COLOURLOCK Cleaner for Artificial Leather to remove ingrained dirt from vinyl or plastics Brushing up nubuck and suede Polishing shoes and boots with COLOURLOCK Elephant Leather Preserver Amount: 1 piece. One brush is usually sufficient for cleaning a car interior or a set of furniture multiple times.With its durable bristles and high-quality wooden handle, the Colourlock Leather Cleaning Brush is great for removing dirt and stains effectively and gently from leather car seats, sofas, chairs, clothing and handbags. It can also be used to clean Alcantara and other Textile materials as long as it is used gently.
Brush Size

US$5.99*
for artificial leather
Artificial Leather Cleaning & Conditioning Kit
The Artificial Leather Clean & Care Kit contains everything you need for the cleaning and care of strained artificial leather and plastic surfaces. 1 Artificial Leather Cleaner, 125 ml 1 Artificial Leather Protector, 150 ml 1 Leather Cleaning Brush 1 Cleaning Sponge1 Care Cloth This is usually sufficient for the treatment of one complete car interior or set of furniture. Area of applicationThe COLOURLOCK Artificial Leather Clean & Care Kit contains everything you need for the cleaning and care of strained artificial leather and plastic surfaces. Heavily soiled surfaces become clean again. Use the soft brush contained in the set to clean grained surfaces.The Artificial Leather Protector seals the surface, without adding gloss, reducing the chance of attracting fresh dirt and bleaching and guards against brittleness. ApplicationAlways test any products first on a hidden area in case they affect the colour. Artificial Leather Cleaner: Apply the cleaner on a slightly moistened sponge and press the foam out of it. Clean the leather with the foam. Use the Cleaning Brush to remove dirt from the grain. Soak up the dirty foam residue with a slightly moistened and clean piece of cloth. Artificial Leather Protector: Apply thinly with a soft piece of cloth and let dry without polishing. One layer is sufficient. Repeat every three months on strained surfaces. Clean before applying to avoid soiling.

US$42.23*
Leather Sanding Pad
The Leather Sanding Pad is ideal for:  Smoothing rough areas before applying COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh or COLOURLOCK Liquid Leather. Cleaning greasy areas on nubuck and suede. Careful sanding during professional colouring in the workshop. Amount: Pack of 5 Application Rub the leather gently with the pad in a circular motion. Avoid gouging and deep scratches. Both faces of the pad can be used. It can be washed out with water.  Before colouring nappa leather, the surfaces should be sanded carefully. Our Leather Sanding Pad is ideal for this step.

Variants from US$5.99*
US$29.31*
Protector for Artificial Leather and Plastic - Surface Seal and Protection
Faux Leather Protector and conditioner is ideal for use on synthetic leather, leatherette, PVC, vinyl and artificial surfaces dyed and treated to look like leather. Seals the surface and reduces soiling Protects the surface by reducing bleaching and brittleness Does not make the surface glossy Quantity sufficient to treat a whole car interior or furniture suite Amount: 150 ml, 1 litreApplication areas: Car Leather, Furniture LeatherFor: Artificial leatherCOLOURLOCK Faux Leather Protector and conditioner is ideal for use on synthetic leather, leatherette, PVC, vinyl and artificial surfaces dyed and treated to look like leather. It can also be used on plastic surfaces, such as car dashboards. Apply a thin layer with a soft piece of cloth and let dry without polishing. One layer is sufficient. Repeat every three months on strained surfaces. Clean before use to avoid soiling.
Available Sizes

From US$22.69*
Refresher for scratches
Leather Fresh Dye
Leather Fresh is a colour refresher (dye) for scratches, worn, or faded leather. Leather Fresh is ideal to refresh colour damages on car leather, furniture leather, leather garments and handbags. Do not use on porous leathers unless colouring the entire surface - it can make the surface appear patchy. It can be sponged on or sprayed using an airbrush.  Application Always test any products first on a hidden area to test for colour match!Firstly, clean the leather thoroughly and prepare the surface. Use Mild Leather Cleaner for normal degrees of soiling or Strong Leather Cleaner to remove heavier dirt (where the leather has been neglected for many years). Cleaning prior to treatment ensures the paint bonds to the surface well and ensures durability. Use Leather Cleaning Brush to effectively remove all ingrained dirt. Cleaning removes dirt but for long lasting results you should also de-grease using Degreaser.Use a sponge to apply the colour evenly, working from seam to seam. Dry afterwards with a hair dryer. On small spots, a one application is sufficient. Apply multiple thin layers and dry each layer using a hair dryer.A day later, after it dries, apply Leather Protector. It gives the leather a good sheen and helps blend the repair. It contains antioxidants, which stops the leather's decay, and its UV filters protect the surfaces of old and valuable leathers from bleaching and fading. Also keeps the leather supple.  46 standard colours and prepared special colours according to sample or manufacturer name.Find car leather colours for Leather Fresh Dye in our Car Leather Repair category.
Standard-F-Colours
Available Sizes

US$35.61*
Fills cracks and holes
Fluid Leather
Fluid Leather is only recommended for damage where a filling is necessary. For scratches and general wear-and-tear on the colour surface we recommend smoothing the surface with the COLOURLOCK Leather Sanding Pad and refreshing the colour with COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh. The surface of COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather is smooth and shiny after drying. To hide the repair, apply COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh in the respective colour to the area. This covers the gloss of the COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather. Lightly dab the COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh several times with a sponge on the repair and dry with a hair dryer between layers until the desired covering is achieved. Degrease the repair area with COLOURLOCK Degreaser in order to remove care product residue. Before starting any repairs with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather, smooth rough areas and scratches with the COLOURLOCK Leather Sanding Pad  For hardened leathers, use COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather before any treatment with COLOURLOCK Old Leather Softener. This oily treatment would reduce the adhesion of the COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather. PROCEDURE Fill the damaged areas with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather and spread evenly with a spatula. Leave to dry for 1-2 hours, depending on the amount used. Repeat the procedure until the repaired area is as full and smooth as possible. COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather cannot be sanded dry. This would damage the repair.We recommend using the COLOURLOCK GLD Solvent ND Pen to smooth the repair. The GLD Solvent slightly dissolves the surface of the COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather and provides a smoother finish.Open the lid of the COLOURLOCK GLD Solvent ND Pen and press down the felt tip several times until it is moistened. If the felt tip gets too moist, remove the excess quantity by cleaning it with a cloth. Smooth the repair area carefully with the moistened felt tip. When the repair area is wet with GLD, an additional treatment with the COLOURLOCK Leather Sanding Pad can be done to smooth the repair area. Always work with a small amount of GLD to prevent the repair area from becoming too dissolved. Using GLD, a repair can be adjusted to achieve the best possible result.Professionals can repair the graining on a work area using a Repair Grain. Usually, old leathers are smooth and do not need a new graining.The tip of the GLD Solvent ND Pen can be removed and reversed when worn. Especially when working on a new colour, it is necessary to change or turn the felt tip upside down.Finally, repairs with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather must be recoloured with COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh to balance differences in colour and gloss. In order to cover the COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather sufficiently, the COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh should be dabbed onto the area several times and dried between the layers with a hair dryer. After 24 hours treat the leather with Leather Protector.  A HOLE WITH MISSING LEATHER Holes should be reinforced before repairing by gluing a thin piece of cloth underneath the hole with COLOURLOCK Leather Glue. Cut out a small piece of the original leather from a hidden area and adjust its shape according to the hole. Use the COLOURLOCK Leather Glue to glue it onto the piece of cloth and the edges of the hole. Close the visible rims with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather. Leathers with big tears must first be examined in order to decide whether it would be better to replace the weak leather. Especially long tears in old and rough leathers, or in areas of high use, are often irreparable or not durable enough after a repair. We recommend the repair of tears only on stable leathers and only if the tear is no larger than a few centimetres.Procedure: Minor tears which are not under tension should be provisionally glued with COLOURLOCK Leather Glue from edge to edge. Then close the tear with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather, as explained.Tears under high tension should be backed by thin cloth. In the case of very large tears and/or very rough leathers, it is advisable to sew the leather with a thin but strong thread. Place a seam every 3-4 centimetres with the starting knot on the leather's reverse. Cover the thread with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather.If the leather is not too rough, drill a small hole to the right and the left of the tear (approximately 2-3 millimetres) and sew with a round needle. Lay the knot underneath and pull the tear together. Tears in areas of frequent use should always be replaced by new leather when they are too large; the same is true for weak or hardened leathers. In cases like these, it is more advisable to replace the leather.
Standard-F-Colours
Available Sizes

US$27.10*
Cleaner for Artificial Leather with Sponge
Efficiently cleans heavily soiled surfaces. Apply Cleaner on a slightly moistened sponge and press the foam out of it. Clean the surface with the foam.For artificial leather like Vinyl, PU & Faux Leather.Amount: 200 ml, 1 litreApplicationAlways test any products first on a hidden area in case they affect the colour. Apply Artificial Leather Cleaner on a slightly moistened sponge and press the foam out of it. Clean the surface with the foam. Use the Leather Cleaning Brush (not included) to remove dirt from the grain. Remove the dirty foam residue with a clean and slightly moistened piece of cloth.
Available Sizes

From US$27.73*