After researching and using a number of formulas, we found that the best car leather cleaner is the Autoglym LC500. It’s a pH neutral formula that cleans and deodorises the interior for a “like new” finish. However, if you would prefer to use cleaning wipes, the ArmorAll alternative is the best option that’s also great for spot cleaning.
Whilst researching and testing out a number of car leather seat cleaners, we based our recommendations upon their effectiveness, formulation, ability to work on multiple surfaces and value for money.
Best Car Leather Cleaner Overview
- Best Overall: Autoglym LC500
- Best For Tough Dirt: Dodo Juice Supernatural
- Best Cleaner And Conditioner: Meguiar’s Gold Class
- Best Value: Turtle Wax Luxe
- Best Wipes: ArmorAll Wipes
- Best Wipes Runner-Up: Simoniz Wipes
Although there are many car upholstery cleaners that can be used upon leather, a dedicated car leather cleaner will always be more effective and safer to use.
Below is a list of the best car leather cleaners that are safe to use and designed specifically for leather interiors.
The Best Leather Cleaner For Cars
1. Best Overall: Autoglym Car Leather Cleaner
By far the most popular car leather cleaner in the UK is by the reputable Autoglym brand. It’s a pH neutral formula that’s designed specifically for cleaning automotive leather upholstery.
- pH neutral solution
- Leaves a natural matte finish
- Contains cleaning and deodorising agents
- Doesn’t strip essential oils in the leather
- Option of purchasing a complete kit
- Made in the UK
- May require slight agitation for the best results
The Autoglym Leather Cleaner ticks all the boxes and offers excellent value for the money. The brand also offer a complete leather care kit, which includes a cleaner, care balm, cloth and applicator and this may be better option for those looking for a thorough clean up of their car’s leather interior.
2. Best For Tough Dirt: Dodo Juice Supernatural Leather Cleaner
Dodo Juice is a brand that’s much loved by detailing enthusiasts and they produce a variety of specialist products. Their Supernatural Leather Cleaner is one of those products and it contains no harsh chemicals and is suitable for cleaning both vinyl and leather car interiors.
- Water based formulation
- Leaves behind no residue
- Non-staining finish
- Suitable for leather and vinyl
- High quality 500 ml spray bottle
- Relatively expensive when compared to the alternatives
The Dodo Juice Supernatural is a highly effective leather cleaner that provides strong performance yet is completely safe to use. It isn’t the cheapest but it’s worth spending the extra for its superior cleaning qualities.
3. Best Cleaner And Conditioner: Meguiar’s Gold Class Rich Leather 3-in-1
Another popular car leather cleaner in the UK is the Meguiar’s Gold Class Rich, which is a 3-in-1 formula that cleans, conditions and protects. It does all this in a single step and leaves a non-greasy finish to the upholstery.
- Cleans, conditions and protects in a single step
- Non-whitening gel formula
- Additional UV leather protection
- Easy to apply using a microfiber cloth
- Removes stains such as blue or black jean transfer
- More expensive than standalone leather cleaners
The Meguiar’s Gold Class Rich is an excellent all-round car leather cleaner that also benefits from conditioning and protecting the upholstery. It does come with a premium price but the 3-in-1 formula along with the reputable brand backing makes it a worthwhile investment.
4. Best Value: Turtle Wax Luxe Leather Cleaner
One of the cheapest car leather cleaners that’s actually worth buying is the Turtle Wax Luxe Leather. It’s another 3-in-1 formula that’s designed to clean, condition and protect in just a single step. It also benefits from being suitable for use upon leather, vinyl, rubber and other car interior surfaces.
- Single step cleans, conditions and protects
- Leaves behind zero residue
- Non-greasy finish
- Application by cloth
- Not as effective when compared to other formulas
The Turtle Wax Luxe is the best value car leather cleaner that’s easy to apply and won’t disappoint. It also benefits from being highly effective on a range of other interior surfaces, which is another great bonus.
5. Best Wipes: ArmorAll Car Leather Cleaning Wipes
If you would prefer to use leather cleaning wipes as opposed to a liquid based formula, ArmorAll have the solution. They are designed to clean and condition and each pack contains 20 wipes that are kept fresh within a resealable pouch.
- Total of 40 wipes (two packs of 20)
- Small enough to be stored inside the car
- Recently updated with the inclusion of beeswax
- Cleans and conditions leather interior
- Comes in a handy pouch that seals shut
- Not as effective as a liquid leather cleaner (but ideal for quickly cleans)
Overall, the ArmorAll Leather Wipes are the perfect alternative that keeps your leather interior in top condition and can be stored easily inside of the car for spot cleaning.
6. Best Wipes Runner-Up: Simoniz Leather Wipes
Another set of leather cleaning wipes are by the Simoniz brand, which also come as a pack of 20. According to the brand, they are guaranteed to clean, treat and shine all types of car leather interior surfaces in a single step.
- Pack of 20 that can be easily stored within the car
- Contains nourishing natural oils
- Inclusion of carnauba wax for protection
- Resealable pack
- Not as effective as a liquid leather cleaner (but ideal for quickly cleans)
The Simoniz Leather Wipes tick all the boxes and cannot be beaten on price when compared to any other car leather cleaners on the market. The fact that they contain carnauba, which is found is some of the best rated car waxes is a clear indication of their superior quality and considering the low price tag, it’s very impressive.
How We Rated The Leather Cleaners
As there are hundreds of car leather cleaners on the market, we managed to narrow our recommendations to the above products. This was achieved by testing out a number of formulas as well as plenty of research. Factors such as their effectiveness, formulation, compatible interior surfaces and value for money were all deciding factors.
You may also wish to condition the leather after you’ve cleaned it and this is also another factor to consider. Some formulas require additional products whereas others are 2 or 3-in-1 formulas that can achieve it all in a single step.
If you would like to see us using and testing a leather cleaner, below are the steps we used along with before and after results upon our Instagram page.
Conclusion
Neglecting your car’s leather can be expensive further down the line and it’s worthwhile investing into a quality leather cleaner. All of our recommendations are highly effective and are designed to be safe to use on all car leather upholstery. Whether you only want a cleaner or a formula that cleans, conditions and protects, the products above are the highly recommended and safe to use upon all car leather surfaces.
