Can You Use Armor All On Leather
So Can You Use Armor All on Leather? Check This Out for a Real Answer.
If you've ever stood in the car care aisle staring at a bottle of Armor All and pondered, "Might I apply this to my leather chairs?"—you aren't alone. Particularly for people who just want to keep the car looking beautiful without going wrong somehow leather those are questions car owners ask often. And honestly, it's easy to understand why. Leather is not cheap. Even if things work out on the whole, slipped away slightly wrong and suddenly your car interior looks cracked greasy bad.
Before you start spraying anything on your seats, learn what Armor All is, how leather responds to it, and whether you should grab that bottle or run as fast the other way. And if you're looking for a more in-depth, risk-free clean inside your house (give that car business a miss then), remember our trusted maids are just one phone call from your fingertips.
What Is Armor All and What Exactly Is Its Market?
Armor All is an iconic brand of car-care products—it's everywhere. Originally designed to protect and add shine to rubber, plastic and vinyl, it has since become the go-to spray for dashboards as well as tires and other vinyl parts.
But here's the difference: leather is a completely separate material.
Armor All is made from water-based silicone emulsions. While this may sound perfectly good for artificial surfaces, leather (particularly genuine leather) is porous and requires very specific care. Silicone-based sprays that are applied to leather can create a glossy surface that not only hides dirt for a while but might have some permanent effects underneath it all.
What Happens If You Use Armor All on Leather?
After a long time, it might become dry. Silicon, which looks shiny at first glance, doesn't really nourish the leather. What it actually does is create a layer on top of the leather that keeps moisture out. While this sounds wise in theory, it ends up choking the skin beneath into less optimized metabolism and primary lines.
It might leave a greasy film. Especially in warmer climates, Armor All can make seats feel slippery or even a little sticky. That's uncomfortable and certainly doesn't give the lush, luxurious shine you were going for.
You may notice changes in color or streaking. Leather is not uniform. In many types (especially light shades), Armor All causes uneven matte spots and goofy-looking patterns after repeated treatment.
Stitching and trim can be affected too. If your seats have fine stitching or delicate decoration, Armor All can damage or break these little by little over time.
In short, it's risky. Some people use it with no problems at all--but many others are sorry later when their leathers start to crack and lose that buttery feeling.
What Kinds of Leather Are More Sensitive?
Not all leather is created equal. Here's a quick guide:
• Genuine leather: This is what most car interiors are made of. It has been treated and waterproofed, but is still open to the air. Not with the wrong products, it may well dry out and start to crack.
• Top-grain: More expensive and finer. Needs careful conditioning.
• Synthetic (plastic) leather (fake leather or vinyl) -- here Armor All might not be so bad, since it was designed for plastics in the first place. It's still bad though.
No matter what type of leather you have, the safest bet is always to use a product which is specifically labeled as a "leathertextured con-conditioning" or "leathersuchive cleaner". These generally contain lanolin, beeswax, or other gentle ingredients that feed and protect the leather over time.
Therefore… Should I Use Armor All on Leather?
If you are really forced by necessity to do so, then an occasional application of Armor All probably won't ruin one's seats, but it is best not to make this habit.
Here's a little example.
Armor All, to our way of thinking, is as fast food. Quick and it might look good on the surface.
Leather conditioners are that home-cooked meal. Nourish, protect, and long-term.
Your leather deserves the second one. Especially as the average cost for replacing a set of leather seats is well over $1,500 If conditioner in a bottle lasts less than a year, a sudden feel worth it--no?
What to Use Instead of Armor All on Leather Surfaces
Look for a leather-cleaning kit with the shampoo paired for it, don't go mixing products yourself. Or at least find one that's good to your seats--leather conditioner included! And if it can put some natural oils or aloe inside as well.
Also, use a microfiber cloth for applying the product--not a sponge or wadded-up paper towel. Make sure to rub hard in circular motions with it on whatever area you just wet and always test a little hidden spot first, that's just good sense!
And yes, it really is worth vacuuming the seats first before putting anything on them. Dust and crumbs can scratch or mess up when they're mixed with product.
Final Thoughts: Be Kind to Your Leather
In the final analysis, using Armor All on leather is not the most evil thing you could do. But it definitely isn't good, either. If you treat leather right, then it treats you well and stays shiny-looking for years.
Go the long way around. Pick products specifically made for leather And if you need affordable help getting your home cleaned just like that advise here suggests, our home cleaners will be there to make things right for you
After all, whether it's car seats or kitchen floors--what you use makes a difference.
