Leather upholstery, fitted as standard on certain higher-specification applications and as an optional extra on many cars, is one of the most demanding interior materials to look after properly. Automotive leather is a hard-wearing yet comfortable material, but to ensure it remains healthy and supple it must be cleaned, fed, and protected on a regular schedule, as leather is a natural material that dries out over time, hardens, and eventually cracks and splits if left untreated, and absorbs stains from spilled fluids if not protected. This section gathers the cleaners, conditioners, and protectors that keep classic-MG leather upholstery, and the leather on steering wheels, gear gaiters, and trim components, looking and feeling as it should across decades of service, with the headline product being the Autoglym Leather Clean & Protect Kit.
Leather Cleaners
Leather cleaners lift accumulated dirt, body oils, and surface grime from the leather without stripping the natural oils that keep the hide supple, the right product being a pH-neutral water-based cleaner typically containing mild surfactants and small amounts of conditioning agents, applied with a soft cloth or dedicated applicator pad and worked into the leather surface in straight strokes, working in small sections and wiping off the residue before it dries. The cleaner lifts the contamination from the leather pores, which is then wiped away with a clean dry cloth. Aggressive household cleaners, general-purpose surface cleaners, washing-up liquid, glass cleaners, and anything containing bleach, ammonia, or strong solvents, should be avoided, as the alkaline content strips the natural leather oils and accelerates the drying-out that ages leather upholstery prematurely, and saddle soap, popular for shoe and tack leather, is also typically too aggressive for fine automotive upholstery and should be avoided for seat leather. Cleaning must always come before conditioning, as applying a conditioner over dirt simply seals the contamination in.
Leather Conditioners
Leather conditioners replace the natural oils lost during cleaning and from the natural aging process, the right conditioner being a balanced blend of natural oils, typically lanolin and similar conditioning agents, suspended in a wax or cream base, applied to clean leather with a soft cloth and worked in gently. The conditioner is absorbed into the leather, restoring suppleness and producing the slight sheen characteristic of well-maintained leather upholstery, with heavy applications avoided as leather absorbs only what it needs and excess conditioner sits on the surface producing a greasy feel that attracts dirt rather than protecting the leather.
The standard care routine is a light application every six to twelve months for cars used regularly, with more frequent application for cars used in hot dry conditions where the leather dries out more rapidly. Regular conditioning is particularly important on open cars, where the seats and steering wheel are exposed to direct sunlight whenever the hood is down, as UV radiation accelerates leather degradation faster than any other factor, a roadster driven with the hood down through a British summer showing more leather deterioration than a garaged car over several years. A leather reviver that cleans and revives black leather in a single application is available for quicker maintenance.
Leather Protectors & Long-Term Care
Leather protectors are surface-treatment products that create a thin protective layer over the cleaned and conditioned leather, reducing the absorption of spilled fluids and the general dirt accumulation that everyday use produces, applied after cleaning and conditioning, allowed to cure for the time specified on the product, and producing a slightly more stain-resistant surface that maintains the original look of the leather across a longer service interval. For leather or expanded-vinyl trim of any colour, a combined leather and vinyl proofer cleans and re-proofs the surface with UV protection, useful where the interior mixes leather seat facings with vinyl trim panels.
For cars used regularly and exposed to a wide range of conditions, picnics, dog hairs, and the various spills and contamination that any used car sees, the protector is a worthwhile investment, while for show cars used only in controlled environments it is typically less important. The full leather-care routine of clean, condition, and protect, applied annually, keeps even the oldest classic-MG leather in good condition for decades, and the technical team is available to advise on the right combination for a specific leather condition and intended use.