Leather upholstery has the advantage of being easier to clean than cloth seats. But leather seats can be harder to maintain in the long run. Leather cracks from wear and weather conditions, and becomes unsightly. The cracks soon become huge tears that contribute to the devaluation of the car and make it harder to resell or trade in for a decent value. Repairing cracks in leather upholstery doesn't require a professional, but it does require some time and diligence.

1. Step 1

   Create a bucket of mild soap and warm water, and with your scrub brush, clean the seat from top to bottom. Make sure to get into the crevices of the interior.
   
   Wipe the seat down with the terry cloth towel to dry.
   
   Now re-clean your seat with your Scotch Brite pad. Dip your pad in your soap solution again and in a circular motion, re-clean your seat.
   
   The pad may rub some of the leather's dye off as you scrub. This is not a problem since the upholstery will be re-dyed. And the new dye will now have a rougher surface to adhere to.
   
   Use a clean towel to wipe down again.

2. Step 2

   Wet a paper towel with the denatured alcohol and rub your leather down again. While your upholstery is still wet, wipe with a dry paper towel or cloth.

3. Step 3

   Take the sandpaper and dip it into the soap solution. Now rub and sand down your cracks. As the dye lifts from sanding, move it into the cracks to act as a filler.
   
   Once it's sanded down, wipe the area with a towel to make sure the cracked leather is smoother. This will help to give the upholstery a smoother, newer appearance.

4. Step 4

   Take the Sems Leather Prep solution and wipe down your leather. Wipe it on and off, until your leather is smooth. You can also use the glue that comes with the kit to fill in cracks and sand that down until smooth as well.

5. Step 5

   Use Thompson Water Seal to seal the leather. Pour some on a towel and wipe the leather down.

6. Step 6

   Before you begin to spray the dye, get a plastic cardboard and sheets or plastic to cover areas like seat belts and the console to protect them from the spray.
   
   Then begin to spray your dye in the cracks. You shouldn't need more than 2 or 3 coats of dye. Spray 12 to 18 inches from the leather. Use short bursts, and light coats. Use a hair dryer to help the dye dry faster in between coats. Feel free to sand again if there are still some rough areas.

7. Step 7

   Spray the entire seat to make sure the newly resurfaced leather cracks match the rest of your seat.

8. Step 8

   Let the seat dry for 8 to 10 hours before you put yourself or anything else on the seat.

9. Step 9

   Once the leather has dried, add a leather conditioner. This will help to maintain the leather in the future.