If you gave car owners the choice between cloth or leather upholstery, most would prefer leather. Why? Not only is leather easier to clean, but this natural material is plush and luxurious. Leather is often considered an upgrade, and it's a common selling point in most luxury model cars.

Your leather upholstery may look and feel great straight from the dealership, but without the proper care and maintenance, it can become a nightmare to deal with. Over time, it can become dry, brittle and cracked from hours of prolonged sun exposure. That’s why it’s important to protect your leather seats and upholstery regularly to prevent this sort of drastic wear and tear.

So, what can you do to protect your leather investment? Here are some pro tips for protecting all types of leather, including the leather upholstery in your car, truck or RV!

To shield your leather from harmful UV rays, look for parking spots in the shade and take advantage of indoor parking when you can. Much like our skin, leather becomes dry and brittle when exposed to the sun. Keeping your car in the shade significantly slows down this process and makes it easier to keep your leather looking new.

You can also purchase a sunshade for your windshield to block out as much of the sun as you can. This helps to protect not only your leather, but other surfaces inside your car, including your dashboard and plastic trim. Plus, it’ll make the temperature inside your car a lot more bearable as you get the A/C going!

Pro Tip: Consider tinting your windows. Window tint can reduce the sun’s ability to heat your car interior by as much as 35–45%, and it blocks up to 80% of UV rays. That’s a significant protective measure to safeguard your interior surfaces, including your leather upholstery.

Remove any sharp objects from your pockets before getting into your car or truck. Keys, money clips and other objects with sharp or pointy edges can scratch or tear your leather upholstery, resulting in permanent damage to your vehicle. The best practice is to simply empty your pockets and avoid the risk.

If you have kids or pets, you might consider investing in seat covers to keep your leather safe when your little ones are in the car. They're bound to spill food or drinks at some point and make a mess all over the back seat, putting your leather upholstery at risk. A seat cover will work wonders to protect your leather from most of these stains and soils or to prevent sharp puppy claws from puncturing the leather.

If you don’t have seat covers, you can use a blanket to create a kid or pet-proof barrier around your leather upholstery!