Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums

Porsche 993: How to Deep Clean Old Leather

Deep cleaning restores the shine of the leather in your Porsche 993. It's a simple task that doesn't require special skills. This article will guide you through the steps to keep your interior's leather looking new.

By James Karuga - April 6, 2015

This article applies to the Porsche 993 (1993-1998).

Leather interior accumulates dirt and grime over time, resulting in stained looks that are repulsive to the eye. Should your Porsche 993 leather interior get to that level, there are ways to clean and restore it. You can make cleaning solutions from home and use them if you don't want to purchase cleaning supplies. Mixing equal parts of lemon and cream of tartar helps get rid of stains on leather. This article will explore how to deep clean your leather and how much it will cost doing it yourself compared to a professional car wash.

Materials Needed

  • Microfiber towel and terry cloth
  • Homemade or off the shelf leather cleaning products
  • Leather polish (homemade or off the shelf)
  • Water

Step 1 – Test the cleaning solution

There are cleaning solutions (homemade or off the shelf) that are abrasive and can bleach the Porsche 993 leather. That's why it's important to test them on the hidden parts of the leather interior like the lower part of the seats. After applying the cleaning solution, give it 5 to 10 minutes to work. if there are no blotches left, continue using the cleaning solution.

Figure 1. Test spot in a hidden area.

Step 2 – Pre-clean the leather

Using an ordinary towel and warm water or car wash soap, wipe the whole leather interior and then rinse. This pre-cleaning stage removes dust, grime, and debris hanging loosely on the leather.

Figure 2. Remove dust, grime, and debris.

Step 3 – Clean the leather

Spray the cleaning solution (homemade or off the shelf) twice on the sections you are cleaning. Using a damp microfiber towel, scrub the leather in circular motions until it's clean. If the cleaning solution specifies leaving it for several minutes before rinsing (if water was used) or wiping, do as instructed. The steering wheel leather clad accumulates lots of dirt in the form of sweat, grime, and oils. To clean, it requires applying the cleaner on the terry cloth as well as the wheel and scrubbing it vigorously.

Figure 3. Scrub in circular motions.

Step 4 – Wipe the cleaning solution

Once satisfied with the clean up, wipe off the leather cleaning solution with a microfiber towel and check for spots. If there are any spots, clean and redo them using the same process.

Figure 4. Wipe off the cleaning solution.

Step 5 – Polish the leather

Lastly, to maintain the suppleness of the Porsche's leather after cleaning, mix two parts of linseed oil and vinegar to apply on it. You can also apply off the shelf polishes and sunscreens to ensure your leather doesn't dry or crack.

Figure 5. Finish off with a polish.

Related Discussion and Site