If your car spends plenty of hours in the hot sun, the heat and UV rays are slowly degrading its interior surfaces.

What starts as a slight stiffness or mild discoloration of leather or vinyl quickly deteriorates into cracking, peeling and permanent damage.

”These cosmetic complications often lead to expensive restoration work that can be prevented with prompt car care,” said Denny Ramkissoon of Charlotte Auto Spa.

“When you clean and protect leather and vinyl interiors, you preserve the softness, maintain color and keep the inside of your car well-maintained for years.”

Ramkissoon’s foray into auto detailing started 20 years ago, reconditioning vehicles at a local dealership. Along the way he has learned what it takes to protect vehicle interiors from the ravages of summer sun.

Ramkissoon offered these expert tips for maintaining leather and vinyl interiors:

Cleaning is the first step of protection

Clean inside your car before peak afternoon heat. Start with a thorough vacuuming to remove debris from seams and crevices. Wipe the surfaces with a microfiber cloth or soft brush.

Focus on areas like armrests, steering wheels and seat bolsters.

“These spots collect body oils, sweat and sunscreen faster than any other part of the cabin,” said Ramkissoon. “If you don’t clean them regularly, those residues break down the interior surfaces and cause discoloration, stiffness and cracking.”

Avoid household chemicals such as bleach or ammonia that degrade leather and vinyl. Instead, use cleaners designed for automobiles. They do not strip vehicle surfaces of essential oils.

Air dry your vehicle in shaded areas. This prevents trapped moisture from baking into surfaces and allows interior treatments to bond properly.

Restoring moisture to leather

Leather surfaces lose their natural oils when exposed in direct sunlight. Early signs of dehydrated leather include dull colors, minor creases and rough textures.

Ramkissoon recommends this 5-step process to keep leather soft and moisturized:

• Apply a small amount of an auto leather care product on a microfiber cloth.
• Clean the leather evenly. Pay extra attention to seats, headrests, armrests, center console lids and door panels.
• Allow the product to penetrate the leather fibers (see label for instructions). The amount of time varies. 
• Use a dry microfiber cloth to remove excess residue and polish to achieve a shiny finish.
• Repeat treatments every 4-6 weeks if your vehicle spends a lot of time in direct sunlight.

"Use products that offer UV protection and are specifically designed for cleaning automotive leather,” said Ramkissoon.

Cleaning and protecting vinyl surfaces

Gentle car cleaning sprays are formulated for vinyl dashboards, door panels and consoles. Again, do not use household chemicals such as bleach, hydrogen peroxide or ammonia–they dry and discolor interior surfaces.

Then, polish with products intended for auto vinyl. they won’t leave streaks behind and offer sun protection. Make sure to buff excess polish.

Physical protection from the sun

Ramkissoon also suggests these accessories for protecting leather and vinyl interiors in your car:

• Sunshades and window shields: Blocks sunlight from entering through windows and reduces hot temperatures that can damage leather and vinyl surfaces.
• Seat and dash covers: Provides a layer of protection against direct sun exposure. Prevents fading, cracking and drying of leather and vinyl surfaces.
• Steering wheel covers: Stops sun drying and premature wear on leather- wrapped wheels.
• Window tint: Protects leather and vinyl discoloration, stiffness and surface damage. Also enhances road visibility in bright sunlight.
• Removable protective mats: Shields high-contact areas like armrests, center consoles and seat edges from sun, sweat and oils that damage leather and vinyl.
• Portable fans: Circulates air inside the cabin and reduces surface temperatures which prevent leather and vinyl from losing moisture.

Additional tips for protecting leather and vinyl interiors

• Keep interior dry: After beach trips, workouts or rainy days, wipe your seats and air dry. Moisture, like heat, destroys vinyl and leather surfaces.
• Park out of the sun: Position your vehicle to allow the sun to hit your rear window rather than the dashboard. The steering wheel, dashboard and front seats are particularly vulnerable to sun exposure.
• Avoid dark leather in direct sun: Dark-colored seats absorb more light and tend to overheat quickly. Use seat covers or sunshades to sun damage for dark leather surfaces.
• Condition steering wheel regularly: Frequent hand contact exposes steering wheels to constant friction and sweat which can weaken the leather. Apply a leather moisturizer regularly to maintain smoothness and easy grip.
• Check for early signs: Inspect your leather and vinyl interior weekly for splits, discolorations and rough patches. Addressing issues quickly helps prevent costly repairs and permanent damage.
• Reapply protectant on leather and vinyl surfaces: During heat waves, apply a light coat of UV protection every 2-3 weeks. For vinyl parts use a car care cream to prevent the dashboard and door panels from cracking, fading or drying out.