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Jeeps in my opinion are the most fun vehicle a person can drive.
Mudding, sand dunes, water fording, and rock crawling can all be intense and exciting.
Something they all have in common though…
They get the inside of your Jeep dirty as hell. Mud all over the place seats water soaked and don’t get me started about sand in all the cracks…
The best cleaner I have found for the interior of my vehicle and especially the seats is the Chemical Guys Total Interior Cleaner & Protectant. It gets the majority of stains and messes out with one spray and wipe.
Further down I go over how to clean Jeep seats, cloth, and leather and what to do once they are clean.
Jeep Seat Materials: Here Are The 2 Main Types
Cloth
Cloth seats aren’t as sought after in Jeep Wranglers simply because they are harder to clean for someone doing lots of offroading.
They are more commonly found on lower trim levels, like the Jeep Wrangler Sport, which is more of a daily driver vehicle than a Rubicon.
Cloth seats in my opinion can be more comfortable than leather seats, especially in extreme heat and cold weather.
Cloth seats will absorb heat, but they aren’t scorching hot or freezing cold when you first climb into it, unlike leather seats.
Another plus is that cloth seats don’t crack over time like leather seats will if not taken care of.
Cloth seats are certainly harder to clean than leather seats.
If anything spills onto them, it needs to be sprayed and painstakingly drawn out. But the crumbs (that are inevitable with kids and fast food!) need to brush or vacuumed out.
Leather
Leather seats are very common in Jeep Wranglers because they are so easy to wipe down and clean off after a good trip mudding.
The seats can simply be wiped clean, you just need the correct interior cleaner, and they look like new afterward!
Leather seats are typically in a higher-end model (like the well-known Rubicon), meaning that they are more costly than cloth seats are.
Leather seats are both fantastic and awful at the same time.
And I have a love-hate relationship with them.
In the winter, they are freezing cold and I need to run the car to warm them up (make sure you get heated seats!).
In the summer, they are scorching hot (and you can’t get the glorious a/c seats in these babies) you need to run the a/c and run a cool cloth over the seats for it to be comfortable enough to drive.
The upkeep on leather is way less than what it is on cloth seats. They are easier to clean, they help increase the value of your Jeep, and they last longer than cloth seats do.
The main struggle that I have with leather seats, is that they slowly get bleached by the sun and the color fades over time.
However, this is also something that you can treat your seats which I cover in an article about cleaning your Wrangler’s interior.
How To Clean Jeep Cloth Seats
You’re going to need a few items to clean your cloth seats; a brush, vacuum cleaner, microfiber cloth, and favorite cleaner (mine is below).
Again, I really love using the Chemical Guys Total Interior Cleaner & Protectant since it is usable on everything on the inside of your Jeep and works great on both cloth and leather seats!
These are the simple steps you need to take to clean your cloth seats:
- Use your brush (or toothbrush for the really tight areas) to loosen up dirt out of the crevices of the seats.
- Use the vacuum cleaner to suck up all the dirt and grime that your brush got out of the cracks, etc of the seats.
- Wet your microfiber cloth and attempt to scrub out any stains or sticky substances on the seats. If they don’t come out with just water, proceed to step 4.
- Spray the trouble spots with your preferred cleaner and allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes. Go to step 5 for stains and step 6 for surface messes.
- For stains, press your cloth against the seat and allow the pressure and cleaner to pull the stain out of the seat.
- For surface messes (like dried ketchup) use your microfiber cloth on the sprayed area to scrub off the residue.
If you find this seat cleaning guide helpful, check out my guide to cleaning Jeep windows too!
How To Clean Jeep Leather Seats
Leather seats mostly need the same tools as cloth seats do. Make sure your micro-fiber cloths are very soft and high quality to keep your leather seats safe.
Once the leather seats have been cleaned we need to use the best leather conditioner to upkeep the high-quality look of your seats.
Do this step once every few months to keep your seats soft and maintain their luxurious look.
Next, list out the necessary steps to clean jeep leather seats:
- Use your brush (or toothbrush for the really tight areas) to loosen up dirt out of the crevices of the seats.
- Use the vacuum cleaner to suck up all the dirt and grime that your brush got out of the cracks, etc of the seats.
- Wet your microfiber cloth and attempt to scrub out any stains or sticky substances on the seats. If they don’t come out with just water, proceed to step 4.
- Spray the trouble spots with your preferred cleaner and allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes. Scrub the seat clean of any residues left on the seats.
- Once the seats are cleaned apply the leather conditioner onto the seats and allow it to rest overnight.
- After the conditioner has rested for at least 8 hours, wipe away any remaining residue
Aftercare Guide
Once your seats are cleaned after using this guide, you’re going to want to do your best to prevent your seats from getting as dirty or worn down as they were before.
Try these following tips to lower the amount of upkeep you need to do on your Jeep. And while we’re at it, here is my favorite method of cleaning roll bar covers.
- Seat Covers – From brand new, seat covers are a great investment to keep your seats whether cloth or leather from getting worn out. Or once you have gone through the cleaning process above, install seat covers to keep the maintenance on them down. Seat covers are also a great way to stylize the inside of your Jeep to fit your personality!
- No Food Rule – Stop yourself from getting fast food or snacks to eat inside the Jeep. If you are going to eat, go inside the restaurant or eat outside before you continue on your journey. How long does it take to eat that burger anyways?
- Keep The Doors On – While going mudding is a ton of fun with the top and doors off, it is also a ton of work to keep the Jeep clean. Keep your doors and roof on to limit the amount of mud and dirt that needs to be cleaned to where your feet go and the outside of your Jeep!
- Vacuum Regularly – Clean out the rocks and (I know we said no more food going forward!) food crumbs on a consistent basis to prevent them from building up and harming your seats. Rocks and the metal tabs on your pants are your leather seats’ worse nemesis!
Leather Conditioner – Use the Leather Honey Leather Conditioner to upkeep your seat’s soft and supple texture and maintain its original color. While we can do our best to keep the seats clean, leather is prone to fading in the sun and leather conditioner helps maintain it. Only use it every 3-4 months for upkeep!
Final Say
Cleaning your seats will seem simple now that you have gone through this guide. We spend a lot of time in the seats of our Jeeps and they deserve to be taken care of.
Make sure to check out the Chemical Guys cleaner and if you have leather seats in your Jeep, make sure to use the Leather Honey Leather Conditioner. These two products are all you need to upkeep your cloth and leather seats!
Want To Learn About The Latest Jeep Tips & Tricks?
If you enjoyed this read, then be sure to check out my other articles. I have a lot of Jeep informational content to choose from. It’s time to take your Jeep knowledge to the next level, huh!?
