How To Stop Sliding On Leather Car Seats? (Explained)

Leather seats make your car’s interior look very luxurious. It doesn’t matter what color you go with. As long it’s pure leather, you are assured of better aesthetics than plastic or fabric.

As great as leather car seats are, they do have some drawbacks. One of the downsides of leather car seats is that they tend to slide when you sit on them.

This slipperiness of leather seats can be quite uncomfortable for drivers and passengers, especially if you are going for a long trip. If you are tired of sliding on leather seats, this article will address some measures you can take to prevent this slipperiness.

What Makes Leather Car Seats Slippery?

Before we can tell you how to deal with the slipperiness of leather car seats, we must first identify the culprit behind your woes. The main reason leather becomes slippery is when you apply a slippery polish, especially those that contain silicone.

Many car owners with leather interiors go to extreme measures to protect the look and feel of the leather. However, while doing that, you could be introducing more problems to your seats.

These days, there are many silicone-based leather polishes on the market. Most of these polishes are cheap and promise to rejuvenate your car’s leather trim.

When you spray these polishes, they give your leather a deep shiny finish. However, they leave the surfaces very slippery.

If your leather car seats are slippery, there is a huge chance that the leather was treated with silicone polish. It would help if you got rid of the silicone polish by rubbing the car seats with a clean rag dabbed with some soapy water.

Stick to Leather Cleaners and Conditioners to Prevent Sliding

Car owners who use recommended leather cleaners and conditioners rarely deal with sliding or slipperiness. A leather interior requires a lot of care and maintenance.

Using specific leather cleaners and conditioners doesn’t just prolong the life of the leather. It also ensures there is minimal sliding. Some brands that make quality leather cleaners and conditioners include Mothers, Lexol, and Chemical Guys.

When using these cleaners and conditioners, be very careful and follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer for better results.

After applying the conditioner, it’s always a good idea to wipe off excess conditioner. That will ensure the surface is non-slip.

If the Problem Persists, Install Non-Slip Covers

When buying a car, most dealers give you the option to choose the interior trim. If you are fascinated by leather trim, then you should expect the surface of the seats to be slippery.

The slippery issue of leather is often a dilemma to many. The reason for that is that the products used to moisturize and protect leather are the ones that cause it to be slippery.

The leather will dry and crack if you decide to stop using these products. Also, if you keep using them, you will have to deal with sliding. What options do you have?

After engaging in a lot of research, we have concluded that installing non-slip seat covers is the best method of dealing with the sliding of leather.

The thing about leather is that it will always be slippery no matter what you do. Unless you neglect it completely. The best solution for this slippery issue is to install non-slip seat covers.

The benefit of non-slip covers is that they are much firmer and hold you firmly on the seat, irrespective of the material you are wearing. These covers are also removable.

Therefore, if you want to admire the leather seats, you have to remove the cover. There are many non-slip covers in the market these days. Therefore, it shouldn’t be hard for you to narrow down your choices.

Wearing Seat Belts Can Also Prevent Sliding on Leather Seats

You shouldn’t be driving without fastening seat belts. That is quite risky. At the same time, seat belts also hold you in place; therefore, you will experience minimal sliding on leather seats.

In modern cars, the safety belts are designed to hold your entire body firmly on the seat. Therefore, no matter how slippery the seat gets, you will always be stuck firmly on your seat. If you have leather seats, make a habit of driving with your seat belts on.

How to Remove Silicone from Leather Seats?

Silicone polish is the leading cause of slippery leather. If you have figured out that your leather seats contain silicone, the best method of dealing with sliding is to remove it.

If you were dealing with another material, you could look for the strongest cleaner and spray it on the seats. But it’s leather we are dealing with here, and it isn’t very easy. One wrong move and you can damage the leather permanently.

If you want to safely remove silicone polish from leather, we advise you to use regular car wash shampoo, a soft cloth, or a special leather cleaner.

These options may not be as strong as alcohol or other harsh cleaners, but they are 100% safe. You may need to use a lot of elbow grease, but it will be worth the effort when your seats are no longer slippery.

A Non-Slip Mat Can Be a Quick Fix for Sliding Leather Seats

There are many DIY methods of dealing with sliding on a leather seat. One of the best remedies is a non-slip mat. You may have seen them in some cars.

These are mats designed to be placed on the bottom of the seat where most of the sliding takes place. These mats are an excellent option because they still allow you to retain the leather seats in your car without covering them.

What a non-slip mat does is that it grips itself to the leather and prevents sliding. Some people may find the surface of the sliding mat uncomfortable to sit on for long trips. Also, extensive use of these non-slip mats can damage the leather beneath.

How Do I Prevent Booster Seats from Sliding on Leather?

Your body isn’t the only thing that can slide from a leather seat. If you have a child and bought them a booster seat so that the belt can fit them right, there is a good chance that it may also slide off the seat.

For those who are familiar with booster seats. These don’t usually have a harness like baby car seats. Therefore, it can be pretty dangerous when the booster seat slides off while driving.

There are many DIY hacks to ensure a booster seat remains firm on leather instead of sliding off. Some people place towels below the booster seat.

That prevents sliding. In this scenario, you can also use non-slip mats. Placing a non-slip mat at the bottom would prevent the booster seat from sliding off.

As you can see from the above, non-slip mats come in very handy when dealing with sliding leather car seats. You have to be very careful when choosing a non-slip mat.

Some are known to damage leather as they rub on the surface. Make sure that you choose something effective but gentle on leather.

Is Sliding Common in All Cars that Have a Leather Trim?

The funny thing about slippery leather complaints is that they only affect some people and not everyone. That may leave you wondering, is the leather used in cars different?

Not really. If the leather on your car is sliding, then there is something that either you, the previous owner or the dealer may have used on the material. In most cases, silicone polish is to blame.

This is why you are sliding from your leather seats. Therefore, this isn’t a problem that affects all cars. It is only rampant in cars whose leather trim has been conditioned by a silicone polish and not the recommended natural waxes.

If your leather seats are slipping, you can clean the polish and apply a conditioner. Alternatively, you can invest in an anti-slip mat.

Is My Attire the Reason Why I am Sliding on Leather Seats?

When you run into a problem, it’s normal to explore all causes. You may think that your clothing is the problem. But that’s not true.

When making leather seats, manufacturers didn’t intend that car owners would stick to a certain dress code. Therefore, your soft khaki trousers or silk dress isn’t why you are sliding on the leather seats. The main culprit is the product being used.

Are Slippery Leather Seats Dangerous?

Driving with slippery leather seats is dangerous, especially if you are not wearing seat belts. As a driver, you can easily slip from your seat and hurt yourself with the steering wheel.

You may also accidentally step on the brake or gas pedals, causing an accident. For the passengers, slippery leather seats can be risky when the driver steps on emergency brakes.

Considering how risky leather seats are, you should deal with this issue as soon as possible. Besides being dangerous, slippery seats can also be uncomfortable. That’s because you will have to adjust yourself every time.