Subaru Forester: Leather seat materials - Cleaning the interior - Appearance care - Subaru Forester Owner's ManualSubaru Forester: Leather seat materials

The leather used by SUBARU is a high quality natural product which will retain its distinctive appearance and feel for many years with proper care.

Allowing dust or road dirt to build up on the surface can cause the material to become brittle and to wear prematurely. Regular cleaning with a soft, moist, natural fiber cloth should be performed monthly, taking care not to soak the leather or allow water to penetrate the stitched seams.

A mild detergent suitable for cleaning woolen fabrics may be used to remove difficult dirt spots, rubbing with a soft, dry cloth afterwards to restore the luster. If your SUBARU is to be parked for a long time in bright sunlight, it is recommended that the seats and headrests be covered, or the windows shaded, to prevent fading or shrinkage.

Minor surface blemishes or bald patches may be treated with a commercial leather spray lacquer. You will discover that each leather seat section will develop soft folds or wrinkles, which is characteristic of genuine leather.

    Seat fabric
    Remove loose dirt, dust or debris with a vacuum cleaner. If the dirt is caked on the fabric or hard to remove with a vacuum cleaner, use a soft brush then vacuum it. Wipe the fabric surface wit ...

    Synthetic leather upholstery
    The synthetic leather material used on the SUBARU may be cleaned using mild soap or detergent and water, after first vacuuming or brushing away loose dirt. Allow the soap to soak in for a few ...

    See also:

    Child safety
    - Never hold a child on your lap or in your arms while the vehicle is moving. The passenger cannot protect the child from injury in a collision, because the child will be caught between ...

    Washing by hand
    Carefully remove all deposits of road salt as soon as possible when driving in winter. Also, clean the insides of the wheels when washing the underbody of the vehicle. Do not use hot water and ...

    Running out of fuel
    If you have run out of fuel and need to refill the vehicle with a portable fuel container, see Running out of fuel in the Maintenance and Specifications chapter for proper fuel filling method using ...