Finished leather (urethane) hardening

Diagram by Advanced Solutions

Nearly all automotive urathane finished leather surfaces are treated with special chemicals that provide resistance to abrasion, scratching and marring, increasing their durability and providing protection from weathering.

However overtime, given the typical environment of a vehicles interior, which can be extremely demanding on any material used. Temperatures range from hot dry summer days, to freezing nights. Both high and low humidity, even air conditioning that cools, but also dries. Leather's greatest enemies are; sun, heat, body oils, perspiration (that contains urea as well as organic salts and acids) and body heat, which causes acids to become more aggressive and alters the viscosity of oils, allowing them to permeate the leathers urathane finish.

Ultra violet radiation (UV), which dries the urathane , fades the colour by bleaching, and can cause the fiish to fail by drying out the fibres causing the urethane and / or the hide to harden and / or crack.

Fairly new upholstery can be softened with Leather Master Vital, however as time passes renovation becomes more difficult, and replacement is the only solution.

As an alternate- clean surfaces using Iz einszett 'Plastik-Reiniger' an intensive, non-corrosive, non-acidic two-phase deep cleaner for urethane covered upholstery and vinyl trim, that removes grime build-up thoroughly and effortlessly, these chemicals restore the original texture, tactile feel and resiliency; use to clean all coloured and clear water-based acrylic polyurethane covered automotive upholstery and vinyl; this product is biodegradable and formalin-free


Then apply Iz einszett Leather Cleaner (Lederpflege) as it’s formulated with natural waxes and conditioners which moisturize the surface to prevent hardening or cracking and will maintain the original matte finish


Urethane Surface Cracks
As the urathane  loses moisture, it begins to shrink and stiffen. This leaves a miniscule gap (delamination) between the leather hide and the pigmented (colour) urethane coating on top of it. The urethane coating is no longer supported by the hide; without proper support, it starts to crack.