208 Clea ning and protec tio n
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nat ure of the types of
l eather that Audi uses and their unique prop
erties (such as sensitivity to oils, grease, soi l
ing, etc.), you will need to be somewhat care
fu l w ith these leathers, and a certain type of
care is required. For examp le, dark clothing
materials can d iscolor leather seats (especial
ly if such cloth ing is damp and was not dyed
correctly). Dust and dirt part icles in pores,
folds, and seams can have an ab ras ive effect
and can damage the leather surface as well as
weaken seams.
The leather should be cleaned regularly as
needed. After having been used for a re latively
long t ime, your leather sea ts will acquire a
rich aged finish. This is a characteristic of nat
ura l leather and a sign of true quality .
I n order to maintain the va lue of th is natura l
p rod uct over the life of your vehicle, you
should follow the recommendations below :
(D Note
-To keep you r leather from bleaching out,
do not a llow it to be exposed to bright
sunl ight for long periods of time. If you
have to leave the vehicle parked o utside
for long periods, cover the leather to
protect it from d irect exposure to sun
li ght.
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on be lts can
leave permanent scratches or scrape
marks on the surface of the leather.
- After each time you clean the leather and
at regu lar intervals, use a leather preser
vat ive creme that conta ins UV-blockers
and that works into the leather. This
creme wi ll nourish and moistur ize the
l eather, helping it to b reathe and stay
supple.
It also helps to bu ild up a protec
tive coat ing on the s urface.
- Clean the leather every 2 -3 months,
and clean any areas that get soiled. - Remove fresh marks made by ballpoint
pens, ink, lipstick, shoe polish, etc. as
soon as poss ible.
- Preserve the color of the leather as need
ed by using a specia l co lored leather care
creme to touch up areas of uneven color.
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
Applies to vehicles: with natural leather
Natural lea ther requires special care and a t
tention .
Normal cl ean ing
.. Clean soiled areas with a slightly moistened
cotton or woolen cloth .
More stubborn dirt
.. More s tubbor n dirt ca n be removed using a
cloth saturated with a mild soap solut ion (2
tablespoons mild liquid soap).
.. Never allow the soap solution to saturate
the leath er, and make certain that no water
soak s into the seam s.
.. Wipe off the soap solution with a soft, dry
cloth .
Cleanin g spot s
.. Remove fresh wate r-b as ed spots (such as
coffee, tea, juices, blood) with an absorbent
cloth or paper towel.
.. Remove fresh
grease or oil -b ased spots
(such as butter, mayonnaise, chocolate) with
an absorbent cloth or paper towel, or use
the cleaner from the leather care kit if the
spot has no t yet penetrated into the surface
of the leathe r .
.. Use an oil/grease d issolving spray, if
o il/
grea se sp ots ha ve d ried on.
.. Remove specific kinds of spots (ballpoint
pen, fe lt marker, fingerna il polish, water
based pa int, shoe polish, etc.) with a spot
remover specifically formulated for lea ther.
L e athe r care
.. Every half year use an approved leather care
product (available from your Audi dealer) to
care for the leather . .,.
