How to Remove Scratches from a Leather Dashboard?

Unlike plastic, vinyl or automotive paint damage, removing automotive scratches from a leather dashboard presents a unique set of challenges. If you're lucky, a scratch is more like a surface wear mark and a quick wipe down with a microfiber towel and automotive leather restoration wax or spray is sufficient. However, if the scratch is deeper than the surface depth, basic leather restoration techniques fail and are replaced by more extreme measures.

In the past, owners were forced to rely on fussy patches and heating tools to hide damage done to leather dashboards, half of which performed poorly, if at all. Fortunately, we've redesigned the way we repair leather or faux leather. Forgoing heating elements altogether and offering more color options, these modern repair marvels make leather dashboard repair easier than ever.

When you have scratches on your car's dashboard, you need something that can remove them quickly without damaging the vinyl surface. Since you're cleaning an area of your vehicle's interior, you also need to stay away from powerful chemical cleaners with odors and harmful vapors because you'll be in this confined area for a while. Fortunately, there are techniques to quickly remove wear and tear without using chemicals and without damaging the vinyl.

1. Color Matching and Testing

Since car dashboards come in much more than black and gray, leather repair kits offer an equally diverse range of color matching options. Simply follow the instructions in the color mixing guide and mix your choice with the filler putty provided. Once you have created a color that resembles your car's dashboard, apply a small amount to an inconspicuous area of the car. The bottom of the glove box or lower part of the door panel is usually a safe place, just be sure to shine a flashlight on it after the test area has dried to ensure you get the correct color match.

2. Clean the area to be repaired

Wipe down the area you want to repair with topical alcohol or an automotive approved leather cleaning product and remove any visible debris or dirt. In a parallel motion to the dashboard, carefully cut away any rough edges around the scratch with a razor blade or precision knife.

3. Apply and fill

Using the included putty knife or applicator tube, lightly apply the compound filler to the damaged surface area and fill in the scratches. Deep chiseling may require you to insert a support pad, depending on the width and depth of the chisel, which may or may not be possible. If the pad can be pushed into the scratch using the tool provided, you will find it much easier to build up a layer of filler compound. After filling, you can use a paintbrush to apply the outer layer of excess filler around it to make the surface look even, then do some quick cleanup with a paper towel.

4. Let it dry

Although the drying time varies depending on the temperature and the amount of putty filler used, you must follow the recommended drying time and not rush to the next step. If you are in a hurry, you can use a hair dryer or heat gun on a low setting, as long as you do not overheat the filler compound.

5. Smooth the edges

Once dry, remove the swab and some topical alcohol and wipe the repair area in a circular motion to smooth the edges. This mixing part of the process is critical to getting a matching finish, so take your time and always look at the putty repair area before starting this step. If it looks like another layer of filler is needed beforehand, now is the time to repeat steps 3 and 4.

6. Protection

With the torn leather dashboard repair complete, we now turn to protection. While applying a coat of leather wax to the interior of your vehicle is the most obvious choice, it is not always the best option. Choosing to cover your car's dashboard with a ceramic coating will not only help make the dashboard look brand new, but it will also protect it from scratches and future mishaps.