The E39 M5 Video Guide Blog

Some people think that cleaning and maintaining an E39’s leather seats is a difficult chore. That’s nonsense! , if you’re willing to spend a few minutes each week cleaning and moistening the seats, you can easily keep the seats looking their best. If you don’t believe me, here’s some stupid-simple tips on how to do it.

How to clean the seats:
First, remove any visible debris from the seat.
Go inside the car and remove any food wrappers, junk mail or whatever else that may be piling up on the seats (hopefully you take better care of your car than this anyway!). This makes it easier to vacuum the seats. It also keeps you motivated to finish the job!

Next, use a vacuum to remove dirt and dust.
If you have a portable vacuum, use it to remove any surface dirt that’s adhering to the seats. Always use a gentle brush-bristle attachment so you don’t scratch them. Start at the top and work down along the seat’s contours and edges. Don’t forget to vacuum where the backrest and the bottom meet. Dirt likes to hide in that area often.

Afterwards, use leather cleaner to clean any dirt and oil off of the seats’ interior surfaces.
Spray on some leather cleaner onto the seat’s exterior surface.  I love the Meguiars products.   Let the cleaner sit on the seat for a bit. Then, using a micro fiber cloth, gently scrub from top to bottom the seat’s surfaces and contours. Don’t forget to clean between the seat’s cracks—dirt and oil love to hide in there. When you are done, wipe off any visible residue.

How to moisten the leather:
Moistening the leather is a very important step because it protects the seats against cracking and fading – which is actually a fairly common issue with the leather used in the E39 M5′s. It’s also easy to do. Here’s how you do it:

First, drop a wash cloth into a bucket of warm water. Wring it out until it’s damp.

Next, apply a leather conditioner onto the surface of the washcloth.

Afterwards, rub the conditioner into the seat. Use a circular motion and allow the conditioner to work into the surface of the seat.

Finally, allow the conditioner to work for about 30 minutes. Buff the seats’ surfaces with a microfiber cloth. Let the seats “breathe” for a few hours before you sit on them.

Here’s a pair of perfect looking, well maintained seats from a 2003 e39 m5:

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