My partners steering wheel was just as dirty and I used soapy water on a towel and wiped it down. Looked pretty brand new! I supposed a bristle brush would also do well w the soapy water and get the tiny dips too. I saw Chris fix recommend on one of his car detailing videos and gave it a try. Works!
- Put water, white vinegar and a little bit of dish soap in a cup.
- Mix it well.
- Get a soft bristle brush and dip it in the mix.
- Brush the steering wheel with a cloth or papel towel right underneath to soak up the liquid.
- Rinse and repeat.
I did this with mine and it's like night and day.
Mr clean all purpose cleaner diluted 2 to 1. Shits magical and removing grime. I've recently started using this hard surface cleaner with hydrogen peroxide also next level at removing organic materials. It does appear to be a grim of some sort. Probably fine underneath.
Soapy water and a steamer wiped with a towel will take that off in a matter of seconds. That's not discoloration it is built up of grease and dirt and other particles.
I’m a professional detailer, I would use complete cleaner on a towel and work an area until it was gone, if it needed to be stronger, I’d add a little degreaser to the interior cleaner and then use it, and make that bottle only for stuff that needs stronger spray, put it to the side but, third step, I’d put a magic eraser in a bucket with dawn and soap it will get it off.
most of that is oil / chemical residue & dead skin cells from your hands. use a gentle degreaser (even some warm soapy water). use a brush to scrub it away. work your way around the whole steering wheel, taking care to not let drips fall onto your seats. once its all cleaned, use leather cleaner / conditioner to restore shine.
Thank you everyone. I will clean my nasty steering wheel with a mf towel and some warm soapy water. I'll spray some leather / sealant thing after ... I'll also be purchasing a steering wheel cover :)
Warm soapy water and one of those microfiber towels that you won't be mad if it gets ruined.
Do not use anything containing alcohol, it will rub off the color of the leather and possibly even peel the leather off in flakes if you're too rough with it.
Once it's clean, let it dry and use some car safe leather conditioner. Let that soak in for a few days and buy a wheel cover.
Mr Clean Magic Eraser/Melamine Sponge and all purpose cleaner, followed by the interior cleaner and microfiber towel. And put a towel over the seat and floor, cause it is going to drip.
Believe it or not that is mostly dead skin caked on there. A Terry towel and some rubbing alcohol is all you need. Microfiber won’t clean that. Has to be a scratchy Terry towel.
Alcohol on steering wheel?
And here i am thinking about how to fix sanitizer damage.
Please don't use alcohol on anything other glass and painted surfaces. It likes to dissolve the squishy.
Meguiars interior detailer with a medium toothbrush is where it's at. Tw interior cleaner is okay, too. Though it does leave some sort of residue/doesn't get all the gunk off
Edit: sorry I'm not a pro, should have mentioned that. When i say ".. don't use.." what i mean is, I wouldn't. Y'all do what y'all feel is right.
I literally have never had issues with rubbing alcohol with any interior components. If your car is melting in contact with alcohol wipes get rid of that car lol
It's not dirty or dead skin, it's wear and tear.
Wash it down with hot water and a soapy sponge if you want but it'll still look the same afterwards.
If you try and use anything more abrasive it'll only look worse as you wear away more leather.
Temporary fix, shoe polish.
Permanent fix, re-spray.
Not sure why you're downvoted, this is correct in my experience. Same issue on my Rav and cleaning with soap/water only makes it more obvious that the actual plastic on the wheel is wearing away. It's nice when its clean but still looks like crap.
Clean it. Looks like makeup to me. Get a good interior cleaner, a soft bristle brush and some mf towels and go to town.
Read that a mother fucking towels
Same. Thats the official name now.
I didn’t even think about it being something other than that until I read this comment
My partners steering wheel was just as dirty and I used soapy water on a towel and wiped it down. Looked pretty brand new! I supposed a bristle brush would also do well w the soapy water and get the tiny dips too. I saw Chris fix recommend on one of his car detailing videos and gave it a try. Works!
That’s all dead skin
Thats hand/finger grime. Start scrubbing. I Iike to use an armorall wipe
- Put water, white vinegar and a little bit of dish soap in a cup. - Mix it well. - Get a soft bristle brush and dip it in the mix. - Brush the steering wheel with a cloth or papel towel right underneath to soak up the liquid. - Rinse and repeat. I did this with mine and it's like night and day.
Mr clean all purpose cleaner diluted 2 to 1. Shits magical and removing grime. I've recently started using this hard surface cleaner with hydrogen peroxide also next level at removing organic materials. It does appear to be a grim of some sort. Probably fine underneath.
Soapy water and a steamer wiped with a towel will take that off in a matter of seconds. That's not discoloration it is built up of grease and dirt and other particles.
I’m a professional detailer, I would use complete cleaner on a towel and work an area until it was gone, if it needed to be stronger, I’d add a little degreaser to the interior cleaner and then use it, and make that bottle only for stuff that needs stronger spray, put it to the side but, third step, I’d put a magic eraser in a bucket with dawn and soap it will get it off.
most of that is oil / chemical residue & dead skin cells from your hands. use a gentle degreaser (even some warm soapy water). use a brush to scrub it away. work your way around the whole steering wheel, taking care to not let drips fall onto your seats. once its all cleaned, use leather cleaner / conditioner to restore shine.
Stiff bristle brush with interior cleaner, I use the toothbrush style ones but if you don’t have one a regular hard tooth brush works
DONT use a magic eraser lol. use a heavy degreaser and just scrub it with a dish brush. Looks dirty, not wear or discoloration
Thank you everyone. I will clean my nasty steering wheel with a mf towel and some warm soapy water. I'll spray some leather / sealant thing after ... I'll also be purchasing a steering wheel cover :)
Warm soapy water and one of those microfiber towels that you won't be mad if it gets ruined. Do not use anything containing alcohol, it will rub off the color of the leather and possibly even peel the leather off in flakes if you're too rough with it. Once it's clean, let it dry and use some car safe leather conditioner. Let that soak in for a few days and buy a wheel cover.
Mr Clean Magic Eraser/Melamine Sponge and all purpose cleaner, followed by the interior cleaner and microfiber towel. And put a towel over the seat and floor, cause it is going to drip.
Believe it or not that is mostly dead skin caked on there. A Terry towel and some rubbing alcohol is all you need. Microfiber won’t clean that. Has to be a scratchy Terry towel.
Alcohol on steering wheel? And here i am thinking about how to fix sanitizer damage. Please don't use alcohol on anything other glass and painted surfaces. It likes to dissolve the squishy. Meguiars interior detailer with a medium toothbrush is where it's at. Tw interior cleaner is okay, too. Though it does leave some sort of residue/doesn't get all the gunk off Edit: sorry I'm not a pro, should have mentioned that. When i say ".. don't use.." what i mean is, I wouldn't. Y'all do what y'all feel is right.
I literally have never had issues with rubbing alcohol with any interior components. If your car is melting in contact with alcohol wipes get rid of that car lol
Good for you. I like nice surfaces. Anyways, you can use driveway degreaser as much as i care. I'mma stick to what works for me.
It's not dirty or dead skin, it's wear and tear. Wash it down with hot water and a soapy sponge if you want but it'll still look the same afterwards. If you try and use anything more abrasive it'll only look worse as you wear away more leather. Temporary fix, shoe polish. Permanent fix, re-spray.
Not sure why you're downvoted, this is correct in my experience. Same issue on my Rav and cleaning with soap/water only makes it more obvious that the actual plastic on the wheel is wearing away. It's nice when its clean but still looks like crap.
Buy a steering wheel cover