How To Clean Gunk Off Steering Wheel

Schroeder Andiskuld · Monday, November 15, 2021

May 16th, 2018,02:09 PM #1

Registered Member

Rep Power

11

Any tips on how to clean up a leather steering wheel?

I'm fooling around with cleaning up a 1998 Ford Explorer. The leather steering wheel looks a little disgusting and feels dry and crusty to the touch.
There are no tears in the leather and it's really intact, just nasty. Any tips on how to clean it up before I slather it in leather moisturizer? I ask because I had to be VERY aggressive cleaning one of the leather seats from the vehicle and I ended up using a scrub brush on the leather surface. I wont be able to do that to the steering wheel.

2014 Mustang GT 6-Speed Manual
May 16th, 2018,03:22 PM #2

Re: Any tips on how to clean up a leather steering wheel?
May 16th, 2018,05:07 PM #3

Registered Member

Rep Power

11

Re: Any tips on how to clean up a leather steering wheel?

Originally Posted by The Guz

Thanks! That might be the ticket!

2014 Mustang GT 6-Speed Manual
May 17th, 2018,01:16 PM #4

Registered Member

Rep Power

18

Re: Any tips on how to clean up a leather steering wheel?

Most steering wheels will respond nicely to cleaning with a Magic Eraser. That's right, the Mr Clean product. Although there are many varieties out there, any should do. Just start cautiously with an all purpose cleaner, like Meg's D101. It works perfectly for body oils, make-up, grease, ect. Follow up with a leather conditioner.
May 17th, 2018,04:20 PM #5

Registered Member

Rep Power

11

Re: Any tips on how to clean up a leather steering wheel?

I ended up sitting in the driver seat, covering myself with a plastic trash bag, and spraying down the steering with 409 Lemon and aggressively scrubbed it with a plastic bristle brush. It took some work but I got YEARS of hand crust/gunk off of it.

2014 Mustang GT 6-Speed Manual
Jul 8th, 2018,09:36 PM #6

Registered Member

Rep Power

14

Re: Any tips on how to clean up a leather steering wheel?

Glocker
Steering wheels can get really filthy with body oils.
Make sure not to get cleaning fluid anywhere near controls on the steering wheel. Examples include radio controls, cruise controls etc. The fluid can drop behind the switch and cause the relay to fail. Then you will have not only the cost of the relay, yet removal of the steering wheel, removing the inflatable crash bag and reinstalling the bag correctly.

Someone recently posted about using a microfiber glove with a cleaner sprayed on it. It fits your hand to the steering wheel. You just move your hand and break down the gunk, grease and grunge.

I did my daily driver tonight. After turning several microfiber towels dark brown..... I began to wonder which wheel cleaner I should use on the steering wheels. (<==== don't do this)
Jul 9th, 2018,03:41 AM #7

Registered Member

Rep Power

11

Re: Any tips on how to clean up a leather steering wheel?

Originally Posted by Old Bear

Glocker

I did my daily driver tonight. After turning several microfiber towels dark brown..... I began to wonder which wheel cleaner I should use on the steering wheels. (<==== don't do this)

HAHAHAHA I'm sure the leather would love some wheel cleaner.
I ended up having to get VERY aggressive with the steering wheel and I used 409 and an aggressive bristle brush. The steering wheel had 20 years of hand gunk on it and it was all in the buttons for the cruise control and stereo. I ended up having to scrub those too! I went from not being able to read the buttons to actually being able to see them!

2014 Mustang GT 6-Speed Manual