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clean a steering wheel

1jjpop

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Nov 24, 2009
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Central Iowa
On my 2003 Ford F-150 , it has a leather type covering on the steering wheel , I have tried some cleaners, but don't clean it off. It is a black dirt you can scrape it off with your finger nail but won't wash off. What do you use to clean it ??
 
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Chaz

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Oddly, I've had good luck with Windex and a terry cloth. ... It still takes a bit of elbow grease though.
 

gpalmer77

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Mokena IL
Simple Green and an old towel. Gets the grunge out of seat belts, too.

No, no, no to Simple Green on the seatbelts..... too aggressive for that. Use something way milder, like a mild laundry detergent. Yikes.

+1 for baby wipes, but I typically use the mild laundry detergent approach on interior fabrics, even leather if it is very dirty.
 

OctoMan

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Newport News, VA
Mequires makes a leather cleaner. I used it on my Corvette interior and leather wrapped wheel. I used a stiff bristle brush to remove the dirt then applied leather conditioner which helped alot. The conditoner protected the wheel from the UV rays and also made it soft and kept it from cracking.
 

Eslader

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Meguiars leather cleaner is good stuff. If that doesn't work, Leatherique makes an even better product, but it's not cheap.
 

RKA

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I would try a steamer if you have access to one. The problem with leather cleaners is they may not break up the caked on stuff you describe. In fact they might break it up only enough to be thoroughly rubbed into the leather as you're fussing to get it off. The more aggressive stuff like simply green might be more effective on the dirt but may not be kind to the leather. Steam cleaners (the kind that pump out a dry steam) are pretty good at breaking up dirt without being harsh on the leather. Just don't saturate the leather. And if you introduce a cleaner into the mix, dilute it to 1/4 or 1/10 what you would normally use. You need very little of the stuff in the presence of steam (heat).
 

Kevin54

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I had to clean the steering wheel on my Cub compact utility tractor. It was grunged up really bad. I took some shop towels, wrapped them around the steering wheel, then soaked them with 409 cleaner and just let it soak for quite a while. The towels kept it from evaporating and running off. After about 30 minutes, I went out and wiped it all off and clean as a whistle.
 
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Jsf721

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LI, NY
I had used Leather Masters Strong Cleaner followed by the conditioner and protector.
 

gpalmer77

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Meguiars leather cleaner is good stuff. If that doesn't work, Leatherique makes an even better product, but it's not cheap.

+1 on Leatherique.

+1 on it being a little expensive!

Also works "backwards" to how most people think a two stage cleaner should. You condition with the rejuvenator first, which helps drive the dirt out of the leather, then use the cleaner/maintainer to remove the dirt.
 

Eslader

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+1 on Leatherique.

+1 on it being a little expensive!

Also works "backwards" to how most people think a two stage cleaner should. You condition with the rejuvenator first, which helps drive the dirt out of the leather, then use the cleaner/maintainer to remove the dirt.

Yep. And do it on a hot day. The hotter the better. I like to wait till it's at least 90 out, then park the car in the sun with all the windows closed to let it really heat up in there.
 

kellymc

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Mr. Clean magic eraser - try it on a small area first, sometimes it reacts with the surface material or coating. If not, these are the best things to remove caked on dirt on textured surfaces
 

James E

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Leatherique is great but very expensive. If the steering wheel is the only leather you will ever clean, don't even consider buying it. If you have leather upholstery, or furniture in your house or even leather clothing, it's worth buying.

Magic Eraser is too rough for leather, IMO. My mother in law took the clear coat off of her Accord in several spots using a Magic Eraser. They're much more abrasive than they look or feel to the touch.

Simple Green will eat the leather up. It'll clean it, but in a few months, the leather cover of the steering wheel will be peeling off.

So, if you don't have enough leather to warrant the expense of Leatherique, I second the notion of using Meguiar's leather cleaner. Buy the yellow liquid that comes in the spray bottle or the foaming stuff, which I have found works surprisingly well. Apply it liberally, then use a SOFT (not stiff) brush to scrub any areas that don't come clean with a terry or cotton cloth that you turn often. I wouldn't go any stiffer than a soft toothbrush.

Once it's clean, condition it with the milky Meguiar's leather conditioner. Steering wheels take alot of abuse, both from your hands and the sun.

FTR, I don't think Meguiar's leather cleaner is special. Probably any name-brand leather cleaner will do--Mother's, California Gold, Adams, Griot's, etc. OTOH, Leatherique IS special. If you buy it, you'll see.

HTH, James.
 

Zeke

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Be nice to leather. Harsh cleaners are a no-no. They will damage the stitching too. Many times a moist terry cloth will do it. Cleaning your windows? Use the towel on the wheel afterwards.

If it gets real bad, see above.
 

4xdog

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Santa Fe, NM
Be nice to leather. Harsh cleaners are a no-no. They will damage the stitching too. Many times a moist terry cloth will do it. Cleaning your windows? Use the towel on the wheel afterwards...

That's EXACTLY what I do.
 

rshadd

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Doylestown, PA
A wet Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works great for cleaning leather steering wheels. Using the Magic Eraser dry will damage the leather.
 
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gipraw

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Apr 25, 2013
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Cypress, TX
Sounds like the coating on the leather has broken down.

Never use simple green on the interior of a vehicle. There are literally hundreds of products that are better suited for that use than simple green. Simple green will break down the coating on the leather, and eat the stitching on seats and the seatbelts.
 

Stuart in MN

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The original post says "leather like covering", which would infer it's not leather. Assuming it's some sort of vinyl any mild household cleaner should work, you just need to use a little elbow grease.
 

andyray

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Sep 21, 2011
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Orlando
I'm a big fan of the automotive specific all purpose cleaners like Meguiars APC+. It's about 15 bucks a gallon, and you dilute it so it lasts a long time. 10/1 for interior usually, 4/1 for tougher jobs. Meguiars has tested it to be safe on leather, vinyl, paint, whatever in the right dilutions.

Other good automotive APCs I like are Chemical Guys All Clean, and Optimum Power Clean.

A lot of pro detailers use ZEP Citrus (home depot) as a substitute if they can't get an auto Apc locally or cheap enough. (Dilute 10:1 or greater for interior)

Simple green is just nasty stuff IMHO! There are vinyl cleaners, and leather cleaners out there, but I don't think those will help with caked on dirt and grime. Get a good Apc mixed up, it's a must for any garage....
 
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