Hi guys,
I thought I would have a go at cleaning my steering wheel finally as it has annoyed me since the day I bought the car. To begin with it looked more glossy than the Piano black trims in my door cards/centre console.
So I used a couple of microfiber cloths, a ValetPro detailing brush and some ValetPro Leather Soap.
What I started with: Notice the dirty stitching on the left. I actually cleaned the stitching on the middle spoke.
Quite a bit of dirt came off:
Just showing a comparison between the cleaned section on the left and the unclean section on the right:
Just worked my way up from the left side. Notice how the thumb grip on the right is very oily.
A lot cleaner and matt-looking
Compare the left spoke with the top rim:
Thought I would try a rough 50:50 on the top rim. Looks better on the left-hand section:
The greasy top-right:
Gear knob before:
Gear knob after (my phone makes it look a bit glossy still):
Finished off the rest of it today, using a warm tea towel in a bid to try an open the pores a little. Just a reminder of the right thumb grip:
Before:
After:
Then gave a coat of Gliptone leather conditioner (adds a bit of sheen but nowhere as shiny as it used to be):
Although it's not perfect ( I would like it look more matt and be softer), it is a big improvement nonetheless. I do feel that the leather has worn a little. The hot tea towel worked briefly but I think the water helped cool the leather surface down again quickly, so it wasn't as effective. Perhaps a slightly better technique would make more difference. I think I will try it again in warmer weather or perhaps use a steam cleaner, to try and keep the leather warmer and the pores open for longer, so that I can get more dirt out. Let me know what you guys think, the feedback is appreciated!
I thought I would have a go at cleaning my steering wheel finally as it has annoyed me since the day I bought the car. To begin with it looked more glossy than the Piano black trims in my door cards/centre console.
So I used a couple of microfiber cloths, a ValetPro detailing brush and some ValetPro Leather Soap.
What I started with: Notice the dirty stitching on the left. I actually cleaned the stitching on the middle spoke.
Quite a bit of dirt came off:
Just showing a comparison between the cleaned section on the left and the unclean section on the right:
Just worked my way up from the left side. Notice how the thumb grip on the right is very oily.
A lot cleaner and matt-looking
Compare the left spoke with the top rim:
Thought I would try a rough 50:50 on the top rim. Looks better on the left-hand section:
The greasy top-right:
Gear knob before:
Gear knob after (my phone makes it look a bit glossy still):
Finished off the rest of it today, using a warm tea towel in a bid to try an open the pores a little. Just a reminder of the right thumb grip:
Before:
After:
Then gave a coat of Gliptone leather conditioner (adds a bit of sheen but nowhere as shiny as it used to be):
Although it's not perfect ( I would like it look more matt and be softer), it is a big improvement nonetheless. I do feel that the leather has worn a little. The hot tea towel worked briefly but I think the water helped cool the leather surface down again quickly, so it wasn't as effective. Perhaps a slightly better technique would make more difference. I think I will try it again in warmer weather or perhaps use a steam cleaner, to try and keep the leather warmer and the pores open for longer, so that I can get more dirt out. Let me know what you guys think, the feedback is appreciated!
