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Steering wheel detailing

6K views 23 replies 16 participants last post by  tyusaf 
#1 ·
What products do you recommend for 2015 m sport steering wheel? Starting to get a bit shiny in places. I currently use Dr Leather wipes on it now and again. Should I be using a conditioner or other product. Id like to return the matt look and soft feel when it was new.
 
#4 ·
BMW steering wheels are notoriously bad. Mine went shiney after 6 months so I got it covered in alcantara.

My wife has a merc that's nearly 3 years old and the steering wheel looks like brand new.

BMW using cheap leather.
 
#5 ·
I use Auto Finesse leather cleaner sprayed on a microfiber and wipe round the wheel then flip the mf over and wipe any excess off.

I do this every time I do the interior and it seems to do the trick.
 
#7 ·
Jiggaman said:
I use Auto Finesse leather cleaner sprayed on a microfiber and wipe round the wheel then flip the mf over and wipe any excess off.

I do this every time I do the interior and it seems to do the trick.
I guess this stops it going shiny rather than bring it back? I'll give that a try too.
Thanks for the advice chaps.

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#8 ·
#9 ·
That's a good link. I wonder if you can get the lacquer on its own?
It did give me an idea though...
I've always used Renapur on my leather bike gear and it's brilliant. I'll try it on the steering wheel and report back (if I can find it: one pot lasts a life time!)

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#10 ·
To bring it back to a matte finish I've found that a few squirts of CIF (or any other cream cleaner!) in as hot as you can handle water works wonders with a microfibre cloth.

Baby wipes are also really good for maintaining a matte look.
 
#11 ·
MyMlight said:
That's a good link. I wonder if you can get the lacquer on its own?
It did give me an idea though...
I've always used Renapur on my leather bike gear and it's brilliant. I'll try it on the steering wheel and report back (if I can find it: one pot lasts a life time!)

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They seem to sell the Matt finish lacquer on its own for £8.99
 
#12 ·
MyMlight said:
nivens said:
Try making up some soapy water with a liquid hand soap if Dr Leather isn't working.
Really? Sounds too cheap to be true!
I'll give it a go...
Totally true. Since the leather on our steering wheels is coated all it really takes is warm water and a mild detergent to clean in most cases. This page goes into a little more detail: If it's really dirty/oily an APC like Megs D101 can sometimes work.
 
#15 ·
dark_cobra said:
MyMlight said:
That's a good link. I wonder if you can get the lacquer on its own?
It did give me an idea though...
I've always used Renapur on my leather bike gear and it's brilliant. I'll try it on the steering wheel and report back (if I can find it: one pot lasts a life time!)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
They seem to sell the Matt finish lacquer on its own for £8.99
Just an update about using Renapur...
It does look better but the finish is more silk than matt but not gloss. So half way there!

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#18 ·
A trick I use, is heat the leather by wrapping it in damp microfiber cloths that have been soaked in warm water. Make sure you drain off the excess water as you want to open the pores and not soak them. Then use a weak, good quality leather cleaner to lightly clean off any contaminant. Once cleaned and dried, apply a good quality leather feed and allow it to soak in before taking off the excess with a clean microfiber. The trick is not the aggressively scrub the leather as it will eventually remove the dye. removing the oily contaminant caused by your hands will help reduce the "shine"
 
#20 ·
Rbarlow59877 said:
A trick I use, is heat the leather by wrapping it in damp microfiber cloths that have been soaked in warm water. Make sure you drain off the excess water as you want to open the pores and not soak them. Then use a weak, good quality leather cleaner to lightly clean off any contaminant. Once cleaned and dried, apply a good quality leather feed and allow it to soak in before taking off the excess with a clean microfiber. The trick is not the aggressively scrub the leather as it will eventually remove the dye. removing the oily contaminant caused by your hands will help reduce the "shine"
Good advice, this.
 
#22 ·
Little and often gentle cleaning is key.

The shine is just compacted dirt/grease with a smooth surface = glossy look.

But rub too hard and you damage the leather. I'd say let the cleaners do the work and use almost no pressure.

Trying to get one back to new in one pass is hard work.

Better to just use the tips here and work at it little and often until it's back to new looking.
 
#24 ·
dark_cobra said:
I've heard this is the last thing you want to do. Those things are abrasive. Removes the surface of the leather.
Yes, only use a magic sponge as a last resort if you've resigned yourself to getting a new steering wheel. It's basically sandpaper. Will take the top coating off anything it's used on (leather/plastic etc)

Lots of YouTube Detailers use a magic sponge on leather because they are about getting paid quickly, not about making the leather last as long as possible.
 
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