Restore steering wheel leather - hoooleeeeshiet

[JWin]

I wouldn't have believed this if I didn't do it myself but using a Mr. Clean magic eraser can make your wheel leather look brand-spankin' new.

Original thread: http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=681976

I have a couple crap pictures but the ones in that thread tell the tale.

You're welcome, everyone.

[cfmistry]

It looks great!! I'm still hesitant to use it though due to it's abrasive properties - don't you think a good leather cleaner and conditioner would've provided the same results?

The problem with my steering wheel is that it has worn to the point that it is smooth where one normally places their hands. I don't think there's anything Mr. Clean can for that.

Also, would love to see pictures of your wheel. That car has a relatively new wheel that's heavily soiled, I'm not surprised with the outcome. I'd rather see how a 10+ yr old wheel stands up to it!

[JWin]

It looks great!! I'm still hesitant to use it though due to it's abrasive properties - don't you think a good leather cleaner and conditioner would've provided the same results?

The problem with my steering wheel is that it has worn to the point that it is smooth where one normally places their hands. I don't think there's anything Mr. Clean can for that.

Also, would love to see pictures of your wheel. That car has a relatively new wheel that's heavily soiled, I'm not surprised with the outcome. I'd rather see how a 10+ yr old wheel stands up to it!

I've done the hot water + leatherique and while that is decent for maintenance it doesn't quite get the oily sheen out. And yeah, if the leather is smoothed out I'm not sure you will recover any grain.

Regarding the age of the wheel - I snagged one on eBay from a part out that I would guess has ~50k miles of wear. The one in my car also has 50k miles of wear and is in basically the same condition as this one arrived. Handling likely impacts the condition more than age.

I was going to resize these to be less annoying but you can really tell the difference in the first one (the top of the wheel as the "after"):

[cfmistry]

Thanks for the pics! I'm having a hard time deciding if I want to do this to my wheel. I'm sure it will get dirt out that I haven't been able to thus far but I don't like the thought of taking off the surface of the leather, only for the wheel to become shiny again in a few weeks. Mine also has 55k miles but as you stated, the handling of it is more important and it appears the past owner of my car were holding on for dear life!

[JWin]

Thanks for the pics! I'm having a hard time deciding if I want to do this to my wheel. I'm sure it will get dirt out that I haven't been able to thus far but I don't like the thought of taking off the surface of the leather, only for the wheel to become shiny again in a few weeks. Mine also has 55k miles but as you stated, the handling of it is more important and it appears the past owner of my car were holding on for dear life!

I think my post-restoration plan will be monthly HOT water wipe down (like boiling), then scrub down with Leatherique Pristine Clean and dry. That seemed to clean up superficial contaminants well when I did it in the past.

As an aside, I bought this to use as a core to get a fresh leather wrap. So, I didn't stand to lose anything. But the results really speak for themselves.

[Z3X2]

Proceed with caution. I also bought a used wheel off e-bay and it had a spot of wear that the magic eraser made much worse because it removed the worn leather. It did not surprise me when this happened as it looked like the seller had put shoe polish on it to make it look better for the sale. Just a warning the wheel needs to be wrapped now.

[Lee22]

i have also used the "magic eraser" and you should be especially cautious when using it. DO NOT apply much pressure when cleaning the leather, tread lightly.

[amancuso]

Super hot water wipe downs works just as good without the danger of magic eraser damage.

[JWin]

Hot water doesn't remove that greasy sheen the wheels get if you have oily skin. And, yah, do a little at a time carefully and clean the area completely to get a grasp of what's happening.

[Itsablurr]

I'd stay away from both magic eraser and woolite, as they both have abrasive properties. A quality leather cleaner followed by conditioner only.

[JWin]

I'd stay away from both magic eraser and woolite, as they both have abrasive properties. A quality leather cleaner followed by conditioner only.

Word. The abrasive quality is what removes that top tiny layer of shit. Trust me, I've used multiple leather cleaners (finally settling on Leatherique) and none of them remove the shiny.

I don't know how else to communicate precisely what is happening and what isn't happening with this, so I guess I'm done. I mean, the photos say what I seem to not be able to communicate.

[Itsablurr]

To get that last bit of grit try using the type of soft bristle brush for cleaning leather. If that doesn't get it, then it is the leather itself that is shiny from wearing. The pics do look nice and matte, but the concern is over the long term from repeated treatments. I used to use woolite annually or twice annually on previous cars, but saw deterioration in others wheels that did the same. As recommended by Detailers Domain, the current M3 has been done with just cleaner, a brush, and conditioner for 107k, and looks great with an even oe finish to the hide (seats too).


That guy over on E46f must have had the grossest hand funk on the planet, yowza

[Kram71]

Hey guys I always loved the Z3M roaster steering wheel but my airbag cover would get to be that dull matted color. I hated that because it made the car look old. I tried a few of the solutions I found online including the hot water but they were just temporary. I was going to try some of that Gummi Pledge but the latest results of that stuff sounded mixed. Around a month ago I was conditioning my leather seats with some stuff I had in my garage that had to be around 15 years old. I figured why not try it on the airbag cover. It worked great and it has not dulled at all in over a month. I just thought I would share the news with you guys. Here is a picture of the stuff I used.

http://www.autotriti.gr/jpg/autoacce...roduct/501.jpg

[BimmerBreaker]

Old thread but +1 to JWin, mr clean magic eraser works wonders on these steering wheels. It is very very mildly abrasive, not enough to damage the leather, just enough to open the pores, exfoliate the leather a bit, get out the years of caked on gunk. When done, run water over the steering wheel, dry off then apply leather conditioner. Easy.