Caring for the Leather Steering Wheel

[TampaBear67]

Use Lexol Leather Cleaner and Conditioner. Cleaning it at least every 3-6 months will keep it getting shiny from the dirt caused by your hands. Then apply the conditioner right after. Leather should have a creamy matte look to it. The conditioner will soften and preserve the leather. Do the same for anything leather in the car. Using both will keep the interior looking like it just came off the showroom.

(I don't have anything leather besides Alcantara in my Boss 302, but the leather interior in my 2012 CR-V is still flawless after 2 years.)

What He Said ^^^ Lexol makes a Great Product and keeps the leather Clean and Ph Balanced which keeps it Soft, Supple, and Flexible. I have used it and am Completely Satisfied with the results.

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[oldlugs]

Or you just let it wear naturally and not worry about it. Like wrinkles on a face giving it character.

Best answer. - Just let it wear.

Try washing your hands more often... If it wears too ugly for you, just buy another wheel in a few years. Steering wheels will be easy to come by. This is only a Mustang, not a super costly exotic that nobody else has.

 

[oldlugs]

slightly off topic - don't shoot

...I've got a tin of Brooks Profide that I use on my bicycle saddles (leather also makes an excellent material for that, I have 5 or 6 leather saddles on various bikes). That would a good conditioner and protector for steering wheel wrap as well....

Please forgive me for being a bit off topic, but Proofide is great stuff; probably one of the best.
Other good leather conditioners/preservatives that I've used are "Ko-Cho-Line" and lately, "Jay-El" (beeswax based). All will discolor/darken leather (and Jay-El really doesn't smell too good). Any decent feed & tack, or horse saddle supply will have leather conditioners.
Nice to hear of another bike guy who still rides leather; got over a dozen Brooks and IDEALE saddles here, on road & touring lightweights from '50s - '80s. Unless completely inappropriate, every bike build gets either a period B-17 Standard, or a Pro.

 

[1cobra]

service warning

Hi,
Happened to another car I had- when you take It in for service, even an oil change, make sure the guy doing it does not wear a belt buckle. If he does then he will scrape the leather as he slides in and leave a 1 or 2" sideways mark on the lower portion of the wheel. Now try and get the dealer to replace your steering wheel, you have to prove it wasn't like that.
Perry.:thumbdown:

 

[SVTFreak]

Kali leather life. Made in Louisiana. The absolute, hands down, best leather care stuff ever made. It replenishes natural oils and keeps it soft as supple. Ever since I found it, it's all I use on all my leather stuff. My cars seats and wheel look like the day I bought it.

The trick is to saturate it first. When you but a new car, liberally apply twice on first day. Then once again a few days later. You'll see it soak in. As it's soaking in slows (oils being replenished) you can increase time. After a month you can do it once every couple weeks. Or longer if not a heavily used car.

Stuff is magic in a bottle for leather.

I get it at saddle supply store here. Maybe you can find online?



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[TWilliams]

Kali leather life. Made in Louisiana. The absolute, hands down, best leather care stuff ever made. It replenishes natural oils and keeps it soft as supple. Ever since I found it, it's all I use on all my leather stuff. My cars seats and wheel look like the day I bought it.

The trick is to saturate it first. When you but a new car, liberally apply twice on first day. Then once again a few days later. You'll see it soak in. As it's soaking in slows (oils being replenished) you can increase time. After a month you can do it once every couple weeks. Or longer if not a heavily used car.

Stuff is magic in a bottle for leather.

I get it at saddle supply store here. Maybe you can find online?



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Looks like it is available from Amazon, though the product seems to be called Leather Afterlife. Is that the same stuff?

 

[EXP Jawa]

Nice to hear of another bike guy who still rides leather; got over a dozen Brooks and IDEALE saddles here, on road & touring lightweights from '50s - '80s. Unless completely inappropriate, every bike build gets either a period B-17 Standard, or a Pro.

Sorry about OT, but yeah, agreed. I have B-17/Flyer saddles on all three of my Surlys, plus on my old Raleigh, as well as two others. Seems to me that once you find a saddle that fits, they're worth every penny...

 

[SVTFreak]

Looks like it is available from Amazon, though the product seems to be called Leather Afterlife. Is that the same stuff?

No that's not it.

Here it is on eBay.
http://m.ebay.com/itm/Kali-Leather-...ioner-Leather-Vinyl-18OZ-Bottle-/290941272663



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[souprmage]

My wife's car has leather seats, and they've never been cleaned to this point. I rarely drive the car, and she's not that interested in car care. She likes to pay for swirl marks.

The good thing in all this is that it lets me practice with my new PC and cleaning kit.

I decided to put Lexol to the test, and the results were very nice. Since they'd never been cleaned, the seat bottoms needed lots of work, but I took my time and tried to be gentle.

Only a couple spots had the finish coming off, which isn't bad really, considering the lack of care. Once the conditioner was applied, the seats were very close to original condition.

I trust if I take care of mine a bit more frequently than once every 5 years, I'll have even better results. Although, the Kali Leather Life looks pretty tempting as well.

 

[Old 5 Oh]

No wear on my 2011 leather wheel and I never use any kind of product or cleaner.

No wear on my 2007, just a little patina where I hold it. Much better than aftermarket leather covers which start to dissolve after several years.

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