Steering wheels have an extra coating of
protective finish on the already finished or coated leather. Perspiration and
dirt are absorbed readily into the dry leather, and combined with the ultra
violet (UV-B) radiation of the sun a chemical reaction occurs that degrades the
finished leather. All of us have seen this wear on steering wheels
A finished leather steering wheel is
protected with a urethane clear top coat. UV heat will allow any dirt / grease
to become imbedded and the surface becomes more soiled the abrasive dirt / grit
produces a shine.
Using leather oil-based conditioners on
finished leather may cause delamination from the leather substrate. As the oils
will permeate the leather via the stitching or any micro-cracks in the surface,
once oil gets between the urethane and the substrate it causes loss of adhesion
(See also Oil and Oil based Products)
Most manufacturer’s advice against using
oil-based conditioners on steering wheels as it makes the surface slippery and
could be dangerous if you lose control of the vehicles steering
1. Clean
the wheel’s leather surface with a leather cleaner (Leather
Masters™ Strong Effect Cleaner) or a Limonene
(citrus) based degreaser (P21S Total Auto Wash)
diluted 5:1 with warm distilled water in a spray bottle; dependent upon type
and extent of soil or stain
2. For
oil or grease stains use Leather Masters™ Leather Degreaser (as for all cleaners - check for colour fastness) this
aerosol product is ideal for cleaning this type of stain as it dissolves the
oils and transforms them into a powder that is more absorbent than the leather.
3. This
powder is what is wiped off, cleaning and degreasing the leather. Allow the
white powder to dry fully. If the powder is drying to a yellow colour, it means
that there are still a lot of oils in the leather.
Using a Medium / hard horse hair brush (Swissvax
Brush), or a soft sponge, spray and work the
cleaner into a foam, lightly scrub surface and immediately wipe with a terry
towel to remove excess moisture, especially around stitching (you may need to
repeat this process).
4. Then
use a compressed air nozzle to dry
5. Once
wheel is thoroughly dry apply Leather Masters™ Leather Protection
Do not use an
abrasive on the surface as you’ll remove the ultra violet protective topcoat
Maintenance
– hydrate the leather surface with a damp 100%
cotton towel, occasionally use a diluted 1:10 degreaser (Leather
Masters™ Leather Degreaser) solution and distilled
water to remove any build-up of body oils from your hands
See also article “Leather Covered Steering Wheel Renovation –http://togwt1980.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/leather-steering-wheel-renovation.html
The DCT Motorsports factory - eighteen years
of experience refinishing steering wheels and developing unique aero parts for
high end vehicles.
They complete all work orders in-house
which allows them to accept a wide range of customer’s requests. Customers can
specify material colours, materials, patterns, Carbon weave, or almost any type
of finish. DCT has full control of every single step in the manufacturing
process, so they can assure the best finish quality and fulfil the work orders
with minimum lead time
Alcantara™ Covered Steering Wheel
Alcantara™ is not technically a leather
product (included it here as it’s often mistaken for suede)
Often perspiration / body oils will
cause the nap to become flattened, in most cases it can be revived simply by
cleaning with the correct chemicals (Leather Master™ Foam Cleaner) and using a
napping brush. As a general rule when cleaning you should only to use products
specifically designed for this type of fabric; avoid using a product designed
for cleaning leather.
It's also important to do a patch test
before cleaning any fabric to make sure the colour or integrity of the fabric
won't be damaged. To do this, apply your cleaning product to an inconspicuous
area to see what the effect will be.
Use a napping brush to raise the pile
and loosen / separate the fibres. Remove pilling with a single-sided razor
blade and then apply a suitable cleaning solution on to an applicator pad and
apply to one area at a time (do not over-wet the fabric or use wet steam).
Current Information
To be of real practical use, a subject like automotive detailing
requires a great deal of research, and updating as new products become
available. The advent of materials like detailing clay, micro fibre
technologies and finely milled micro diminishing abrasives, suitable for
ceramic nanotechnology paints are examples of why it’s so important to monitor
the industries new products, chemical technologies and ideas that are
constantly being introduced, as are the techniques for applying them, hence all
of the in-depth articles will be up-dated and revised on a regular basis
Always
be willing to learn; because the more you learn, the more you’ll realize what
you don’t know. You should never stop learning, and your quest for information
should be part of your everyday process. It is said that
knowledge is power, with the caveat that it includes access to a reliable
information sources. I would like to think that these articles become an asset to
anyone who is new to detailing and to professional’s alike, as well as industry
experts who seek to advance their knowledge.
Most information on detailing is published by
product vendors, so the sharing of an unbiased view
is a contradiction in terms. I hope these articles are informative. They are
based on the current status of technical development as well as my experience
with the products. By having some
understanding of the ‘What’ and ‘Why’ as well as the ‘How’ along with a little
science to help you understand how the chemicals we use react, you can achieve
the results you desire.
I
would appreciate it if you would share these articles as it helps other
detailers further their knowledge.
As
always if you have questions, I’ll do my best to answer; bear in mind the only
stupid questions is the one that was unasked. Questions and/ or constructive
comments are always appreciated
Copyright © 2002 - 2015 TOGWT®
(Established 1980) all rights reserved
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