Cleaning Different Types of Steering Wheels

By Hanna

Posted on Dec 28, 2018

When cleaning out any vehicle, most owners tend to forget to clean the steering wheel for a variety of reasons. While a lot tend to procrastinate in cleaning their steering wheels properly; there are a lot who don't clean their steering wheels using the right materials and the right way. Cleaning your steering wheels isn't car-cleaning advice that you'd hear from anyone you know. However, it's necessary to clean it even before it feels greasy or sticky, in fact, you shouldn't wait for your steering wheel to get all spoiled.

Leaving your steering wheel dirty, greasy or sticky for some time before you clean it can accumulate dirt and grime. While this can't thoroughly, directly or greatly affect the vehicle's performance, it is still uncomfortable for the driver as it gets worst in the long run. To help you build a habit of cleaning your steering wheel, we've gathered the different cleaning techniques you can use depending on the steering wheel material.

For Hard Plastic Steering Wheels. It is a lot easier to clean plastic type steering wheels than most other types out there. All you need is some tap water, a reliable cleaning brush, soap and towel for drying the steering wheel once you're done cleaning it. To clean your car's steering wheel properly, simply wet the steering wheel and lather the soap and brush and then rinse it. Wipe your steering wheel dry once you're happy with the results.

For Wood-Made Steering Wheels.

wood steering wheel

Woodmake steering wheels are made of special wood. The best way to clean these types of steering wheel is by buying wood-specific cleaner and then follow the steps indicated on the label. It's best to choose a cleaner that not only cleans but also protects the wood material.

For Fake Leather. This material goes by many names like synthetic leather, imitation leather or PVC plastic. Fake leasther is stronger and more resilient than real leather which is more delicate and expensive. This material can be washed with plain water, lathered with soap, brushed and rinsed.

For Synthetic Resin Steering Wheel. This type of wheel is the kind where there is a top coat of paint on the steering wheel material. This is another piece of cake cleaning session for car owners. Dirt and grime can be easily washed off from this by simply using soap and water. Be careful not to wipe this material with polish that's meant for your car's upholstery as this causes the surface to be very slippery and is very hard to remove.

For Leather Steering Wheels.

Leather Steering

This type of steering wheel is the most coveted. It's also the steering wheel type that provides that extraordinary comfort upon grasping. This may be because leather steering wheels are only seen in top of the line vehicles or the A-listers of the car world. Cleaning this takes utmost care since most damage that can be done to it is pretty much irreversible. So instead of using soap and water like what we advised on most other types, use a special leather leather. It can be the one you use to clean that special leather jacket. If there's a stain of some sort, don't overdo the scrubbing as this can tear the material.

Cleaning Different Types of Steering Wheels

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