Best Way to Clean Steering Wheel

The steering wheel might be the dirtiest part of our interior after floor mats. It is a part that we hold with our hand the most during driving, and our hands are not always clean, so the steering wheel collects all the bacteria and grease. This is the reason why the steering wheel gets so dirty. If you never clean your steering wheel, I believe that it’s covered with grease and dirt completely, and it’s not the comfiest thing you want to hold while driving. That is why today we will find out the best way to clean the steering wheel, including both Polyurethane and Leather steering wheels.

Best Way to Clean Polyurethane Steering Wheel

Polyurethane Steering Wheel is not as sensitive as leather one, so it allows you to clean it with more affordable and common tools and products. However, to avoid damaging it, you should use cleaners and tools developed for automotive cleaning use! To maintain your steering wheel after cleaning, you can use Inter Quick Detailer, Interior Dressing.

What you need for Polyurethane Steering Wheel Cleaning

1. Detailing Brush, or horse hair brush. It should not be harsh as it can damage and leave scratches even on polyurethane. If you don’t have any brushes with you, you can use even a toothbrush.
2. All-Purpose Cleaner. You can find the best All-Purpose Cleaners in our recent post, and dilute it for interior cleaning following the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Clean Microfiber towels. You need microfiber towels that can absorb liquids effectively because cheap towels will only smear dirt on your wheel.

Polyurethane Steering Wheel Cleaning Step-by-Step

1. Spray correctly diluted All-Purpose cleaner on your brush.
2. Start brushing your steering wheel, without applying too much pressure.
3. You can use a smaller brush to clean hard-reaching areas.
4. Wipe off your steering wheel thoroughly.
5. If the steering wheel will not be clean enough, repeat the process until you will achieve the wanted results.

Best Way to Clean Leather Steering Wheel

Leather Steering Wheel Cleaning is similar to polyurethane but it requires from you more attention to the cleaning products and tools you use. Find effective ways to remove sunscreen from leather.

What you need for Leather Steering Wheel Cleaning

Horse Hair Brush

Leather Cleaner

70/30 interior towel

Leather Conditioner

1. Long bristle horse hair brush
2. The best Leather Cleaner
3. High-quality microfiber towels. For leather you should use 70/30, or in the worse case 80/20 interior towels with 300-500 GSM.
4. The best Leather Conditioner.

Leather Steering Wheel Cleaning Step-by-Step

1. Spray enough leather cleaner on the horse hair brush.
2. Gently scrub your steering wheel with the brush, avoid applying excessive pressure. You can use small soft brushes to clean hard-reaching areas.
3. Wipe off the residue of the cleaner with a clean microfiber towel.
4. Give some time for the leather to dry.
5. Apply Leather Conditioner using a microfiber applicator or towel.

FAQ

How do you clean a greasy steering wheel?

If your steering wheel was not cleaned in centuries, and grease doesn’t come off with regular cleaning with a brush, you should use steam cleaning. Steam will warm up the dirt, and melt the grease. Afterward, when the steering wheel will be cool to the touch, you can spray the cleaner and clean it with the brush as described above.

Can you use alcohol wipes on the steering wheel?

You can use alcohol wipes on polyurethane steering wheels, but never use them on leather steering wheels! Alcohol will dry out the leather and can remove the protective coating with paint from your leather which will lead to faster destruction of the leather on your steering wheel.

How often should you clean your steering wheel?

We recommend cleaning your steering wheel 1-2 times per month by wiping it down with cleaner and a microfiber towel and cleaning it deeply with brushes every 3-6 months. It all depends on how often you drive, how strongly your hands are sweating, and what year season you have outside. Of course, if you drive a lot, it’s summer and your hands are sweating a lot, you may need to wipe your steering wheel every time after driving.

Conclusion

The best way to clean the steering wheel is to clean it regularly. The steering wheel is an important part of our driving experience and we should not ruin it because of greasy and oily wheel. Moreover, maintaining the cleanliness of the steering wheel is so simple! Once in 3-6 months clean it with the brush, which takes 5 minutes, and clean it with a towel 1-2 times per month which takes 2 minutes. I hope that my simple guide will help you to make a proper cleaning of your steering wheel, and you will not forget to use only high-quality tools and products that I recommend for your beloved car!