Any tips for scuffs on a leather steering wheel?

Conscript · 2 Feb 2013 at 10:28

Morning all. I have a 2006 MX5, which although still has a good condition interior, is starting to show it's age a little on the steering wheel.

I'm guessing the previous owner wore a ring, as there's a couple of scuffs and scratches I'd like to try and neaten up if I can. They aren't that easy to notice, but you can feel them sometimes as you pass the wheel through your hands.

Does anyone know any good leather treatments I could use on a steering wheel? Bearing in mind most of them explicitly state that they shouldn't be used anywhere you need to grip. I have AutoGlym Leather Balm which is nice on the seats, but makes them slippery - not something I want on my wheel. I do use AutoGlym Leather Cleaner on the wheel - it's just a spray cleaner, and that doesn't make the surface slippery, but it doesn't condition at all, only cleans.

I've taken some pictures below - bear in mind the flash makes the wheel look a lot worse than it actually is, but you can see the biggest problems.

There's some scuffing in the centre of this image, just on the outside edge of the wheel at it's lowest point.

This one on the top in the centre is the most noticable.

Not sure I can do anything about the wear on the joints of the wheel.

Any ideas gents? I know some people have had their wheels retrimmed, but I'm not sure I want to go down that route yet.

iaind · 2 Feb 2013 at 10:35

Try JML magic eraser

Hades · 2 Feb 2013 at 11:02

Refurb kit from somewhere like furniture clinic.

Conscript · 2 Feb 2013 at 11:20

iaind said:
Try JML magic eraser

I've thought about these before, but I thought that might only clean the wheel, rather than hide any scratches.

Hades said:
Refurb kit from somewhere like furniture clinic.

Just Googled that - looks like it's the sort of thing I'm after, but I'm still concerned about a slippery finish. Anyone had any experience here?

They have a forum so I might pose the question there as well.

sovietspybob · 2 Feb 2013 at 12:53

We had a MK3 MX5 just like that and my wifes ring caused the exact same issue, we used to use some leather nourishing balm stuff. We always found it made it feel more grippy, same when used on the seats. Always time to break out the balm stuff when you start sliding around on the leather seats!

Conscript · 2 Feb 2013 at 13:03

sovietspybob said:
We had a MK3 MX5 just like that and my wifes ring caused the exact same issue, we used to use some leather nourishing balm stuff. We always found it made it feel more grippy, same when used on the seats. Always time to break out the balm stuff when you start sliding around on the leather seats!

Can you remember what it was and did it help the scuffing?

I always find my seats get more grippy as time goes on, and applying balms tends to make them slippery again - I actually prefer it that way though, makes getting in and twisting into position easier in such a low car

paradigm · 2 Feb 2013 at 13:20

Cherry Blossom black leather polish (it's a liquid tube rather than a solid). Restored the wheel on my Leon Cupra R with one of those.

That plus the JML Magic Eraser (eraser first, then polish).

celliott · 3 Feb 2013 at 14:01

I've used gliptone leather cleaner followed by leather conditioner on steering wheels a few times with good results, always dries to a nice Matt finish.

Conscript · 7 Mar 2013 at 10:59

nathanjohnz said:
Hi, try this one. Rub the surface of the steering wheel with a soft cloth dipped in white vinegar. This will swell the cracks and make them nearly indistinguishable. Allow the vinegar to soak into the leather for several minutes.

That's an interesting one, not heard of using white vinegar on leather before.

So far I've tried Cherry Blossom Black Scuff remover - comes in a bottle with a sponge nozzle applicator. Gave it a quick once over and it seems to have hidden some of the smaller scuffs. I was going to give it a more thorough go at the weekend. At first I was a bit wary - the polish was black and I think it was darker than the wheel, but I was working in poor light so I want to check it more thorough to see if it's dried to a nice colour match.

B@Th*nG · 7 Mar 2013 at 13:37

paradigm said:
Cherry Blossom black leather polish (it's a liquid tube rather than a solid). Restored the wheel on my Leon Cupra R with one of those.

That plus the JML Magic Eraser (eraser first, then polish).

is that it?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cherry-Blossom-Leather-Renovating-leather/dp/B004VL5OH8

B@

paradigm · 7 Mar 2013 at 13:46

Doesn't look like what I bought. I got mine from the Co-Op, and its in a squeezable tube much-like toothpaste, only wider and with a foam applicator at the end.

EDIT: Like this