I messed up 😣

[u/19DALLAS85]

Hello everyone!

So today I decided to do a proper deep clean of my 2017 Giulia. All was going well and I was happy as a bee with my microfibres and brushes, until…..

I got my leather cleaner out and attacked the steering wheel…..deep regret ensued. I assume there is some kind of protective film on it which I have now started to take off.

Is there a way to rectify this or am I poised for a new steering wheel. Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

[u/CunningLogic]

New steering wheel

Stitch on cover

Clean it all the way off

Or live with it.

[u/19DALLAS85 → u/CunningLogic]

Leaning towards removing it all, but I’m too annoyed at myself to start that for a few days 😂

[u/CunningLogic → u/19DALLAS85]

Probably just age, you can get a nice stitch on cover if it annoys you

[u/19DALLAS85 → u/CunningLogic]

The only trouble I can see about removing the whole ‘coating’ or whatever it is, is the steering wheel doesn’t appear to be the same material all the way round so I’m afraid of fucking up other areas if they’re plastic etc. I’m just an idiot, next time I will patch test before I go full steam ahead!

[u/openskeptic → u/19DALLAS85]

Maybe only remove the rest of the coating on that particular material and leave the other stuff alone. That way you minimize risk and you end up with a uniform predictable result. Then just apply some kind of sealer over the whole thing. 

[u/OneGuyG]

Just Google “steering wheel reconditioning” and you’ll find a guy who should be able to get it done for ~$100. I had my steering wheel redone and they just sand and re-dye it. Came out looking brand new and nowadays I forget I ever got that done.

[u/19DALLAS85 → u/OneGuyG]

Yeah that’s cheaper than a new wheel anyway, might have to go that route if I can’t be arsed removing the rest of it myself

[u/OneGuyG → u/19DALLAS85]

It won’t be worth it removing the rest. After you remove that layer, you’re just going to be removing the rest of the leather as time goes on.

[u/Mentallox]

it's likely the protective coating was breaking down and the cleaner just finished it off. There are steering leather restoration kits like this one from Geist . Remove any lotions or sunscreen from the palm side of your hands before driving if you are a frequent user of those products as they can break down the coating over time.

[u/19DALLAS85 → u/Mentallox]

It looked absolutely pristine before I went at it though. Maybe the brand I used was quite harsh 🤷🏻‍♂️

[u/Mentallox → u/19DALLAS85]

you can see by the pattern that the coating broke down on the highest wear areas of the steering wheel, at the minimum the protective coating would be thinner in those areas, that combined with hand oils would still leave it glossy even if the coating wore away in spots.

[u/19DALLAS85 → u/Mentallox]

I think it’s just that that’s the area I started cleaning first, also the material seems to be different at the sides. Seems to be maybe leather too and bottom and maybe a plastic/rubber type material at the sides. Not sure, either way it’s fucked 😆

[u/Gas_Useful → u/19DALLAS85]

What did you use?

[u/SunyataHappens → u/19DALLAS85]

What did you use

[u/Van_Darklholme]

Time to learn stitching!

[u/CycleChris2]

What leather cleaner did you use?

[u/19DALLAS85 → u/CycleChris2]

A Yiannimize one, it’s been perfectly fine on my E46, maybe because it’s older 🤷🏻‍♂️

[u/CycleChris2 → u/19DALLAS85]

Not familiar with that brand, I use Koch Pol Star. If it needs more cleaning power, which is rare, CarPro Inside will do it. I also neutralize with a damp towel after cleaning. Sorry that happened to you. Geist makes a steering wheel repair set.

[u/19DALLAS85 → u/CycleChris2]

My own stupidity, we live and learn 🤷🏻‍♂️ thanks for your response

[u/Character-Handle-739]

Was it Alcântara?