treating leather steering wheel

[scooby]

A tad of an off topic question but does anyone have any sugestions of what to treat a leather steering wheel with?

I have a 'new' car and the leather is quite bad where the previous owner held the wheel - I't is dry and is starting to break up (either that or is VERY dirty) - the treatment obviously needs to not be slippery being the steering wheel

any sugestions gratefully received!

[bruce johnson]

I would probably start with the Lexol products. Use the cleaner first to get rid of the "grunge". Most of these have a finish coat applied that resists penetraion of much for quite a while. It may all be surface. If it needs some conditioner, then I have used a light coat of Lexol conditioner for these. If the leather is cracked, it is gone. Any of the "leather-fix-in-a-can" products are just superficial, but may patch it for a while in this application.

[TraditionalTools]

Bruce offered good advice, depending on your type of leather of course.

Lexol is the reccomended cleaner and conditioner for both Rolls Royce and Land Rover. I have an older Land Rover, an '88, and the leather I'm told is most likely chrome tanned, it is a very shiny and non-pourous finish to the leather. I've been told that Lexol works well on that type of leather, but not stuff like veg tanned hides.

I also have an older '84 Porsche, and the leather in it was all cut and stitched by hand, as I understand, but the leather itself is a more natural type of cowhide finish, not the smooth/slick finish as found on the Land Rover and/or Rolls Royce interiors.

Lexol will most likely work very well, even if it's not chrome tanned, since holding the wheel usually makes it smooth/slick.

Not sure if that helps, hope it doesn't confuse.