Help with a stinky leather steering wheel.

[nittany1]

I bought a used Mazda with a peeling leather steering wheel. The previous owner, instead of getting it redyed, threw on one of those cheap padded steering wheel covers, the kind with the neoprene padding. When I took the cheap steering wheel cover off I wasn't surprised to see the leather peeling, I was, however, surprised to smell the stench the cheap steering wheel cover left behind.



Things I've tried so far:

1) Dawn dish soap and a soft sponge.

2) Turtle Wax Leather & Vinyl Cleaner.

3) Lexol pH Leather Cleaner followed by Lexol Leather Conditioner.

4) I've had the steering wheel redyed.



I'm curious about:

1) white wine vinegar and water with a soft sponge.



The stinky neoprene/rubber/padding smell remains, although the steering wheel looks gorgeous after the redye, looks better than new in fact.



Maybe some old pros will know a trick how to get rid of the smell from the steering wheel.

 

[Scottwax]

I know my gloves and bar tape get really funky after a few weeks of riding in the summer, so I can imagine what you are dealing with. I'm guessing the stench is down into the foam under the leather, you might have to remove that and really clean the foam underneath then use some sort of anti-bacterial spray to help kill off whatever smell remains. Then let dry completely before putting the leather back on.

 

[David Fermani]

I'd just buy a replacement at the junkyard and have a shop install it.

 

[nittany1]

I ordered this non-toxic stuff called Odorcide 210 ready-to-use. It's safe on leather. I'll let you guys know how it works.



Odorcide 210



It comes in concentrate form too:

Odorcide Main Page

 

[David Fermani]

Please do.

 

[nittany1]

WOW! The Odorcide works! The version I bought comes as ready-to-use, if you need a lot of it they sell it in concentrate version that you mix with water in a bucket. The application is simple, I just dribbled a little out of the mini-showerhead shaped nozzle onto some blue shop towels and rubbed the steering wheel with it. The rubberized/glue/yucky stink is gone. There is the smell of the Odorcide product but it smells of light cleaning product like a pro housecleaner would use and that smell is already going away. Just to be sure I'm going to do another Odorcide treatment and then do a Lexol ph cleaner then Lexol conditioner.

 

[Accumulator]

WOW! The Odorcide works!

Thanks for posting back about it, and I'm glad it worked on your problem. That's a product I'd never heard of before...