Magic eraser on leather stuff (pics)

[97tbird]

So, I finally took off the steering wheel cover off the Tbird's leather wheel; It was in worse shape than I thought/remembered; there were a few small places where the top shiny layer of leather had gone off even...obviously those parts can't be "rejuvenated"...

So, i just scrubbed the wheel lightly using the Magic Eraser (after I had dipped it in water and squeezed off excess), and then dried it with a piece of cloth; I did the same with the leather covered shifter knob.

It did clean the leather a lot - the eraser was brown/black after I was done, and some of the whitish areas on the leather were gone and now looked blacker and cleaner - it did make a difference, especially on the shift knob.
it felt a bit slippery afterwards but a few min later that feeling disappeared.

I did not have any Lexol to treat the cleaned areas; I think it would have made a difference in appearance and feel - gonna get some soon.

Overall, I am happy - I think if the wheel was in a bit better shape, and if i had worked a bit slower, the results may have looked more impressive.

One thing for sure - it really does clean well. I will try it on my alloy wheels next (which have brake dust and caked on grime)

Due to the sun making things look shiny, i couldn't capture the surface very well, but i think one sees the difference:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

 

[duaneb9729]

you and it did a great job!

 

[97tbird]

Thanks duaneb - I hope more people will try this out.

(btw, your name doesn't have anything to do with DuoNebs, does it? )

 

[Johnny248]

magic erasers are great! I've been using them for years and keep them on my boat. They work really well on vinyl and the gelcoat.

 

[JHZR2]

nice, but the magic eraser will remove upper surface of the leather. May be good, may be bad, first youll remove the salts, oils, and grime from your hands, which is good, but then...

 

[97tbird]

yeah I scrubbed it VERY lightly, and didn't do it too long - it really was an experiment - I will use a st. wheel cover anyway, just for the feel and looks and thickness

 

[bretfraz]

Looks great! I wonder how the eraser would work with a spritz of leather cleaner on it. I need to dig out my erazer next time I have to detail a dirty interior.

Well done. The pics help a lot with visualizing the results.

 

[purelux]

It works fine on seats but when I did it it destroyed my leather steering wheel cover. Original was shot so i got one of the better custom replacements. It was a white wheel that never had a problem with dirt. Got some dirt etc.. on a few spots after painting a house. So i erased it, though it erased the protective layer on the leather. After that I had to clean the wheel every single day. It did clean up well but i would just use reg leather cleaner multiple times if I could do it over. Definatly make sure and keep the wheel well conditioned from now on.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: purelux
It works fine on seats but when I did it it destroyed my leather steering wheel cover. Original was shot so i got one of the better custom replacements. It was a white wheel that never had a problem with dirt. Got some dirt etc.. on a few spots after painting a house. So i erased it, though it erased the protective layer on the leather. After that I had to clean the wheel every single day. It did clean up well but i would just use reg leather cleaner multiple times if I could do it over. Definatly make sure and keep the wheel well conditioned from now on.


It destroyed the steering wheel cover? What did you do, put it on an electric grinder or something? Either you are freakishly strong, or your steering wheel cover was paper thin. Magic Erasers shouldn't destroy any type of interior material.

 

[purelux]

If you'll notice I said erased the protective layer, which unless you like a wheel covered in grime is destroyed. It was leather so no it wasn't paper thin nor would the thickness have anything to do with the condition of the surface. I didn't say tore through the leather.

 

[qwertydude]

I would be careful with the magic eraser, it's a pretty powerful abrasive in a foam block. If you have leather to clean I would clean it with saddle soap. Leaves the leather soft and supple when done and cleans really well.

 

[aquariuscsm]

I always use a Kiwi shoe shine brush and a good leather-only cleaner to clean my car`s leather surfaces,then use a good leather-only conditioner to keep it all moisturized.