Anyhow, I got to thinking about how the wheel got to be the way it is, and I can only conclude that the combination of "oils, grease and dirt" from one's hands is the culprit. With this in mind, I considered the possibility that a good dishwash soap - they are renowned for their grease cutting properties - and a toothbrush might be a suitable "cleaner / degreaser".
One thing I do know is that leather should never be "wetted"... this will do damage to the leather, and quite possibly to any adhesives used in the fixing process. So a dilution of 1:10 dishwash to water is what I used... together with the toothbrush and a drying cloth..
A small section at a time and dry off immediately and thoroughly with the cloth to soak up any excess moisture. Once I had completed 1/3 of the wheel, I used a hairdryer on "warm" (not hot)to blowdry the area I had cleaned, whilst using a clean cloth to mop up and wipe any moisture "sweating" out in the process. Once the entire wheel had been done, the leather was plumped up and soft again.... I decided not to apply any "conditioner" of any kind, but to leave it for a couple of days to thoroughly dry out any moisture still in the leather.
What to use as a conditioner... we have all heard of E45 cream... and it is undoubtedly a great product, but for this application, I want something far more subtle. So tomorrow, I'll be visiting the local womens' dept and asking for a product which is as near as dammit to pure lanolin.... Lanolin is the oily stuff most commonly found on sheep wool... it's what keeps them waterproof and the wool soft and flexible... Many womens' night creams" contain high percentages of this stuff.... it is extremely light and is readily absorbed into leather without being greasy... this is important because greasy will tend to flatten leather and make it sticky which will attract more dirt and in no time the wheel will return to it's very "used" look.
If any of you have driven your BH's car, you will have experienced the terrifying slickness of the steering wheel... - hand lotions etc are the cause. They are greasy to steering wheels, and over time are soaked into the wheel leather....
Anyhow, I have taken some "before" pics, and once I have completed the treatment, I will post them plus the "after" pics.... you can decide for yourself if it is worth the effort and investment in time etc....
