Leather steering wheel

[QX4ME]

My steering wheel leather started losing the gray color at the edge where it meets the wood trim. Is the gray color part of leather or is it just a dye? It looks more like a dye. I don't see anything peeling off or scratched.

[ARKQX33V6]

The leather wrap is a treated dye coloured cow hide or other animal that has been killed, skinned, then tanned and produced then wet wrapped around the wheel by a female as an individual 1 at a time product. Then as the leather dries it further shrinks around the steering wheel and looks great when new.

Then along comes a grimy human with dirty wet sweaty hands who parks in the sun or leaves that car in the cold. The driver sneezes and spits all over that nice new wrap, his hands always a bit moist with oils and salt and water and in about 4 years the nice looking steering wheel is grimy like the under side of the car.

Wear driving gloves, hire a chauffeur, keep hand dry and clean, stop spitting on the wheel, help prolong the new look.

Failing that: a very good leather conditioner will make that wheel supple and easy to hold but it will darken the leather a bit but at least the complete wheel will be about the same.

As the wheel wears from our dirty hands it wears in an uneven pattern mainly through our handling and the sun, but a good conditioner will help to even out the wear look, but it will darken the wheel and in fact will give that steering wheel a better look over time and applications.

Lanolin, sheep oil is great for the seats and the wheel, 2x a year and before any cracks happen the application of lanolin, a good leather conditioner will render all leather soft, supple and squeaky clean. Clean off dirt first, but any oils from humans, oil, grease will discolour the leather because as an animal skin that has been tanned and treated water and oil will darken the colour

[Towncivilian]

Use 1:4 Woolite to hot water ratio to clean leather. Works very well.

[QX4ME]

Thank you both for the reply.
I used to wipe all leather surface with leather cleaner and conditioner (2-in-1) whenever I want to, like every two or three months. Now the car is getting old I care less and less about small details...