I made a video on how to clean your Alcantara/Suede M///Performance Steering Wheels.

[FrozenE92M3]

Video I made to help folks out if your wheel is dirty. Clean your alcantara more often, or it might get this bad.

[wyatth]

Wow that was bad before! Nice improvement!
I use the Sonax alcantara cleaner spray and their brush, I like them and they seem similar to your Kiwi products. It’s quick and simple if you do it occasionally!

[mym3adventures]

Nice detailed video! Also cool to see the V2 steering wheel on a DCT

[850tgul]

Nice video, thanks for sharing.

Having owned cars with Alcantara going all the way back to my 1995 Volvo 850 T-5R, the hysteria over Alcantara’s poor durability always makes me laugh. In my experience, it is all about preventative maintenance and never letting it get too far gone. I try to clean my Alcantara touch points (steering wheel, gear knob, seats, etc.) monthly but even a bi-monthly cleaning will keep the material looking brand new forever, basically.

I have used, and liked, Sonax’s cleaner. My current go to is Dr. Beasley’s Cleaner followed by their protectant. I feel their cleaner works just as well as Sonax and their protectant keeps the material feeling factory fresh longer in between cleanings.

[Grip Addict]

Originally Posted by 850tgul

Nice video, thanks for sharing.

Having owned cars with Alcantara going all the way back to my 1995 Volvo 850 T-5R, the hysteria over Alcantara’s poor durability always makes me laugh. In my experience, it is all about preventative maintenance and never letting it get too far gone. I try to clean my Alcantara touch points (steering wheel, gear knob, seats, etc.) monthly but even a bi-monthly cleaning will keep the material looking brand new forever, basically.

I have used, and liked, Sonax’s cleaner. My current go to is Dr. Beasley’s Cleaner followed by their protectant. I feel their cleaner works just as well as Sonax and their protectant keeps the material feeling factory fresh longer in between cleanings.

This 100%.

Normally I hate to be that guy to thread jack, but if you Google "How to Clean Alcantara Steering Wheel" you get me as your top link.

This is what I do to do exactly what you say, prevent. Stay ahead of the game in terms of it ruining your steering wheel. It is perhaps the best an worst material to be on a steering wheel, but damn it if it's not one of my first mods.

[LakeSurfer]

Originally Posted by 850tgul

Nice video, thanks for sharing.

Having owned cars with Alcantara going all the way back to my 1995 Volvo 850 T-5R, the hysteria over Alcantara’s poor durability always makes me laugh. In my experience, it is all about preventative maintenance and never letting it get too far gone. I try to clean my Alcantara touch points (steering wheel, gear knob, seats, etc.) monthly but even a bi-monthly cleaning will keep the material looking brand new forever, basically.

I have used, and liked, Sonax’s cleaner. My current go to is Dr. Beasley’s Cleaner followed by their protectant. I feel their cleaner works just as well as Sonax and their protectant keeps the material feeling factory fresh longer in between cleanings.

I'm one of the rare guys who hates Alcantara. I've had a half Alcantara half leather steering wheel for the life of my car and never once had to clean or do anything with the leather portions of the wheel and it looks brand new, however, the Alcantara has to be cleaned at least every 6 months or so. It looks good when it's clean but only lasts a month and then it looks like garbage, especially bad next to the clean black leather. I've used Alcantara cleaning products with great results but a few areas have worn out and become "pilly" like an old sweater.

I also despise it as an end user because of the premium cost for it. It is super cheap to produce but is marketed as such a fantastic product that started in high end cars we think we're getting some kind of exclusive luxury product when we're really getting an ultra cheap, high maintenance alternative to suede. To me it's as much of a scam as forged carbon fiber. It all looks and feels fantastic but certainly shouldn't be in the premium product category. Just my opinion.

Sorry to jack the thread, Im just tired of being treated like an idiot by the marketing scams in the auto industry.

[850tgul]

Originally Posted by LakeSurfer

I'm one of the rare guys who hates Alcantara. I've had a half Alcantara half leather steering wheel for the life of my car and never once had to clean or do anything with the leather portions of the wheel and it looks brand new, however, the Alcantara has to be cleaned at least every 6 months or so. It looks good when it's clean but only lasts a month and then it looks like garbage, especially bad next to the clean black leather. I've used Alcantara cleaning products with great results but a few areas have worn out and become "pilly" like an old sweater.

I also despise it as an end user because of the premium cost for it. It is super cheap to produce but is marketed as such a fantastic product that started in high end cars we think we're getting some kind of exclusive luxury product when we're really getting an ultra cheap, high maintenance alternative to suede. To me it's as much of a scam as forged carbon fiber. It all looks and feels fantastic but certainly shouldn't be in the premium product category. Just my opinion.

Sorry to jack the thread, Im just tired of being treated like an idiot by the marketing scams in the auto industry.

I don’t think you are alone in your dislike of the product. Plenty of folks don’t care for it. Mostly, though, I’ve found the hate comes from people who neglect it for years and then complain that it looks nasty after never cleaning it once.

Your points about production costs and marketing ploys aside, I do prefer the material on most surfaces to leather, especially touch points.

First, I think it feels nicer to the touch. Second, I think it looks nicer. Third, again pertaining to touch points, it grips better. Lastly, it is more temperate neutral than leather. Doesn’t get hot in the summer and doesn’t get cold in the winter.

Also, not sure what type of magic leather you had on your steering wheel that looked brand new after such a long time with zero maintenance but please share. To me, leather requires almost as much maintenance as Alcantara to maintain properly, unless you like the look of shiny, tough leather. To keep leather looking supple and matte requires preventative and regular maintenance as well.

[LakeSurfer]

Originally Posted by 850tgul

I don’t think you are alone in your dislike of the product. Plenty of folks don’t care for it. Mostly, though, I’ve found the hate comes from people who neglect it for years and then complain that it looks nasty after never cleaning it once.

Your points about production costs and marketing ploys aside, I do prefer the material on most surfaces to leather, especially touch points.

First, I think it feels nicer to the touch. Second, I think it looks nicer. Third, again pertaining to touch points, it grips better. Lastly, it is more temperate neutral than leather. Doesn’t get hot in the summer and doesn’t get cold in the winter.

Also, not sure what type of magic leather you had on your steering wheel that looked brand new after such a long time with zero maintenance but please share. To me, leather requires almost as much maintenance as Alcantara to maintain properly, unless you like the look of shiny, tough leather. To keep leather looking supple and matte requires preventative and regular maintenance as well.

I'm not trying to be difficult but I've never conditioned or cleaned the leather on the steering wheel. I also live in Tampa and never felt the leather was any hotter than any other material. I have an e93 with black interior and it's not any more noticeably hotter than any other vehicle I've been in down here. I'm sure it technically is but after a short time of driving it's totally fine and not noticeable at all. When it's clean the Alcantara feels amazing but as I've said it only lasts, in my car a month or so and then it's way more slippery than the leather.

If I had a track car I'd probably use it on the wheel but I don't so it's sort of wasted on me. I also wouldn't care about the how crappy it looked but my car is driven in most days and the wheel ruins the interior.

Leather requires a lot of hands on in order to complete the tanning process where Alcantara does not. It's a bunch of stuff throw into a machine where the machines spit out the end product. So why does it cost more and require more maintenance? It's cheap and not nearly as durable as leather. If you're driving a track car than you probably/should be wearing gloves and if you're not than you're probably not that serious about driving so does it really matter? Nope.

My opinions piss most people off but most people see Alcantara on a Ferrari at the local cars and coffee and think it's the end all be all. Ferrari is trying make a product on the cheap to sell said product for a profit. Also most people care more about what's trendy/popular or cool than what is a reliable product.

Im just saying that I shouldn't have to maintain my $1000 plus steering wheel every six months, that's embarrassing.

[850tgul]

No worries man, you’re not being difficult. Your opinion is your opinion. If you are someone who is hands off with their car and doesn’t want to be bothered to clean their SW a few times a year, cool. I myself don’t mind putting in minimal amount of work every few months to enjoy the superior feel, to me, of Alcantara products.
I should post a picture of my Cayman. Alcantara everywhere. You would not approve

[LakeSurfer]

Originally Posted by 850tgul

No worries man, you’re not being difficult. Your opinion is your opinion. If you are someone who is hands off with their car and doesn’t want to be bothered to clean their SW a few times a year, cool. I myself don’t mind putting in minimal amount of work every few months to enjoy the superior feel, to me, of Alcantara products.
I should post a picture of my Cayman. Alcantara everywhere. You would not approve

I am very hands on with my cars, even when they're under warranty I tend to do the work myself. Mostly because I have the money to do the work but mainly because I don't trust the 20 year old kid at the shop to do the same quality of work that I'd do myself.

I couldn't care less if you wrapped your car in Alcantara, although it's a terrible idea but when I hear people claiming how great it is I cringe. If the consumer was charged a fair price that would be a different story but we're paying for a product that doesn't match the quality of the product. It's not that I can't be bothered with cleaning or maintaining a car it's that I shouldn't be bothered so often to clean a steering wheel. That's all. I'll try to post my wheel when I get to my laptop.