Steering Wheel cleaning ?

Not an A-12 but thought I might get some good advise here.

My '68 RR steering wheel (original) need some deep cleaning. It has become "sticky to the touch". Without removing the steering wheel any suggestions what I can use and do to clean it off?

Thanks

Is it just a standard black plastic or wood grain? For the standard black one in my Dart, I use mild rubbing compound to deep clean, then progressively finer until a regular wax. Takes some time, but cleans off the gunk. Lasts a while until the wax wears off and gets dull. Wood grain, dont have an idea.

Plastic one? You might try some WD40 on a rag.

Try a few drops of Dawn dish soap mixed with clean water, and a clean rag...should work for ya.

I remember that after a couple years, the '68 steering wheels tended to feel oily, though Dad's '66 & my '67 GTX's never did.
I don't recall that on my '69s or on the woodgrain wheels.
I'd agree on the polishing compound, did that on my previous '68 and a couple ones decades ago.

Thanks all.

Not wood grain but the black plastic one.

Good suggestions.

Thanks again

Be careful cleaning those colored steering wheels. A few years ago I decided to clean the decades old gunk off my dark green steering wheel on my 68 Coronet. It cleaned well ,but it also made the original steering wheel paint chip easily.
A couple times I chipped the paint by accidentally hitting it with the seatbelt buckle as I was putting my seatbelt on. Never had this issue with the decades old gunk on the wheel.

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There is no “original” steering wheel paint, they are molded in color. Yours was painted by someone along the way.

Well, how would you know that it was painted by someone along the way. The steering wheel was never painted by anyone. The steering wheel I have is original to the car.
Car was bought by my mother in 68. I acquired the car in 79 and have it to this day. It never was ever cleaned or painted. When I cleaned the steering wheel it was the first time it ever was cleaned.

You stated the paint chipped. So somebody painted it. 1968 steering wheels are molded in color. Look at a cracked one, what color is it in the cracks? Sand or grind one down and see the colored plastic.

Better yet call a steering wheel resto guy and ask how they are made.

The steering wheel outer coating chipped. Sorry that I used the term paint. Underneath is the same green. But it was never painted. Yes, they are molded in color.
But my point is, which I wanted to share to others is to be careful cleaning the steering wheel. This could happen to other steering wheels. Just sharing my experience with this.

I know you said "not to remove it" but 3 nuts and I removed one of mine, pressure washed it, wiped the heck out of it with water and terrycloth and it feels and looks like new.

The "sticky" feeling is from it sitting in the sun for too many years. It happens on every steering wheel and it goes away with elbow grease. Made a few auto-wrecker wheels feel like new, just have to clean it about 3 times to get it like new again.