Have you removed and cleaned your steering wheel cover lately and wondered how you can dry it? Have you considered drying the cover in a dryer? Let’s see if I can bring you out of that dilemma.
Firstly, consider the type of material used for your steering wheel cover before cleaning and placing it in a dryer. Steering wheel covers are generally made of leather, synthetic, and fabric materials. While it may seem fine to place any of these in a dryer, I will advise against doing so if you want the cover to last longer.
Let me point out that a dryer uses extreme temperatures to be able to completely dry whatever is placed in it. By inference, these high temperatures, over time, is not ideal for any type of steering wheel cover material. Therefore, it will not be a good idea to place these covers in a dryer in a bid to dry them faster.
Again, depending on the dryer settings, throwing a steering wheel cover in there, may cause it to shrink. Imagine, how much more effort it will take to try and fix your steering wheel cover again after you removed it to clean and dry it in a dryer!
I will save how to clean the different types of steering wheel covers for another time but know that there are certainly other alternatives in drying your steering wheel cover other than placing it in a dryer.
To begin it, you can patiently wait for the steering wheel cover to air or sun dry if you used good old soap and water (taking into consideration the type of material used for your steering wheel cover).
You can also use a dry towel to wipe your cleaning products off of your steering wheel cover and allow a few more minutes of drying. Consequently, bear in mind that no matter the material used in making your steering cover, it is best not to expose it to too much liquid and soap.
Why You May Want Put Your Steering Cover In A Dryer
Dryers shorten the drying time of steering wheel covers
I believe you may have contemplated throwing your cleaned steering wheel cover into a dryer to quicken the drying process.
The combination of heat, tumbling (movement) and airflow is what allows the dryer to shorten the length of time used in getting anything dry.
And who has time to waste waiting for their steering wheel cover to dry when there are other important things to do?
Reasons Not Put Your Steering Wheel Cover In A Dryer
1. Dryers Can Cause Your Steering Cover To Tear More Easily
Most steering wheel covers (especially those made of leather) scratch and wear easily. Therefore, aggressive cleaning, wiping, and drying methods are obviously not the way to go with them.
Machine drying is the quickest and most intense method of drying wet items. This also means that most damage occurs in the dryer rather than in the washing machine. For this reason, to best preserve fibers, air dry whenever possible.
Let us consider a leather steering wheel cover for instance, which is more expensive and durable. Unless you would want to be making frequent purchases of these covers, please do not throw them in a dryer. Though this may seem like a great idea in the beginning, with time, your cover will deteriorate faster than would normally be expected.
Leather, faux leather, wool, fur, and faux fur are some materials that are better off being air-dried rather than dried using a dryer. And you would agree with me that most steering wheel covers are made using these materials, making it a bad idea to throw them into the dryer.
2. Dryers Can Cause Your Steering Wheel Cover To Shrink
As the dryer tosses around the load, it forces the fibers to gradually constrict, leading to shrinkage. I had to make this previous statement as a backdrop to my ensuing sentences.
If you put your steering wheel cover in a dryer in a bid to have it dry faster and the job is eventually done, it would have shrunk in size afterward.
Now, let me remind me of the bit of a struggle people go through to be able to fix a cover on their steering wheel. I mean, you most definitely need some elbow grease to stretch or sew the cover on the steering wheel.
So, why would you want to go through this same struggle after cleaning your steering wheel cover because you threw it in the dryer? Please!
3. Dryers Can Cause Your Steering Wheel Cover To Fade
The heat of the dryer can cause especially dark-colored steering wheel covers to fade. I am pretty sure you may have been convinced to buy that particular steering wheel cover because among other reasons, you liked the color. So, I am also very sure if the cover loses that color, you would not like it as much.
Then, do yourself a favor and save a few coins by never being tempted to throw your steering wheel cover into the dryer. No matter your reasons!
Alternative Ways To Dry Your Steering Wheel Cover
1. You can air-dry your steering wheel cover
Air drying your cleaned steering wheel cover is the best alternative to drying it. This not only protects the material of the cover from damage but also ensures that the cover doesn’t shrink.
2. You can sun dry your steering wheel cover
Let me caution here that I will not recommend sun-drying if the temperature is too high (that is, if it is too hot) as it may cause your steering wheel cover to deteriorate quicker than you imagine. However, slight sunshine will help dry your cleaned steering wheel cover faster than just air.
3. How about you keep your steering wheel cover on while you clean and dry it?
Who said you have to remove your steering wheel cover whenever you want to clean it? Simply leave the cover on the steering wheel, use your cleaning products, wipe with a soft dry towel and allow to air dry.
Also, remember the build-up of dirt on your steering wheel cover won’t be as much if you made it a habit of frequently cleaning it. The less often you clean the cover, the more intense cleaning you would have to do whenever you decide to.
Bedsheets, towels, kitchen cloths, jeans, socks, and cotton fabrics are just some of the items you can safely put in your dryer. Please, by all means, do not add your steering wheel cover.
