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I've found a good maintenance routine keeps from having to go as aggressive as something like a Magic Eraser. The soapy water may not be enough to remove all the oils, dead skin, and other grime that accumulates on a steering wheel and shifter over time.
I try to wipe down mine every couple weeks with a good interior detailer. Look for the good ones that mention both protection AND cleaning abilities. There are many that will do one or the other, but not both. I makes light cleaning fast and easy.
Every 4~6 months I'll use a leather cleaner on those surfaces. They tend to be gentle enough to not damage the leather and it's protective coating, but will get through the grime to clean up the leather pretty well.
If the wheel is REALLY grimy, I'll wipe down the wheel with an automotive interior cleaner or a diluted automotive specific all purpose cleaner. I'll use that until all the black gunk stops coming up and will then shift to the leather cleaner. This gets the leather back to a nice satin/matte finish and a grippy feel.
There have been a couple wheels I've cleaned where it looked like the protective layer on the leather was pealing off, but it was actually just nastiness on the wheel. After a good deep cleaning it looked totally different.
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