Ha ha ahahahaa. Sicko!
So my new to me 87 4Runner is awesome. Awesomely dirty inside. I has the typical 80s Toyota plastic. The wheel and shift nob have that sticky ground in dirty/sweat/scohnge crap coating it. What's a simple way to get this crap off.
I'll wait for a real answer after all the "aim your hootus somewhere else" replies. 
I have found that leather cleaner works well for vinyl interior bits, followed up with back-to-black (even if it's not black) for protection from UV.
For stuff that's so thick you can scrape it off with a fingernail, I use a citrus based degreaser called orange peelz (made by Pedro's - we carry it at the bike shop for cleaning bicycles). It is safe for use on most plastics and I use it to clean computer cases too. Make sure to check for colorfastness first. I cleaned all the lettering off my wiper stalk once, so that was always fun to try to remember which setting was hurricane and which one was intermittent.
Pretty sure it's not something on the plastic so much as it is the plastic trying to return to it's petroleum roots.
YES! I believe that is the culprit. Any fix short of replacement (not happening) or just drive with sticky cola kung fu grip?
At one point I smeared baby powder all over my knob and that made it less sticky. 
no kidding....
Shout laundry stain remover. i've never told anyone else about it because it's one of my many secret tricks. shout plus a good terry cloth rag.
i "restored" a black 80 z28 steering wheel that was gooey with it. i let it sit in the house for a year to make sure it wasn't going to re-goo. then sold it on ebay for close to $200.
Tractor supply has cheap rubber knobs that are just friction fit. Must be for a tractor or something.
Edit: Those steering wheel covers that you stich up are great. I have one on the miata and it doesn't twist or anything. It's so good, you don't hardly notice it.
I would get a cheap replacement knob and a steering wheel cover.
My 94 Sentra ended up with a steering wheel cover. It would return to a Goo-like surface almost immediately after cleaning...yet it never got any smaller...
that's because you kept rubbing the goo off.
You'll need to log in to post.
