How do I make my dashboard clean and like new?
October 2nd, 2006 by Danny the web stig
Well… the way to make it clean is to clean it… ! It sounds obvious, but without a doubt the best way to handle most dashboards it to clean them with a damp cloth which has been dipped in warm soapy water. That is pretty much all you need to do.
There is just one thing I have to say is that your cloth should be damp, not wet! Behind your dashboard are loads of electronic gizmos, everything from airbag units to the processor which controls your whole car - It only takes one drop of water in the wrong place and you could be looking at a bill for many thousands of pounds to put things right. We don’t advise that you use any product on your dashboard, but if you should ignore my advice, then fine… just don’t spay any product directly onto the dashboard. Instead spray it onto a cloth and put the cloth on the dash.
As for those other products. Sometime in the 1980s when I first started valeting cars, somebody came out with something called Silicone Spray, or Silicone Dash. Pretty much, this was just a silicone oil in a spray can. Oh boy, did it make your dashboard shiny, it even made the dirt shiny… but several weeks down the line it had turned into something sticky and nasty! All the dust and dirt stuck to it and the silicone it’s self became a matted residue. Yuk!
I swear there must be some EEC directive that would allow us to ban it, but at the moment it is still available and companies such as CarPlan insist on selling it at petrol stations, Cash & Carry and Pound shops. Just say no - don’t even think about it, Even if it does smell great.
The modern alternative to this water based Matt dressings. These are a massive improvement, although they can dry patchy, but basically, you shouldn’t need them.
Just wipe your dash over with a damp cloth and make it clean, and if this doesn’t work, clean it again. Only then if it looks tired should you think about a waterbased plastic dressing. There is a fair chance that if your dash does look old and tired, it’s because somebody has put silicone on it at some point. Using a good general purpose or foam cleaner will get this off. Anna likes BugsAway as it is antibacterial and I have to say that it works as well on plastic and vinyl as anything else we use.
If your dashboard is really feeling sorry for it’s self, it it has become faded or stained, there is one more option - you can have a Smart Repair technician recolour it with vinyl inks (see picture). They can even fill small holes and scratches and make it like new again, obviously, this is by far the most expensive (by far) option but it does answer the question as you dashboard really will look like new.
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This process is simple, clean, and efficient. I love how you’re descriptive on the wrong method to clean your car. Thanks for the advice. I was going to purchase a product that would make my dashboard gleam, but figured i should do a little research first. Good thing I did. 8 )
I’m glad you found this advice useful Jon, but Looking at it now all this time later, I realize I could have said more…
Since I have been involved with valetshop.co.uk I have learnt more about products and what is available. And you cannot underestimate the power of a good general purpose cleaners! Now I’m not telling you to go on our shop to buy one, there are plenty on the market, but getting a good one does make your life easier. And of course there is microfibre cloths. For this kind of work, you don’t need a really expensive one even though some are definitely better than others. A microfibre is miles better than anything else for this kind of work.
The aforementioned shop sells products we recommend, and doesn’t sell… but I will mentions Dashboard Wipes. Many companies now sell these and although we won’t sell them because they are just too expensive, they are a good idea. I have young children, so always keep wipes in the car, although I use baby wipes which are much cheaper in the first place and one of those things that supermarkets always have on special offer. I can highly recommend having some in the boot of your car (out of the sun) as you can use them for all sorts of things from cleaning up spillages, bird droppings on your paintwork, and of course wiping over your dashboard.
…and click on my name below. It will take you to another dashboard related page on this website!
Oh, and never put stickers on your dashboard. Especially the kind of double sided tape you get on air fresheners!
These play havoc! The stickers themselves will often have solvent glues that ‘migrate’ into the dashboard and cause permanent damage. And if the air fresheners leak, or if you let something like a Magic Tree dangle onto the plastics, the essential oils will also damage the finish.
Try and hang all air fresheners on your rear-view mirror, or affix them under your seat (which is a really neat trick).