A major part of your car’s interior, your dashboard might get overlooked during routine cleanings. But the good news is that you can now commence the cleaning process by yourself quickly. The cleaning should be carried out without neglecting any streaky residue and invoking any damage to it. After some simple steps of cleaning, the dashboard will enhance your car’s interior considerably. Here is a comprehensive guide to help you clean the car dashboard easily:
Step 1: Vacuum The Surface
Vacuuming is a good option as it will clean all the trapped dirt from the grooves on your dashboard.
How To Do It:
- Start by clearing out all visible pieces of dust, debris, and trash from the surface. This will remove all large chunks that might spread around and scratch the dashboard when you are cleaning it.
- Once all large pieces have been removed, use a vacuum and a soft brush to clean all residual dust thoroughly.
Step 2: Wipe The Surface Thoroughly
After vacuum, your dashboard will be smooth and it will get considerably more comfortable to wipe it. You should use specific products based on the material of your dashboard. There are lots of easily accessible cleaning solutions that you can try.
How To Do It:
- Wipe the dashboard and disinfect it.
- Make sure that you do a spot first. Start by using a small amount of the product on your dashboard and clean a small part.
- If the product is compatible, the surface of the dashboard will get spotlessly clean without any reaction.
- However, If the material seems discolored, try a different product.
Step 3: Cleaning Vinyl, Plastic, And Rubber Dashboards
How To Do It:
- If your dashboard has parts made of rubber, plastic, or vinyl, you should use a mild soap.
- Take a wet cloth and put the soap on it directly. Start wiping the dashboard gently but thoroughly with this soapy cloth.
- Try reaching hidden areas and crevices such as air vents, by using a soft-bristled paint or toothbrush with mild soap to scrub the area gently.
- For some stubborn stains, you can try making a natural cleaning solution using household products.
- Make a mixture using two cups of water, three half tablespoon oil-based soap, half tablespoon detergent, and three spoons of vinegar.
- Now fill this solution in a bottle with a spray and use it directly on sticky spots.
- Wait for a few minutes so the solution can dissolve stains and wipe it using a damp cloth.
Step 4: Cleaning Leather Dashboards
Dashboards that have leather parts are more sensitive to chemicals. If you use cleaning solutions and soaps directly on leather, it can get dry and develop cracks. This gives a dull appearance and feels very rough to touch.
How To Do It:
- It would help if you only used a microfiber cloth with very little water to do a basic and quick cleaning.
- For a leather dashboard that requires a thorough cleaning, you can use a cloth with an oil-based soap.
- You can also pick up some non-alkaline cleaner made specifically for leather at a local store.
- Again, to clean hard places use a soft-bristled paint or toothbrush.
- You can also clean the non-leather parts of your dashboard, such as vent covers, using gentle soap solutions for rubber, plastic, and vinyl.
Step 5: Don’t Ignore The Other Details
It’s essential to clean your center console, gear shift, steering wheel, radio system, and glass dash cover.
How To Do It:
- You can wipe these details using the dashboard cleaning solutions based on the material that they are made from.
- For the glass covers and radio, you can clean the surface with a cloth and glass cleaner.
- This will help you evade dust remnants, glare, and streaking caused by paper towels.
- You may also allow the dashboard c0leaning solutions to soak in a dirty cup-holder at the center console for about five minutes.
- Later you may soak the residue using a towel and clean it with a cloth.
Step 6: Finish With A Polishing
How To Do It:
It would help if you polished your dashboard afterward so it can get a shiny finish. This will also protect it from wearing out.
- You may also buy a car dashboard polish according to the material it is made up of.
- Use it with a slightly damp cloth, and perform a spot test.
- You may wipe this polish on the surface in appropriate amounts as needed.
- Later use a dry cloth to clean the dashboard and remove any surplus.
- You could get the same results with an olive or coconut oil.
- Performa spot test and wipe off all extra oil on your dashboard with a dry cloth.
- You can shine, condition, and protect your dashboard with this step.
Conclusion
While driving, dust and dirt tend to pile up, and your dashboard can begin to feel sticky. A dashboard is a significant part of the car’s interior and is one of the first things that the passengers notice. A sticky dashboard can be inconvenient while driving and can also affect the appearance of your car.
If your vehicle was recently vacuumed, cleaned and wiped, but something seems off, pay attention to the dashboard. By following this do-it-yourself guide thoroughly, you can perform a deep cleaning of your dashboard.
