Cleaning the dashboard of your car.

"A dash of cleaner"

People seem to spend more time cleaning the outside of their car than the inside.

Perhaps the fact that other people are more likely to see the outside comes into play.

When TorqueCars started talking to its members we discovered that many people find it difficult to clean the inside of the car, particularly the dashboard.

Firstly we should caution against the use of dash polishes.

Often these contain a silicone element which leaves a sticky residue and although this looks shiny it actually becomes a magnet for dirt and grime.

Good quality interior dash cleaners and sprays do a good job but Torque Cars find that you can do the same thing with household items and a little elbow grease.

On sunny days the glare from a highly reflective dash can be a serious driving hazard.

To clean the dashboard you need little more than a soft sponge, a little water (from a cool pre boiled kettle or filtered water), some CD cleaning solution and a micro fibre cloth. A cotton bud will also come in handy.

Firstly vacuum the inside of the car as this will remove the particles that are most likely to become airborne. The dash should be the last thing you clean.Many times I have dislodged dirt or dripped cleaner on the dash whilst cleaning the interior or windscreen and had to go the dash again.

Use the soft sponge after dampening it with the water. This will remove most of the dirt and grime from the surface of the dashboard.

The CD cleaner will contain IPA Isopropyl Alcohol and this mild solvent will remove stubborn stains without affecting the condition of the plastic. IPA will also help to remove the residue from previous polish and dash cleaners.

The next phase is getting into the nooks. Use the cotton bud, against lightly moistened to get into those hard to reach edges. Again use the CD cleaning IPA to remove stubborn stains.

Finish off with a microfiber cloth (a felt pad will also give a good finish!) Please resist the urge to use a polish at the end - you will make it much harder to clean next time.

If your dash has a matt finish you should not rub too hard as it is possible to wear a smooth patch into the finish.