What is the best dashboard cleaner, protectant to use?

 

I use Turtle Wax ICE

 

swiffer...

what got your dashboard so dirty in the first place? dust is primarily the one thing that gets on mine.

 

I just found and started using Meguiars Supreme Shine it is great on the Fit dash. It does not go down into the dimples and dull it. You use a small round microfiber sponge and it does a great job. It gives the dash a wet look and does not dull over time.

Cat :x

 

aerospace 303, but only every 4-5 cleanings. The rest of the time a small california duster works great.

 

california duster FTW

 

i use calduster interior custer and some Prima Nero with MF cloth. leaves behind a nice nourished matte black finish.

www.detailersparadise.com

 

Anything BUT armor all. 303 is very good but my favorite is 1Z cockpit. Can be found on various detailing supplier online. I always use that stuff.

 

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/produc...?T1=MEG+G13616

There's better out there (like 1Z) but for ease of availability and price, this fits the bill nicely for me. It has a matte finish - you don't want anything that makes your dash shiny.

 

what's wrong with armor all? I use the armor all wipes and it gave it that nice wet look and it's been like that for months.

 

Hi I give a BIG thumbs up to 3m aerospace 303 been useing this stuff for a year and dash looks great and dust just don't stick + i only reapply every 2 - 3 months.
Jimrb66

 

I didn't realize people the wet plastic shiny look that reflects the sun into your eyes and attracts dust like crazy, if that's what you want then armor all is great.

If you want a clean matte look that repels dust then go for 303.

 

well if it repels dust than by all means! That's one of the only problems I have with it.

 

Armor all is notorious for attracting dust. Your better off just using a damp microfiber towel.

 

Armor All is bad because it contains alcohols, which can dry out the dash material and lead to cracking.

 

I don't know it this is best, but it works for me and my dash looks great. I treat with Lexol Vinylex, and use a California Duster to remove dust. Re-treat when it starts looking dull.

 

FWIW, I've used Armor All exclusively on the vinyl dash and surfaces in my Porsche 914 since I bought the car in late '82 (27 years). This is a CA and AZ car, and while I garage it and take care of it, it's seen tons of sun. 914's have notoriously poor vinyl and I've never seen one with an OEM dash that wasn't cracked - except mine. No cracks at all, looks brand-new. I've heard the same comments on Armor All before, but my experience has convinced me that the product works. I've been using a more modern product, Lexol Vinylex, in my other cars, but I think the more important thing is to use some type of UV protectant regularly if you want your vinyl to last.

 

Same here, except it's an original dash pad in a '66 Mustang that is in decent shape with Armor All use.

About all I've heard against Armor All is anecdotal evidence which gets repeated a lot. Maybe it's out there, but I've yet to see an FTC suit against Armor All for deceptive advertising by saying their product prevents cracking if it actually does the opposite. Splitfire got jumped on by the FTC in about 5 years for their spark plug claims. Armor All wouldn't be making those claims after decades on the market if there was proof that their product was causing interiors to dry up and crack. Not to mention that they've changed their formula multiple times over the years such that it's not the same product someone might have used 10 years ago.

 

I never used to believe this, but I've seen this happen to my friends car... not good. Plus I hate the glossy dash look, and that's enough to keep me from using it.

I just use a damp cloth on my interior plastic bits.

 

Glossy interior = crap. You want to keep the matte finish like the car came from the factory. Using crap like armor all just creates build up clogged with dirt and dust.