moonstone

I know that we get various leather conditioners to clean our leather seats in the Acura. But what do you guys use for cleaning dust from the dashboard, etc.? Is soap water okay or will it damage the material?

Mr Zipps

303 I use it on everything except the windows...

groebuck1

the vinyl and trim on any new car is coated (ever notice a film on the interior of your new car? that is the coating and protectants in it evaporating).

Becuase of where the dashboard and most of the trim are you also need to worry about UV damage (having the sun beat down on the interior most of the day) -

On a new car interior - you don't have to worry to much about cleaning the vinyl/plastic - but you want a good protectant (one without silicone as silicone will deteriorate the protective coating and end up doing more harm than good in the long run) - one that is water based and has some UV protectant in it.

I use 303 areospace protectant - it's all of those things and leaves a low gloss (I hate that shiny oily look) - and has no odor. Meguairs Gold Class Vinyl protectant is pretty good off the shelf (303 I can only find on line - Meg's you can get at target) but it has a rather strong "leather" smell. Another good product is Poorboy's natural look - it has a light cherry smell, is water based and has uv protectant as well -

for the 303 and poorboys you can check out -

http://www.premiumautocare.com/index.html

use the coupon code detailcity for an extra 10% off your order.

If the interior needs some cleaning first I would use a diluted simple green or you can go with one of Meguairs professional vinyl cleaners (you should be able to get that at most auto parts stores like pep boys or auto zone) - then follow up with a good dressing (one of the above mentioned products).

If it is just dust, use a microfiber towel and it will pick it all up no problem (or you can try a swiffer cloth).

SK2003TypeS

303, great for dash an interior.

groebuck1

try it on your leather sometime - it's awesome!! I alternate between 4star Platinum and 303 when dressing the leather to get that 303 UV protectant - makes my black leather darker and richer and low/no gloss

moonstone

So just to get it straight, to pick up any dust or dirt, I can use a damp towel? That means water is not harmful to the dashboard?

And then for sparkle and UV protection I can use something like 303. Is that right?

groebuck1

a dry microfiber towel you can pick up a pack of 5 for a couple buck at walmart

fsttyms1

i take a mild soap (one i use on the car that doesnt have any degreasers or waxes) like 1 or 2 drops to a small bucket of mild temp water and use a nice clean rag to whipe down and clean all the interior(dash, seats, doorpanels) and then use 303 on just about everything!

SK2003TypeS

groebuck1, I do use 303 also. Just used Pinnacle last couple of times because I found it in my collection and was like "hmmm, when did I buy this ?". But yeah 303 rocks !! Works on the roof seal too !
moonstone, yes, that's what I do. I use 1 damp MF towel and wipe everything down (dash, seats, console, etc.). Not damp to the point that it leaves everything wet. Then I wipe up any excess moisture with a 2nd MF towel. With a 3rd MF towel I spray 303 on it, wipe whatever sections I'm doing and then with a 4th towel (or the 2nd if it's semi dry), I'll buff out any "wet" spots. You can kinda control the amount of gloss you get with the 303. I like it because you can give your dash a matte finish so it doesn't look greasy/shiney.

fsttyms1

i use 303 on my moonroof seal too! it really keeps it from creaking!

SK2003TypeS

that's my hi-tech way of knowing when to re-apply :p

moonstone

Wow! Thanks for all the detailed and enthusiastic replies :-)

goldendragon576

I use the armor all wipes on random situations but on big washes I use something else I can't remember right now. The wipes come in handy when you need it.

Severin

I ONLY use "Swiffer" pads on my dash to remove the dust. Buy the ones containing no additives (scents, etc). I use a pad once then throw it out. Removes every ounce of dust like a magnet.

fsttyms1

HEY thats a good idea! i always get soooo much dust in my car

rock

I agree, works really great. I usually cut it up into smaller pieces and just run it on the dash etc. I may try the micro fiber cloth next, since it's reusable.

`ill*tl

I just keep a small rag under my seat. Our interiors do seem to get really dusty..especially those Summer days. And I wipe down my interior with Meguiars leather wipes monthly and usually just use a damp towel all the other times.

miltcharlie

swiffer wipes 4 dust.
meguiars leather wipes for the leather.
Amorall on other parts.(dash,door non-leather parts)

Amorall leather wipes I've found to dry out the leather.

Deity42

I use a damp paper towel on the dashboard and the console. For the door panels and door sills, where shoe marks tend to show up, I break out the old 409.