Cleaning your vehicle Dashboard? Here's what you need to know...

Have you noticed that when you get into your car, one of the first things you see is the dust on the dashboard? Or at our place, footprints, dust, fingerprints, food crumbs and the odd bit of coffee splash!  I so often overlook the dashboard and I shouldn’t – now it’s so easy to clean.

I wanted to have a DIY system that was simple.  No glue gels, no blue tac, no silly putty – just plain simple.  And yet, I need to get all the little crumbs out, the marks off and get rid of the dust. 

I’ve found the best way, so, here’s how I do it now.

1. Vacuum the dashboard using the brush attachment, if you don’t use this the vacuum hose might scratch the dashboard.  Then take off the brush attachment and vacuum the cup holders on the dash and in the centre consul.
2. Dust the air vents, dash and steering column (don’t forget to change the position and height of the steering wheel to get into all the gaps). It’s easy to pay attention to the little nooks and crannies around the air vents, buttons and dials using a small paintbrush or foam brush. You could use an earbud or Q tip, but they’re harder to hold. For stubborn crumbs, especially those in the joins and cup holders, a soft toothbrush will do the trick
3. Polish and treat using Auto+Aid Dashboard Restorer.  It’s non-oily, matte finish and can be used on plastic and vinyl surfaces. Just spray on, work in and buff off with a microfibre cloth.
4. Info Screens and Dash Glass are best cleaned with a damp microfibre cloth or glass cleaner for those stubborn marks. Remember to spray the glass cleaner onto the cloth, to prevent it dripping into the gap between the screen and the dash.

I’ve learned that if you want your dashboard to stay cleaner for longer, there are some easy ways to do that too!

1. Silicone Muffin Tin Liners– they’re not cool, and nothing screams “this is a mum’s car” louder, but they work.  Just put them in the centre console cup holders and boom! – every little coin, hair tie, pen, gum wrapper, cookie crumb or fruit sticker just lifts out and can be dealt with so quickly.
2. Wipe up drink spills quickly– as soon as they happen, now…today. Coffee, hot chocolate, sports drinks will all get sticky and not only make the car look unloved – they’ll invite the ants in for a party too.
3. Keep a microfibre cloth in the glove box or centre console box.  Do a quick wipe before you start driving or while you are waiting in a car park.

Nothing attracts finger marks faster than an oily surface, and the Auto+Aid Dashboard Restorer is great because it’s not oily.  It helps protect your dash from UV light, protecting it from fading and making it last longer.  The other great thing is that it disguises scratches and stains on the dash, and steering column.  Keep some in the glove box too!