Auto body repair & detailing: car dash cleaner

Question
Many products that clean and shine the car dashboard make it look good, but I've read that they eventually make it crack and dry out. Is there a good product to clean and protect it, especially against sun damage, without doing that? Thanks

Answer
Hi Lee,

Nothing should ever clean and shine...LOL

These should be two different steps. I have found that cleaning the dashboard with a damp cloth and mild solution should work just fine. Using brushes and q-tips to detail. If it is really dirty you can use the Mr. CLean Magic SPonge to clean things up. Do not use it on shiny or chrome surfaces because it will scratch. Always dry throughly.

The so called protection chemicals will dry the dashboard out over time, thus leading to cracking. The reason for that is that they are water based. If you can find one that is oil based that might work better. I have never been one that added protection to the dashboard because the shiny surface also resulted in more sun glare. Manufacturers switched to a non-glare finish years ago because of this factor.

Most newer vehicles (the last 15 years) have had a sun protectant chemical impregnated into the plastics to help keep them from drying out and cracking. If you live in the south or southwest where sun and temperatures are high, I would use a windshield sun blocker during the day or if it's legal in you state, have the windshield tinted to filter out the UV rays.