Keeping your dashboard clean is a great way to prolong that factory-fresh feel inside your car. If stains and sticky soils are allowed to dwell on your dash, they can magnify the damage caused by the sun’s harsh UV rays, putting extra stress on these surfaces. Plus, any chemicals from the food or drink you spilled will start to react with the plastic of your dashboard, potentially causing it to crack, fade and oxidize more quickly.

You should make a habit of cleaning your dashboard, along with the rest of your car interior, at least once a month to prevent this sort of damage. It’s also important to clean up any spills or mishaps that occur as soon as you can. The longer these sticky stains are allowed to dwell on your dash, the more difficult they are to remove.

Sometimes people make the mistake of using cleaners and protectants designed for car windows on their plastic dashboard and trim. Some may contain silicone polymers, alcohol and other chemicals that can make your dashboard slick and greasy or cause it to dry out and begin cracking and peeling. Instead, always use a purpose-built, interior cleaner like Turtle Wax Dash & Glass or Oxy Interior 1 to wipe down stains and soils on your plastic dash after vacuuming your floor mats and carpet. You’ll also need a gentle scrubbing pad like the Scrub Ninja or multiple cleaning cloths to encapsulate dirt and grime without scratching the inside of your car.

Spray an even layer of Dash & Glass all over your plastic panels. Use light, circular motions to agitate stains with your scrubbing pad or microfiber towel to allow the formula to break down these stubborn soils.

Once you’ve gotten rid of all the stains, soils and fingerprints on your dashboard, flip your microfiber cloth to a fresh side to wipe away any excess product and soils.