In all my past vehicles, I could armourall the dash and console, but in the xD I wonder if the patterned plastic-ish material the dash is made of is meant to be cleaned that way or some other way? How have you cleaned that in your car?

 

the xA i have (same plastic as far as i know) looks better when armour-all'd (or anything that adds a nice shine). as long as you make sure what you are buying isnt abrasive or anything, the plastic will be fine. unlike vinyl/leather, the plastic isn't going to crack from sunlight or anything, and the chemicals don't strip the dye off the plastic.

the only thing on this particular plastic; some of the products out there add way too much shine, and the sunlight hitting it reflects horribly. i've had no problems with armor all and turtle wax's nano-tech spray, though.

 

ps. i noticed you mentioned cleaning and armour all... the shiny stuff will not clean the plastic - you'll need a damp towel or proper cleaning whipes to clean. after it dries, THEN you apply the shiny stuff. otherwise it will start to gunk up after a while and look/feel nasty.

i doubt anything you do will hurt the plastic, though, save from bleaching/sanding it...

 

I use the Meguiar's Vinyl cleaner and shiney maker stuff. It cleans and makes my vinyl look shiney. Never tried Armour-all so I don't know about that.

 

Blackberry,
My wife just brought up this very issue today! I know what you mean about the textured plastic - it seems like armorall or vinyl cleaner would just gunk up the little cavities, and since it's not the least bit shiny to begin with, I'm not sure what "shiney maker" would do.
Seems to me like vacuuming off the whole dash would be the only way to really dust it! Or maybe a textured swiffer cleaner or something, but I'm curious if anyone has a good cleaning solution for this textured surface.
Thanks for the question,
Andy

 

i have used a few products to make my interior shine. i prefer meguiars or stoner's,but the key is to clean it first. some companies make cleaners, but warm water will work as well. just like anything you want to start with a clean surface.

i have heard that armor all makes it hard to paint a part if you have used it.....anyone have a hands on experience?

p.s. also my method of applying the shiny stuff is to use a microfiber cloth, spray on that and then apply and make use it is even.

 

No idea how you guys can enjoy shiny dash - I'd think it would bother me a lot - reflecting sunlight and making it hard to see outside at certain angles (dash reflecting in the windshield).

I'd just use a damp microfiber towel and wipe the dust off. No armorall for me. Ever.

 

IDK about the xD, but the xA's dash isn't angled bad for glare. As far as the stuff getting gunked, what I use are the whipes. Helps evenly distribute better than spraying.

Armor all making plastic hard to paint? I've never heard of that. As far as I know, shine chemicals don't bind with plastic... all you would need to do is give the plastic a nice cleaning before you paint it.

 

I agree with Zolitz why does the dash need to be shiny. I like it perfectly the way it came from the factory. Using a damn microfiber or using Meguires quick interior detailer works just fine to get the dust off. Keep doing that and your car keeps looking like it just came from the dealership. That greasy armorall stuff is annoying especially if you ever touch the dash afterwards it makes your hand feel real greasy and slippery.
Ben

 

A detail shop armoralled the interior of my 350Z once - I got 2 free detailings out of them for that, plus they spent 30 minutes removing the greasy crap. I was sliding in the car like a cow on ice - everything from steering wheel to pedals was slippery.

 

o_O you aren't supposed to armor all the parts that you touch. a detail shop of all places should know that.

 

Many layers of armour all will get it to shine and then after that one or two applications per cleaning will bring it back.

 

Armour all cleaning wipes (not the greasy protectant) seems to work pretty well. I've been using those for a while with no residuals or effect.

 

The wipes work pretty good too. The spray doesn't get greasy if you spray it into the rag first and work it into the surface. Def use a microfiber rag though, there is no left over fuzz with those.

 

The shine doesn't bother me at all actually. Plus I like it looking somewhat shiney. I buff it on and then I sorta buff it off so its a dull shine.

 

I use a microfiber towel and spray it with 409. Works perfectly. Sometimes I'll even use the Meguiars Quick Detailer. No shine for me. Yuck!

 

I don't have my xD yet but I use 303 Aerospace Protectant in my cars. I learned about it when I had my MR2 which was all plastic inside except the seats. Doesn't leave a greasy coating like armorall can and provides UV protection and has some anti-dust properties that actually work pretty well. Their website is www.303products.com. I've never found it in your run of the mill auto store but most Ace hardware stores sell 303 products.

 

some of the guys around here swear by pledge multi-surface cleaner and a microfiber. it worked great on my dash and left a nice "outdoor" sent when i tried it. just make sure you don't get the lemon scented unless you are into that smell...

 

I just use a dry microfiber cloth. They're super soft and pick up dust and crap really well. I even use them to buff out any scuffs I get on the lower part of the doors. Works great.