Best Car Dashboard Cleaner and Polish

You’re probably looking for advice on the best car dashboard cleaner and polish. We’ve got your back. You don’t need solutions with harsh chemicals and other toxic elements that will quickly degrade your plastic or vinyl dashboard and other interior components.

You don’t also want to use cleaning products made of bleach or hydrogen peroxide. Commercial detailing sprays that leave your dashboard surface wet or glossy will leave a glare, which is not also advisable—Consumer Reports, Inc.

Best car dashboard cleaner and polish

Having looked at the pros and cons of several dash cleaners, we’ve done the due diligence of filtering out unreliable products to give your dash the best wipes and appearance. Below are our selected best car dashboard cleaners and polish:

1. TriNova Plastic & Trim Restorer – Shines & Darkens Worn Out Plastic, Vinyl & Rubber Surfaces – Protects Cars & Motorcycles from Rain, Salt & Dirt – Prevent Fading – 8 OZ

Quite an amazing cleaner for your dash. Easy to apply and could take our tested plastic Ford F150 dashboard from patchy light grey back to its original black. This product does not contain dye in it, so no need to tape your entire car.

Pros:

a. Dashboard protection

Keeps the dash from the sun’s UV rays, so your dash is protected from fading so quickly. Your dash will age with time, but this product slows the process, keeping it from getting dull. It can also restore your car dash if it’s showing aging signs already.

b. Streak-free

Doesn’t leave streaks on the dash like some other cleaner and polish that are really just black dye. No streaky residue noticed even after wetting the dashboard after application.

c. Easy to apply

Just use the applicator pad included in the package to wipe or polish your dashboard with the cleaner and allow it to dry.

Cons:

No negatives to discuss. After 3 weeks of application, this dashboard cleaner and polish still gives a fresh shine before starting to fade. So, we do estimate that applying this cleaner once a month or so will do. We didn’t use much for one application, so it’s likely that this bottle will last for some months. We’ve been impressed so far—highly recommended.

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2. Chemical Guys SPI_663_16 InnerClean Interior Quick Detailer and Protectant (16 oz), yellow

Just spray this cleaner and polish it on your dashboard surface. Wipe it off and go about your other business—your dash will look just like that of the showroom vehicles hours later. Apart from looking great, this dash cleaner smells as good too.

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Pros:

a. Not glossy

It provides a good finish that is neither shiny nor flat. The finish is more like satin or matte. Again, this cleaner smells terrific, so we’re recommending it as one of our best car dashboard cleaners and polish. This beautiful finish tends to last a considerably long time, between 3-4 weeks after application.

b. Cleans and protects the dash

A good product for removing dust, grime, dirt, body oils, and dust from your dashboard. Apart from giving your car an OEM factory appearance, it protects against fades and cracks caused by UV rays.

c. Quick and easy application

Quite easy to apply anywhere. Note that “BOD” on this dash cleaner represents the production dates and not the expiration dates.

Cons:

No negatives after a month of use—it does exactly what it promises. You shouldn’t bother ordering the smaller bottle. If you’re okay with the baby powder smell, order the gallon and get a spray bottle to use for the application of this cleaner on your dash for a longer time. It’s an impressive solution, no downsides at all.

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3. Chemical Guys SPI22016 Total Interior Cleaner and Protectant, Safe for Cars, Trucks, SUVs, Jeeps, Motorcycles, RVs & More, 16 fl. oz

All we had to do was spray, and dab up this dash cleaner and polisher. After 12 hours, the sunscreen, mud, dust, and literally any foreign stuff in the dash were magically gone.

Pros:

a. Does what it says

It cleans and protects the dash surfaces well enough.

b. No streaks or etch on the dash

Made of gentle formula that leaves no spot, stain, or etches on your dashboard.

c. Provides UV protection

Parking your vehicle where it is exposed to sunlight is not friendly. With this cleaner, you can fight off fading caused by harsh UV solar rays.

Cons:

This does a great job on any new vehicle. However, if your car is very dirty, consider switching to Car Guys super cleaner and apply 303 UV protectant for the dash and trim or use 303 or Trinova fabric protector after cleaning with the Car Guys. Chemical Guys SPI22016 can go on your LCD as well.

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4. Meguiar’s G13616SP Quik Interior Detailer Cleaner, 16 Fluid Ounces

Some consumers have noted that the spray nozzle of this dash cleaner does not properly fit the bottle. Thus, there’s always a spill or drip from the bottle when the content is sprayed (held at an angle) on the dashboard or other interior components. We’ve closely examined this and figured out you just have to screw the nozzle on with a bit of force. Don’t be afraid to use some strength when you encounter resistance. Just continue to turn the head until it gets tighter to stop the spillage or drippage.

Pros:

a. No greasy finish

After application, your dashboard won’t turn out greasy. So, it never gets to trap dust and dirt.

b. Suitable for most components

This formula will also clean other interior plastics, vinyl, rubber, leather, metal, and even your LCD and navigation screens.

c. Easy to apply

Just spray and wipe, that’s all. Leave it for a couple of hours (preferably 12 hours) to dry.

Cons:

Its perfume is not so bad, but if you prefer a little less perfumed cleaner and polish for dashboard, this may not be for you. Note that the perfume fades quickly fades though, so it’s not a big problem. Overall, highly recommended and excellent for the money.

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5. Interior Cleaner Car Leather Wipes by Armor All, For Cleaning Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles, 20 Count

It transforms amazingly and is easy to apply. Just use a damp cloth for any deep dirt and then wipe this Armor cleaner over your plastic or vinyl dashboard for a refreshing finish.

Pros:

a. Suitable for most materials

Works on vinyl, plastic, and rubber without defects.

b. Resists UV rays

This makes the best car dashboard cleaner and polish because it offers the much-needed UV rays protection, keeping your dash from fading and cracking.

c. Gives a natural finish

We can confirm that this cleaner adds a natural shine to restore the rich, deep look of your dashboard. No greasy or lint finish after application.

Cons:

The package the cleaner is stored in will not keep them moist for as long as it’ll take you to use up. Also, the towel looks small, perhaps, a larger towel would be more practical for applying the cleaner on the dashboard.

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6. Griot’s Garage 10956 Interior Cleaner 22oz

All you have to do is to spray this cleaner on your dash. Use a microfiber cloth to polish or wipe and any fading, dust, grime, or dirt is gone—it restores the dashboard to a showroom-like appearance.

This cleaner may have its limits, but we used it on a very dirty dashboard and other interior components without finding negatives.

Pros:

a. No greasy finish

This dashboard cleaner leaves no greasy or lint residues behind after application. Thus, it doesn’t attract dirt and dust to your dashboard.

b. Dries clear and invisible

Leaves a clear look after drying as described. It removes sticky stuff but works even better when getting rid of dirt, smudges, and grime.

c. No dyes or additives

This is not a concentrate, so no dyes or additives that discolor your dashboard or other interior components. Safe to use on any dashboard color without fear of discoloration.

Cons:

A little expensive but goes a long way to produce a refreshing finish and interior experience. Moreover, this product is unscented, which could be a con or pro, depending on whether you love scents or not.

Otherwise, there are no negatives and no gloss look after application. Just leave it to dry for a new, natural dash shine.

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7. Adam’s Microban Interior Detailer – Advanced Car Interior Cleaner, Protectant & Dressing | All Purpose Cleaner & Leather Conditioner | Vinyl, Dashboard, Screen, Seat Cleaner & More | Air Freshener

This dash cleaner is recommended for interior detailing and it’s 100% safe to use on any frequently touched surface like your dashboard and others.

Pros:

a. UV protection

Offers UV protection for the dashboard by fighting off sun rays.

b. Scented

This may be a pro or con, depending on whether you prefer scents or not. The scent is quite pleasant. The manufacturer, Adam, claims to use Microban technology for added protection.

c. Easy to use

You don’t have to be an expert to professionally detail your interior faster and easily.

Cons:

Quite good for newer or well-maintained vehicle dash. However, it falls short trying to clean the high-traffic or very dirty dashboard. Nevertheless, this is not a bad cleaner at all.

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How to clean your car dash

a. Prep the dashboard

First, prep the dash and make sure it is dry enough. Pre-cleaning will reduce the amount of dirt, grime, or debris on the dash for the formula to stick.

b. Apply the product

Shake the cleaner well and apply it to the dashboard. Alternatively, you can spray the content onto a clean towel and work it on the dashboard evenly.

c. Allow it to dry

After applying the product evenly with a microfiber towel, allow it to dry. You can use the other portion of the wipe to dry the dashboard. Don’t allow the cleaner to dry on its own on the dashboard to avoid stains, streaks, and lint.