What do you use to clean dashboard and display unit?

See title. Want to tidy up the ol Taco this week and I was just wondering what you guys find to be the most useful for the dashboard and the display unit itself.

Also, has anyone ever seen anything like this before? It is on the driver side door arm rest. I cleaned it a little while ago with some warm water and a wash cloth but it came back. I have no clue what it could be. My first thought (albeit gross) was maybe like dead skin or something from my arm but I've driven in a t-shirt maybe 3 times in the month I've had the vehicle. I'm almost always wearing long sleeve shirts driving to work so I don't think it's that.

I know it's not major but just kind of annoying and seems odd.

 

Seems like something scratched that material a bit so I'm not sure if cleaning it will bring back that grayish color anymore. As for the display unit, I usually clean that off with a microfiber towel and some Invisible Glass, you can pick a can up at Lowe's.

 

Really hard to tell from the pictures if that's build up, or dug out of the material. If it's build up, get something mildly abrasive, maybe an old toothbrush if you don't have any car detailing brushes and get after it with some warm soapy water.

After a long trip, I like to take a bucket of hot water with a few drops of dish soap in it to wipe everything down first, using a microfiber. Work your way from the cleanest to the dirtiest, or use a couple of cloths. Then get yourself some 303 or some Mother's Back to Black to help condition and maintain any areas that need it.

 

A reputable interior detail spray (Adams Interior Detail, Sonax Interior Cleaner, Nextzett cockpit premieum) followed by 303 Aerospace (not on the headunit). Use the product with a microfiber or for textured areas like the armrest, use a textile brush.

 

Believe or not that might be from your arm, sweating perhaps skin oil etc. A friend of mine had the same thing happened to his driver side panel and figured out that it was from his arm sweat. Looks exactly like that, hard to remove as well. He doesn't have a Taco, his a Chevy guy. Also with his a/c controls. Most cases the oil from your fingers will eventually eat up the paint/coat from the control panels.

 

Has anyone used this stuff before? https://www.meguiars.com/automotive/products/meguiars-quik-interior-detailer-g13616-16-oz-spray

Picked some up yesterday but wanted to get some input on it before I went cleaning away. Seems like it would be a good cleaner and then I'd just need something to treat after the fact?

 

I use Novus on all the clear plastic pieces. Works great!

 

A park ranger I used to work with had weird chemistry in his arm sweat that could strip paint! His work truck and personal vehicles always had bare metal on the door where he rested his arm!

OP: be extra careful cleaning the instrument panel, the plastic is very, very soft! Also consider getting a stick on glass cover for the headunit display, its posted here on TW, and sold on Amazoff or FleaBay.

 

You can use lemon Pledge safely on the plastic (with a micro fiber cloth).

 

I used to use this but i noticed it would leave a weird smell for a couple days after using it. I've since switched to chemical guys total interior cleaner. No smells and it cleans every surface in the interior.

 

This is a very real thing. Often occurs in people with darker hair. I've seen plenty of cases where bicycle paint bubbles and flakes away...of course this is from frequent exposure to sweat.

 

Weird stuff, and I just learned about how we have to drain anal sacs on our dog this week too!

 

This is what I use, recommended by the detailer who did my ceramic coat. Just follow the instructions: apply, then buff with a clean microfiber cloth.

 

Dashboard: dip a microfiber cloth into hot water, wring out & have at it.

Instrument cluster plastic: microfiber cloth and stoners glass cleaner. To avoid scratches use a small portion of the microfiber at a time, feeding more of the microfiber into action as you progress across the plastic (e.g. a reverse conveyor belt or street sweeper) so only fresh/clean microfiber is coming into contact with the plastic.

 

Same issue as the OP, the head unit and what/how to clean the instrument cluster plastic without scratching it....more.

I used a clean microfiber from AutoZone on both and it seemed to not work great.

Last servicing at the dealer it’s looked like the head unit was new. I asked a few times and never got an answer.


@Maine_Tacoma13
From your pix It looks like something is ground into the texture of the material....or it’s salt from sweat. Iirc you can scuff that plastic if you scrub it too hard.

 

$12 California Car Duster 62447-8B Mini Duster

https://www.amazon.com/California-Car-Duster-62447-8B-Mini/dp/B00008RW9V

 

That's what I use followed by 303 on all surfaces except the screen and gauge cluster

 

Painters tape... saw that tip on here and it works great for removing dust before wiping with microfiber, just stick on and peel off!