2006 Prius dashboard; cleaning

Yeah, I had a similar smudge and didn't have a lot of luck getting rid of it. I finally took some windex mixed with water (really watered it down) and rubbed it on there with a clean cloth. That pretty much took care of it. However, there's got to be a better solution (no pun intended!)

 

Stop everything you're doing and go find some 303 Aerospace protectant. Use it on anything that's plastic or vinyl or rubber in and around the car. Nothing better for tires, for weatherstripping or for cleaning and protecting the dash. I use a foam applicator for the dash, and it looks far better than it did when new. Doesn't leave any oily crap behind.

Man, I sound like an infomercial!

No, I don't work for this company, I've just used their products for years, and have found nothing better. Simple as that. Throw your Armorall away.

I'd provide a link, but I'm on dialup and that would take me an extra 20 minutes.

Now, the smudge problem that *I* have is behind the lens for the gages (specifically the fuel gage) up on top of the dash. I seem to have a huge fingerprint behind that thing that sure isn't coming off from the front. Sucks to have to take the car in for that, but it sure bugs me to look through grime to see my fuel gage.

 

I also got one of those static brushes that come with about 5 refills from Home Depot. Its short and you can keep it in the glove box and when you use it, it takes all the lint and little specks off the dash without having to cover every square centimeter with some rag or towel.

I keeps your dash looking like its still setting in the showroom!

 

Heres a link....
http://www.303products.com/store/index.cfm

 

Ok.. your a pretty good salesman.. you talked me into it... I remember you ranting over it when I was asking about armour all etc some days ago.....
I'll try it.. the cost is reasonable.. why not?

Item No. Item to Purchase Qty. Price after Options Ext. Price
121 6 Pack of 303 Wiper Treatment
1 $3.49 $3.49
141 8 oz. Pump Bottle 303 Aerospace Protectant
1 $7.95 $7.95
Subtotal: $11.44
Shipping (Shipping Will Be Added When Order Is Processed.): $0.00
Total: $11.44

 

thanks for posting! my wife will love this site. she's a closet chemist.

 

WS, are you talking about a product like the "swifter"? I comes with a wand, but you can just use the head part? I know my wife LOVES those for dusting. NOW BEFORE YOU WOMEN SAY ANYTHING.. I do all the laundry, I clean the bathrooms and most of the food shopping.... there is a division of labor

 

That may be what its called.. I threw away the box... but it has a little plastic handle that you can leave on one of the heads "5 or so come with it" and it fits in the glove box.
I really like it for getting all those little dusties out of the radio crevices and knobs and the cracks way up far in front of the dash by the control lights etc.... it just saves alot of work.
I imagine one head will last a year or so..we'll have to see.

 

I ordered my free sample package so maybe we can compare notes and share our findings with PriusChat. I've been told their windshield wiper treatment is awesome. Retail sales are at some Ace Hardware Stores.

 

Are any of you 2006 owners seeing an inprint under the covering on the dash on the passenger side when the sun is shining on it? I haven't put anything over there that would leave an imprint, must be something that is underneath the material?

 

I've seen the same thing or something similar on my 2004... I just assumed it had something to do with the airbag ??

BTW -- Is the "static brush" a swifter?

 

I thought maybe it was an airbag or something, too. Anybody know?

 

The faint rectangular outline you see on the right dash above the upper map compartment is indeed for the passenger airbag. The scoring permits the airbag to deploy in a collision. I hope to never see it operate.

I only notice mine in specific sunlight conditions.

 

Yeah...what is that thing? I keep thinking something was resting on the dash when it was shipped but I do not feel any type of depression.

 

oops...sorry...didn't read all the way down to the bottom post :mellow:

 

For dry cleaning the dash I use a blue microfiber cloth I got at Kragen. Picks up dust, no scratches. I keep it in the plastic bag it came in.

 

For cleaning the dash, the Swiffer dusting wands work great. I don't carry it in the car, I leave all that stuff at home in the garage and use them when actually cleaning the car.

The imprint you see in the passenger side dash is the airbag port. In the 90s passenger airbags usually were located under a deployment door or panel. It was pretty obvious what the door or panel in the dash was for. But between the auto manufacturers wanting better looking dashes, and more dash functionality without reducing dash storage, airbags became more compact and had the ability to break through "solid" surfaces in dashes rather than requireing obvious panels to be designed into dashes. To break through a "solid" surface, the surface had to be weakened, usually with scoring.

So, in the right light, we see the scoring underneath the dash.

 

I keep mine in my glove box.. whenever I notice lint.... I just pull it out and do a quick little touchup on the dash.... my wife started rolling the other day when I did that.... she said I looked gay....

I'm sure it looks a bit queer doing it at the red lights.. so I try to be inconspicuous! :lol: