How To Restore Your Sticky Dashboard

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Sticky dashboards are not only an eyesore, they can make sitting in any car an uncomfortable experience. No one is perfect, and many drivers know the feeling of spilling food or coffee onto the dashboard. Now, we have a nasty mess to clean. If left untreated, the dashboard can become stained and damaged. 

Dashboards may become sticky for other reasons, too. Excessive heat is known to lead to interior damage, and then there's deterioration from exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. Getting the dashboard replaced can fix this problem, but that's going to cost upward of $600 from labor alone.

Be warned, nothing is a permanent fix. Car interiors will always get messy sooner or later, either by your own fault, or because you have messy kids or pets. Together, they will create some of the nastiest messes you've had to clean out of your car. Some products can help you fix up a sticky dashboard, but you'll have to reapply them eventually. 

When cleaning the dashboard yourself, there are a couple of chemicals you want to avoid, namely alcohol and acetone. Alcohol is great for killing germs, but it can interact with the plastic and damage the structural integrity o the dashboard, leading to cracks. Acetone, otherwise known as nail polish remover, breaks down and dissolves plastic, too, as well as the existing dashboard. And don't trust any everyday cleaner. If you want a solution made for automobiles and your dashboard, we have a suggestion down below.

You'll need a clean cloth or two, and we recommend microfiber, made for detailing and ridding surfaces of dirt and debris without causing scratches. Also get some warm water and soap, a small vacuum cleaner, and a toothbrush or a soft-bristled detailing brush. Both work in a similar fashion for scrubbing sensitive material.

After cleaning the dashboard with the vacuum, dip the microfiber towel into the soap/water mixture, get it nice and foamy, but don't drench it. Use it like a sponge, wringing out extra water and in-between uses to wash the dashboard. Get down into the details with the toothbrush or bristle brush and lightly scrub it. At this point, most would suggest a special cleaner or product to seal the deal and add some protectant. We all have our own collection of car cleaning hacks, so if you have some you'd like to share, let us know in the comments.

This one is for dashboards that are simply sticky from spilled sugary drinks or food. Car and Driver has done some testing, and published its Best Car Interior Cleaners list for 2025, graded on the type of material a cleaner is safe to use on (plastic, wood, glass, and screens), how smelly it is, and what tools can help make the cleaner more effective. A microfiber towel and a bristle brush pop up here as well.

According to the tests, Total Interior Cleaner & Protectant from Chemical Guys is the number one choice for cleaning and adding a protective layer to shield the dashboard and interior from harmful UV rays. It's easy to apply, but be sure to clean off your dashboard first. You don't want to add extra filth to all the other extra stuff you have around your car. And remember: Like car wax, these methods aren't permanent, and they're a recurring task for keeping the dashboard clean.