How to Clean the Steering Wheel, Dashboard, Screens and Interior Glass

Keep it clean between washes. Most of what ends up on a steering wheel comes from your hands. Tesla says to drive with clean, dry hands, to "wipe off excess hand cream, sunscreen, and other fluids" before touching the wheel and to keep alcohol-based hand sanitizer off it (Tesla). Ford says to wash your hands after insect repellent and suntan lotion, which can damage interior painted surfaces, and to wipe up any hand sanitizer or air freshener spill at once: "Damage may not be covered by your warranty" (Ford). If sunscreen is part of your morning, this is the habit that saves the wheel.

There are three reasons, and only one of them is a problem.

1. It is meant to be matte. GM writes that today's interiors "are developed and intended to have a low-gloss appearance", and that silicone, wax-based or solvent products raise the gloss unevenly, which "may cause annoying reflections in the windshield" (GM). Tesla: "Do not polish the upper surfaces of the dashboard" (Tesla). Consumer Reports warns off sprays that leave the dash "looking wet or glossy, because that can create glare on the windshield" (Consumer Reports). A satin dash after cleaning is the factory finish.
2. Residue. GM: "Using too much soap will leave residue that leaves streaks and attracts dirt", and laundry detergents and degreasing dish soaps are out. A cloudy or streaky dash needs a second wipe with a cloth dampened with plain water, then a dry one, the way Ford cleans its instrument panel (Ford).
3. A product that attacked the surface. GM says "permanent damage may result" from cleaners used on surfaces they are not intended for, rules out scented or bleach wipes, and treats color on the test cloth or a changed look in a hidden spot as signs of chemical attack. Honda adds that "chemicals and liquid aromatics may cause discoloration, wrinkles, and cracking" to plastic parts (Honda). If one patch looks lighter, blotchy or sticky after a product, stop using it there.

To protect a dash from sun, use a UV protectant that dries to a low-gloss finish, and clean it in shade with the surface cool.

Should an interior cleaner be sprayed directly on a navigation screen? No. Spray the cloth, and only with a product your manual allows. Hyundai's manual: "Never allow water or other liquids to come in contact with electrical/electronic components inside the vehicle because this may damage them" (Hyundai). Honda warns that electrical devices "may malfunction if liquids are splashed on them" (Honda).

For the wipe itself, Tesla is the most specific: "a soft lint-free cloth specifically designed to clean monitors and displays", no glass cleaner, no alcohol-based gel, no wet wipe and no "dry statically-charged cloth (such as a recently washed microfiber)". It also has a Screen Clean Mode, so a wipe doesn't press buttons or change settings (Tesla). If your car has no such mode, wipe it with the car off.

The sources disagree on alcohol. Consumer Reports wipes screens with isopropyl alcohol on a microfiber and never with an ammonia-based cleaner, "which might damage a screen's anti-glare and anti-fingerprint coatings" (Consumer Reports); Tesla rules alcohol products out. Your manual decides. If it says nothing, start with the gentlest step, a clean display cloth, and add a cleaner only if the screen maker or carmaker approves one. Gloss-black trim around the screen scratches the same way, so it gets the same cloth and the same light hand.

From inside the car, cleaning the HVAC system means three things: the vents, the cabin air filter and, if it smells, the A/C itself.

• Vents and switches: a small paintbrush or soft toothbrush, as Consumer Reports suggests for vents, seams and cup holders, worked in front of the vacuum nozzle. No liquid sprayed into the louvers or onto switches.
• Cabin air filter: replace it at the interval in your owner's manual, and again after heavy smoke; why it matters for a smell is in the smoke odor guide.
• A musty smell when the A/C starts: that is moisture on the evaporator, not dust in the vents, and a vent spray won't reach it. See how to get mildew smell out of a car.

A vent-clip air freshener is a liquid near plastic: Ford says not to let air fresheners spill onto interior surfaces and to wipe a spill off at once (Ford).