Restoring Faded Interior Trims and Center Consoles

Empty out the center console, side pockets, and glovebox. You'd be surprised how much dust hides under your spare change and old servo receipts. Chuck the rubbish and put the important stuff in a Tupperware container.

Use the brush attachment on your vacuum. Be thorough around the gear lever gaiter and the seams of the plastic. If you leave grit there, you'll just scratch the plastic when you start wiping later.

Always, and I mean always, test your cleaner on a hidden spot. Some older Fords and Holdens have a 'soft-touch' coating that can peel if you use a cleaner that's too aggressive. (Found that out the hard way on a black Commodore back in 2010, absolute nightmare).

If the previous owner used that cheap, oily spray from the supermarket, you need it off. Wipe down the hard plastics with your IPA mix. It'll look dull and 'dry' afterwards, but that's what we want, a clean canvas.

Spray your interior cleaner onto your brush, not directly onto the dash (to avoid overspray on the glass). Work in small circles. You'll see the suds turn brown or grey as the dirt lifts.

Cupholders are usually the grossest part. If there's dried coffee or soft drink, let the cleaner dwell for a minute. Use a damp microfibre wrapped around a screwdriver head (carefully!) to get into the tight corners.

Wipe away the dirty suds with a clean microfibre. If the plastic still looks patchy, go again. You want an even, mate finish before moving to the protection stage.

For those scuff marks on the lower door trims (from people kicking the door open), try a damp Magic Eraser. Use very light pressure. It’s basically very fine sandpaper, so don't go nuts or you'll sand away the grain of the plastic.

Use a fresh, dry microfibre for infotainment screens. If it's really fingerprinty, use a dedicated glass cleaner or a screen cleaner. Avoid anything with ammonia.

Now the fun part. Put a few drops of your protectant (like 303) onto an applicator pad. Work it into the plastic in overlapping passes. It'll look a bit wet at first.

Wait about 5-10 minutes for the product to soak in, then take a clean microfibre and buff the surface. This removes the excess and leaves that factory-fresh satin look rather than a greasy glare.

Use a dry detailing brush or a cotton bud to get the protectant into the air vents. Don't leave big globs of product in there or dust will just stick to it instantly.

Open the doors and look at the console from the passenger side. You'll often see streaks you missed from the driver's seat. Give it one last buff.