Worried about keeping your car dashboard clean? Water works fine

BERLIN: If you're thinking of shining up your car's dashboard, there are countless products available at the store. Usually though, water will work just as well as any of the fancier chemicals out there.

Which is not to say it isn't worth worrying about: Keeping your dashboard shipshape and shiny is important, even though it's an area of your car that can be surprisingly easy to overlook.

Don't just take a cleaning product designed for household use, say experts, particularly when it comes to delicate areas such as where the airbags inflate, in case this gets damaged in the process.

Some clean water and a lint-free cloth are usually enough to get the job done, says Germany's Tuv Sud technical inspection association.

If this doesn't do the trick, however, then consider investing in a product designed specifically for cleaning the dash. Don't spray it on directly; instead, use a clean cloth or sponge to apply the product to the surface, then polish it with a microfibre cloth.

Make sure the product doesn't go near the steering wheel, handbrake or pedals, though - it could make them dangerously slippery.