The dashboard of your car requires routine maintenance. Magnification of the sun’s intense heat as it moves through the windshield will cause the dashboard skin to dry, fade and crack over time. Unlike other parts of your vehicle, replacing a damaged dashboard is expensive. There are a few different ways to combat this that take little time and effort.

First, if you think of the covering of your dashboard as the outer layer of skin on your body you will more clearly understand this. How do you protect your skin? You protect it from the sun, keep it clean and apply protection of some kind, like aloe vera or sunblock, for example, to help maintain it. If you don’t, you wind up with gnarled looking skin over time. The same goes for the dashboard. Here are a few basic steps to follow.

1. Clean the dashboard regularly with a damp cloth. Soap is not necessary and can often dry out the fabric. Do this once a week.
2. Use a protecting product, like Armor All, made specifically for the material of the dashboard (usually either some type of vinyl or leather). Do this three times a month.
3. Purchase a windshield cover. Cheap ones made of cardboard will do while ones made of reflective material are even better.