TexRiv_63 Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 My 28 Pierce has what appears to be applied woodgraining over metal on the dashboard. It is original and appears to be in pretty good shape but is very dirty. I want to clean and polish it but I don't want to do any damage. What are effective but safe ways to clean this up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrpushbutton Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Start with mild soap and water (car wash soap or dishwashing liquid)-- you can always go heavier on what you use, but you don't want to damage any areas by using too strong a solution (you can cut a board three times and it will STILL be too short!). If the soap and water only get you so far, try a cleaner like simple green. As always, try any solution on a hidden area, the lip under the dash panel. After you get the panel clean, apply hand glaze to put a shine on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Wonder would Murphy's Oil Soap work on something like this? It's a mild, vegetable based soap. My Mama swore by it for the kitchen cabinets. I never liked the smell, but it is a good cleaner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyDale Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Dear Don,Before i followed any of the previous great advise i would fill a spray bottle with water and spray it on the dash with the intention of flushing as much of the dirt off without touching or wiping or SCRATCHING the woodgrain.You should be able to hold it fairly close to the surface.diz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexRiv_63 Posted November 6, 2007 Author Share Posted November 6, 2007 Thanks for the suggestions, I will start with just water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bkazmer Posted November 6, 2007 Share Posted November 6, 2007 beware Simple Green - I don't know if it's OK for paint but it can damage some types of plastic. Since the only plastic is this car is perhaps some Bakelite, less risk, but it is an agressive cleaner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57plymouth Posted November 6, 2007 Share Posted November 6, 2007 For gentle cleaning, you can't go wrong with cheap stuff...I use a product you can get at the center of all evil (walmart) called Fabuloso. It's cheap but effective. Cut it at the rate of 1/4 cup or less to a gallon of water. Gently scrub with a microfiber towel. Rinse and repeat untill you are a happy camper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted November 6, 2007 Share Posted November 6, 2007 I have found that simple baking soda will clean a lot of things and not do any harm.It will also boost the cleaning power of other products, including shampoo. You can safely clean contact lenses with it by mixing saline and a small amount of the baking soda. It is the one and only thing that I know of that will clean that sticky/gummy film that seems to form, no matter how well you wipe them down after each meal, on the plastic trays of baby highchairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrpushbutton Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 Susan---why didn't you post that a few years ago when my kids were in the high chair! think of the aggrevation it could have saved! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted November 7, 2007 Share Posted November 7, 2007 YIKES!!!! Now I wish I had. Looks like somebody likes Spagetti Os. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wldavis Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 Mr P B,Yeeuuu!! Did she ever come clean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 If she did, I guarantee she's hoping that picture never again sees the light of day! Why do parents insist on dragging out embarrassing pictures when their kids have friends over?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 Come on guys. My mom has a picture of me in a metal bath tub(wash tub), when I was very small. I'm not embarrassed. Heck, I didn't even have any "grey" chest hair then! Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennyZ Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 I have a dash problem too. My '41 Packard Clipper's dash is also metal with the original woodgrain painted onto it which is nice and bright. However, there seems to be some sort of a varnish coating on it which has become "bumpy". ie: it has a sort of a rough clear coating on it. How can that be safely removed? Mild cleaners won't touch it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyDale Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 Dear Denny,What you are describing sounds like someone clear coated the woodgrain.You describe the surface as recently becoming rough.....are you SURE it hasn't ALWAYS been rough?Can you determine if the surface under the clear is deteriorating?You are never going to be able to remove the clearcoat without stripping the whole deal.That being said...IF just the clear is rough you could try watersanding on a HIDDEN section with some 2000 paper then rub with a non aggressive compound and see it helps.diz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennyZ Posted November 11, 2007 Share Posted November 11, 2007 Thanks diz, I'll try what you suggest and let you know if it worked... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted November 11, 2007 Share Posted November 11, 2007 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: R W Burgess</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Come on guys. My mom has a picture of me in a metal bath tub(wash tub), when I was very small. I'm not embarrassed. Heck, I didn't even have any "grey" chest hair then! Wayne </div></div>Seems like most Southern mamas from before the 1960s have a picture of their small child having a bath in the back yard in a #2 washtub. Mine caught me standing up in the tub, with me little hands on the rim and me little equipment in full view. She would invariably drag that picture out whenever I brought a new friend home, saying "wasn't he cute?!" .My junior high buds thought it was the most hilarious thing they'd ever seen. The tables turned when I found out one of them had had a baby picture made, laying nekkid on a white fur rug. Belk-Leggett Department Stores had a photography department that made those pictures. I got his Mama to give me a copy of that picture and I put it in the county newspaper when he turned 21. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shop Rat Posted November 11, 2007 Share Posted November 11, 2007 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: rocketraider</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Mine caught me standing up in the tub, with me little hands on the rim and me little equipment in full view.</div></div>Innocent enough photo back then. Today you run the risk of such photos ending up in the hands of child pornographers. If anyone else prints photos for you, if you send photos by e-mail, or your computer gets hacked you run the risk of such photos getting into the wrong hands.I know that this is off topic but it is a valid warning to people about what can happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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