News for Consumers on Car Care

April is national car care month. This timely reminder can be a great incentive for all of us to keep our vehicle interiors clean and make our cars last, saving money in the long haul.

While some cars have interiors of leather, more and more designers are utilizing plastic in car interiors, posing a special care and cleaning challenges. Below we've compiled some simple and quirky tips to help care for the many plastic, nylon and vinyl surface in the interior of your car that most people may not think to do. Some foolproof tips are as follows:

Hard plastic surfaces:

* Weekly Care: Once a week you should wipe down your dash, door panels, consoles and other hard surfaces with a damp cloth.

* Monthly Care: Once monthly, you should treat hard plastic surfaces with a plastic and vinyl protectant - preferably one with UV protection -to be applied with a foam applicator pad to maintain the color and integrity of the surfaces. Various protectants have different finishes - some shiny, some matte-but in general protectant should not be applied to the steering wheel or pedals for safety reasons. Follow the directions on your chosen protectant, and use cotton swabs or an old toothbrush to get into nooks and crannies and clean out air vents and grills. And for your electronic panel - no matter how fancy - just wipe down clear or reflective surfaces with a damp towel and use cotton swabs or a toothbrush to apply protectant to opaque plastic nooks and crannies.

* Stain removal: If you have a stain from an errant diet soda, you can use either a special cleaner for vinyl or plastic or diluted household all-purpose cleaner to remove sticky or thick stains - just be sure to wipe off all cleaner residues with a damp towel and dry. For scuffs or marks on fabric door panels, use a diluted household cleaning solution and a soft scrub brush, wiping the panel clean when you're done.

Upholstery:

* Spot Cleaning: Most cloth interiors and made of stain-resistant polyester or recycled PET, but even the most stain-resistant fabric doesn't stand a chance against kids, animals, or the odd road trip. For spot-cleaning, an upholstery spot cleaner should do the trick.

* Overall Cleaning: For a deeper cleaning, use an upholstery cleaner and a damp scrub brush to gently agitate the fabric. Rinse by using a damp cloth to wipe away the suds, and use a wet-dry vacuum to vacuum as much moisture and soap away as possible. Allow the fabric to dry for a day (leaving your windows open to allow moisture to evaporate) before drying.

Carpet Cleaning

* Most carpet in cars is made of synthetic fiber (some of it even made of recycled plastic). In order to keep these clean and stain-free, vacuum the floors every time you wash, removing floor mats beforehand. If you have a spill, don't panic - use paper towels or napkins to blot (don't rub) and get to some serious spot cleaning within 48 hours to ensure stains aren't set in. Use a carpet spot cleaner and a scrub brush to attack the stain before it inflicts permanent damage.

For more information on automotive tips and news and plastic innovations in general please visit www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com .