Help me clean my gauge faces

March 1, 2012 | By Richard Prince

Question:

I am working on a 1970 Chevelle SS and want to clean the gauge faces in the dash, including the tach. The gauges are in excellent shape but I would like to clean the surface without damaging any of the lettering. Do you have any suggestion on what type of cleaning solution I should use?

Answer:

The best way to clean the gauge faces depends on why they’re dirty.

Is it just dust or something more nefarious? In almost all cases you can’t go wrong gently washing the faces with a microfiber cloth and a very mild dishwashing soap-and-water solution. For stubborn muck you should be OK using wax and grease remover, which shouldn’t hurt the face’s finish as long as the paint is properly adhered.