Restoring and Protecting Your Car's Door Panels

Never, ever clean your interior in direct sun. The chemicals will dry too fast and leave streaks that are a dog to get off. Find a spot in the carport or wait for the arvo shade.

Empty the door pockets. You'll find old servo receipts, half-eaten muesli bars, and maybe a rogue spider. Chuck the rubbish and put the important stuff in a container.

Use your vacuum with the brush attachment to suck up all the loose dust. If you spray liquid onto a dusty panel, you're just making mud and pushing it deeper into the grain.

Pick an inconspicuous area (down low near the speaker) to test your cleaner. Some modern 'eco-friendly' interiors have weird dyes that can bleed.

Roll the window down about halfway. This lets you clean the top edge of the door panel where it meets the glass, that's where all the arm-sweat accumulates.

Position your light so it hits the panel from an angle. This makes scuffs and stains stand out so you don't miss any spots.

Start at the top. This area gets the most UV and body oils. Spray your APC onto a microfiber towel (not the panel!) and wipe thoroughly.

If the plastic has a heavy grain, use your boar's hair brush. Spray a little cleaner onto the bristles and work in small circular motions. This lifts the dirt out of the 'valleys' of the plastic.

Be careful here! Don't spray liquid directly into the buttons. Use a slightly damp brush or a cotton bud to get the grit out from around the switches.

These are the germiest parts. Spend extra time here. If you've got silver-painted plastic, don't scrub too hard or you'll take the 'silver' right off (I've seen it happen on plenty of Mazdas).

These are usually filthy. If there's dried soft drink, use a bit of steam or a warm damp cloth to soften it first. Wipe all the way into the corners.

Use a dry brush first to flick dust out. If they're still dirty, use a very slightly damp brush. Whatever you do, don't soak the speaker behind the mesh!

For those black scuffs from shoes on the bottom of the door, try a damp microfiber first. If that doesn't work, this is where the Magic Eraser comes in, very light pressure, only on the hard plastic.

This is the big one. If you have white stains, try a dedicated leather cleaner or even a tiny bit of olive oil on a cloth to break down the zinc, then immediately clean with APC. It sounds weird, but oil breaks down oil.

Open the door wide and wipe down the painted metal area and the rubber seals. Use a separate, older towel for this as it'll be greasy.

Once you've cleaned everything with APC, go back over the whole panel with a fresh towel dampened with plain water. This removes any leftover chemical residue.

Use a dry microfiber to buff the panel dry. You want a perfectly matte, clean surface before you apply any protection.

Apply your protectant (like 303) to an applicator pad, not the door. Wipe it on evenly. Let it bond for a minute, then buff off the excess with a clean towel.

Since you've likely got some cleaner on the glass, give the inside of the window a final wipe with a dedicated glass cleaner.

Close the door, hop in the driver's seat, and look at the passenger door. You'll always spot a streak you missed from a different angle!