So I recently ripped out most of the plastic trim bits, from the stereo surround and glove box, following the spine in the middle above the exhaust tunnel, and ending with the ashtray for the backseat folks. Although I did it for another reason, I found everything to be pretty disgusting, so I thought I'd wash it. Now, perhaps I should have used something more mild than dish soap, but after washing everything with a regular sponge and a toothbrush for the minutiae, I found that some of the parts appeared to have an oxidized look to them. I didn't let the soap dry on them, rinsed thoroughly, rewashed the effected areas, and rinsed again using my hand to make sure that all of the residue had been removed, but still, a few pieces in some areas had that lighter pigment.
Although I'm hoping that I just revealed the true color of the original interior, I'm guessing that it is not the case.
SO! My question is: is the possibility of returning these plastic bits to a more uniform state unlikely at best, or is there some magic tincture that I should apply, say, armorall?
Thanks.

 

You know, I'd have done the same thing.

I would think the dish soap would have been fine to use, and my initial though was that it might have been dried soap, but you specifically mentioned it was well rinsed and checked. Just wondering if the toothbrush was enough to leave a fine grid of scratches on the plastic.

In any event, something like Armor-All will probably work, but be a temporary fix (and leave a greasy residue). If you wet the plastic, does it almost match the color shade that you want it to be? If so, you might be able to get away with spraying a light coat of something like Krylon Crystal Clear onto it. The downside is it might be a bit glossier than you want it to be, and I don't know how the long-term effects will be on the plastic interior parts.

 

I think that dish soap is probably too harsh and may have just altered or 'damaged' the surface of the plastics. In reality, I'm not building or maintaining a drag-queen here, and it's a 20 year old car, so yes, I expect some discoloration, wash or no.
I was thinking about trying out some interior 'restoration'/'conditioning' product, perhaps Meguiars, but intent on avoiding something with a silicone base, which, if I recall, is armor all's middle name. I'm not so serious about it that I'll bother with spraying a clear coat, but that sounds like a pretty good idea.
Thanks for the suggestions!

 

get the meguiers stuffs amazing and i believe on sale at walmart for 4 bucks. also it doesn't leave a greasy residue.