Scratched plastic

[jon.gordon]

Hi all.
I cleaned my A6 for the first time yesterday (a whole week after getting her!) and have ended up with a horrible problem.
When I wiped the plastic/glass on front of the DIS and dials, it smudged immediately. More gentle cleaning resulted in more smudging. Now no amount of wiping/scrubbing/polishing gets rid of it and I have a blurry screen.
The same problem occurred on the piano black covering on the storage compartment closest to the air con control.
No other surfaces exhibited this issue.

Does anybody know what it is? Some kind of anti glare coating? There's no a chance it was scratched through force; the cloth was as soft as they come!

[silo24]

What was on the cloth? Any polish/cleaning agents?

[Doctle Odd]

Is there a protective film on it?

[jon.gordon]

No cleaning solution at first but then dashboard cleaner/furniture polish as it looked like a smudge.
If there's a protective film on it, it's not one I can see nor remove.

[silo24]

You probably need to get the polish/cleaner off somehow. Suggest something like CD/DVD cleaning fluid (usually isopropyl alcohol or similar). This shouldn't damage the plastic, but definitely try it in an inconspicuous area first!!!

[jon.gordon]

Yeah, that's my next step. I was just overly cautious on the first wipe but it smudged anyhow, making me think there is some kind of film on it but not one that can come off.
How would this normally be cleaned? It certainly attracted a lot of dust after only one week!

[fest0r]

Also try Windolene or any other good quality non-smear glass cleaner with vinegar in it. Very gentle, but very effective at removing most other chemical cleaners. Not to be used on delicate wood finishes though.

[Gwynmawr]

I use Autoglym 'Fast Glass' - not the glass polish - as Fast Glass is suitable for glass but also perspex, acrylic etc. Brings both the windows and the area you are referring to a treat.

[jon.gordon]

Well, I tried using an alcohol-based spray but to no avail.
I had to resort to scrubbing further and I got through to the plastic underneath. I've scrubbed it all off now so it's back to being clear and smudge free but it was definitely coated in something. Yellow/whiteish creamy grease-like covering. Obviously clear when undisturbed but blurred at the slightest touch. I'll speak to the dealership this week to see what it was but I'm not happy. If it wasn't meant to be touched there should have been a warning.

[Passatier3]

Certainly seems like something on there. I've cleaned mine a few times with a microfiber cloth, sometimes dampened, and had no problems.

Seems like an odd area to apply a protective coating, which as you've found wasn't very protective anyway, a peel off clear film I could understand.