Cleaning Dashboard Insulator

Me again with another question on my '89 Civic rebuild. As I mentioned in a previous post, this vehicle is in rough shape and needs tons of work. To avoid future problems down the road (assuming I ever get it finished), I'm doing a very thorough job including removing and painting over every last bit of rust I can find, both inside and out.
The question today regards the interior, specifically the dashboard insulator, which is basically just a piece of molded rubber with a foam backing. I hadn't planned on removing this due to the amount of work involved, but I thought it best because the insulator is quite badly contaminated. There are numerous tears in the rubber, and the lower half is very wet and stinks of mildew. I wanted to remove it not only to clean and repair it, but to check for any rust that might be hiding underneath. All I need to know is what kind of cleaning product would be best for cleaning this thing. I thought of cleaning it twice, first with soap and water and then with rubbing alcohol (or vise versa). I'd rather not use any strong disinfectants because I don't want that smell in the vehicle.
Thanks.

If you're concerned with smell then it sounds like you have it pinned down pretty good. I would suggest the way you want to do it, with the alcohol last. It dries very quickly and will kill most anything. Plus it won't leave a smell.

I must ask though, have you thought about simply buying a new one?

I must ask though, have you thought about simply buying a new one?

I wish I could just order OEM replacements for the insulator, floor mat, seat covers, etc but it's simply not in my budget. Money is so scarce on this project - and everywhere else for that matter - that I have to improvise wherever possible. The only exception of course is in critical areas like the suspension, where new parts are the only acceptable fix.
The insulator isn't torn that bad, it's mostly just dirty. And besides, now that the car is in my care, I intend to make sure it never is allowed to fall into such disrepair again.

Oh, yeah, I know how that feels. I've insisted on new pars thus my GTC project has been dragging on for three years now.

I think you have the right idea for cleaning it though.

Wet a towel with warm water and wipe down your dashboard to prepare it for cleaning. Now spray your dashboard with a liquid car cleaner, which can be found at any major automotive store. Use a soft cloth to work the cleaner into the dashboard. Continue over the whole dashboard. Let the area dry before moving on to the next step.
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