The instrument panel on my XL F150 has a clear plastic cover over the display (like most all cars and trucks have) - what is the best way to clean off the dust and dirt without scratching the clear plastic?

 

SOS pad..........Seriously, a very soft cloth dampened with water.

 

Clean it with a damp cloth, then buff it with Pledge and a soft cloth. It'll look like new.

 

air compressor to blow off the larger particles and then a damp micro fiber cloth.

 

What roonie said, you can find the micro fiber cloth at photography equipment stores, it's used for cleaning camera lenses. Meguiar's plastic cleaner is good to use with the cloth. Some guys also use cloth baby diapers for plastic cleaning.