Sell your car part 1: Cleaning your car
Sell your car part 2: Setting the price
Sell your car part 3: Writing the advert
Sell your car part 4: Taking pictures
Sell your car part 5: Placing an advert

What you need:

• Car shampoo (not washing-up liquid)
• A sponge or washing mitt
• A hose
• A bucket (or two if you don’t have a hose)
• Two car cleaning cloths
• Leather chamois
• Wax
• Vacuum cleaner
• Dashboard cleaner
• Glass cleaner
• Air freshener

Directions:

View our step-by-step guide with the image below:

Exterior

1. Fill one bucket with a mixture of car shampoo and water. If you don’t have a hose, fill a second bucket with water
2. If your car is very dirty, rinse it with water before washing it
3. Dip the washing mitt into the bucket filled with car shampoo
4. Start at the top of your car and work your from top to bottom, cleaning every panel
5. Rinse the washing mitt in the bucket of water when it gets dirty
6. Don’t forget to clean the wheel arches, bumpers, outer skirts and inner door panels
7. Lift up the windscreen wipers and clean underneath
8. Clean the wheels last – use a special alloy cleaner if you have alloy wheels
9. Rinse down the car with a hose or wet cloth and dry using a chamois leather
10. Wax the car using a cloth. Apply the wax in a circular motion and leave for a few minutes before wiping off.

Interior

1. Remove mats and vacuum the carpet underneath
2. Vacuum the carpets, mats, seats, dashboard, door trims and any dusty crevices
3. Grubby mats can be washed with upholstery foam and a brush
4. Use dashboard cleaner and a cloth to wipe the dashboard
5. Empty ashtrays and cubby holes before spraying and them wiping clean with all-purpose cleaner
6. Use a damp cloth to remove any dirty marks from interior trim panels
7. Use gloss or matt interior wipes to finish cleaning all upholstery parts, available in a variety of finishes
8. Clean glass with a window cleaner and microfibre cloth – wipe in a side-to-side motion on the rear window to avoid damaging heating elements
9. Fit a new air freshener
10. It may be worthwhile to pay a professional to remove ink stains and cigarette burns from the upholstery. You can do this yourself using surgical spirit, but take care as it can discolour your car’s upholstery

Extra tips

• Avoid using washing-up liquid as some types can remove wax, leave swirl marks and cause rust
• Take care not to place a sponge or washing mitt on the ground – small stones can get caught inside and scratch your car
• For a thorough clean you may wish to remove the wheels to clean inside the wheel arches
• To buff up the bodywork use a clay bar, polish, glaze and sealant before waxing
• Need more gear? Browse a range of products at Auto Trader’s Car Accessories Shop

For more in-depth car cleaning advice, read our expert washing guide.

Video: cleaning tips

Tiff Needell hosts Kärcher’s top five car cleaning tips when using a pressure washer:

Visit us tomorrow for part two of advertising your car – setting the price.

Check back every day this week for our complete guide:

Sell your car part 1: Cleaning your car
Sell your car part 2: Setting the price
Sell your car part 3: Writing the advert
Sell your car part 4: Taking pictures
Sell your car part 5: Placing an advert