So you have decided to sell the car.

Now all you need to do…is clean it to get it ready for the photos and to make it ready for potential buyers to inspect it.

Photos of the vehicle make it much more likely to get views on whichever of the online marketplaces (carsales.com.au, carsguide.com.au/autotrader.com.au or drive.com.au etc.) or social media networks (Facebook Marketplace) you want to advertise on. So take a lot of pictures from different angles and pick the best ones. Most sites will allow 20 or more to be uploaded.

So grab your vacuum, gloves, bucket, car wash, microfibre cloth, sponge, chamois, stock up on elbow grease, and get into it so it’s free from clutter and clean as new.

1. Clean out any rubbish

Can you remember what your car’s carpet looks like? Or the seat under the kids car seats? When was the last time you checked all the cavities in the doors? What about all of the items that have fallen between the seats?

It’s time to remove any rubbish, so grab a bin bag, put on some rubber gloves and get it all out: the ice-cream wrappers, the parking tickets and the apple cores. If you’ve got kids, you’re going to have to be brave; who knows what you’ll find in the pockets behind the seats.

 

2. Keep your car essentials aside for later

Now that you’re on a roll, it’ll be tempting to throw out everything you find, but hold on to those sunglasses and that car manual as they might come in handy one day. All the stuff you wish to keep can be separated from the rubbish, ready to be put back in the car – or even better, somewhere else – after the clean.

 

3. Vacuum

If you own a dedicated car vacuum, this is going to be a cinch. If you’re using the home vacuum, now’s the time to make use of those little attachments that you put in a drawer all those years ago. An extension cord might also be handy – much easier to move the vacuum to the car than vice versa.

Vacuum the carpets (moving the seats back and forth will give you better access), then do the seats and use your attachments to get in all the nooks and crannies. Don’t forget the boot.

 

4. Reach for your detailing toolbox

At your local auto store you’ll find an entire section devoted to detailing products. It’s sensible to stock up on such products to ensure you’re using something that’s user-friendly and car-friendly, too.

You can use a microfibre cloth and a detailing spray to go over the hard surfaces. A toothbrush or specialist cleaning brush can help you get in and out of tight spots.

Use a suitable fabric cleaner to remove upholstery stains, a leather cleaner if you’re lucky enough to have leather seats, and a window cleaner for the inside of the windows.

 

5. Wash the floor mats

For those rubber floor mats you took out to clean the carpet underneath; vacuum, hose, then wash them with a brush and some car wash or wheel cleaner.

 

6. DO NOT forget the engine bay

Use a hose, some car wash, an aerosol degreaser, and some rags and brushes and give everything under the car’s hood a good spring clean.

 

7. Wash the car

A hose, a couple of buckets (one with soapy water and one to rinse your sponge), some car wash and a sponge or cleaning mitt will do the basics to wash your car. Wheel cleaner, a car polish and wax, and windscreen cleaner will finish the job so it’s sparkly new. If in doubt, follow the instructions on the pack.

 

Your car will be so sparkling. It’ll almost be a shame to sell it.