Selling guide

The best way to clean my car before selling it

A clean car can be the first step to getting buyers interested and hopefully selling at your ideal price.

Let’s be honest, no one wants to buy a car that looks like it’s had a hard life. A clean car can be the first step to getting buyers interested and hopefully selling at your ideal price.

It won’t take long to clean your car, inside and out, and you don’t need any fancy products to get the job done well!

Try doing things in this order to save time:

Toss out the rubbish – look under seats, side pockets and the little cracks.
Remove personal items so they aren’t in the way of you or future test drivers.
Vacuum everything and remember to remove floor mats to clean under them.
Wipe interior surfaces – from the dash to door handles.
Use window cleaner and wipe down the inside glass.
On the outside remove leaves from the bonnet, engine bay and boot crevices.
Wash the body with a good soapy car product or take it to a car wash.

It’s not hard to perform a simple clean and this can make a big difference when trying to sell. Remember, you have to make someone want your car as much as you want to sell it.

What can I clean my car with?

You don’t need to buy fancy products or brushes – a dish sponge and clean rags will do the trick! We recommend using a car specific cleaner, as regular soap can be abrasive and leave streaks after drying.

There are a few tricks when it comes to cleaning products:

Try using baby wipes to get out small stains or wipe down crevices.
Use a vinegar and water mix as a window cleaner for a streak-free window shine.
Old newspaper can be used instead of paper towels.
Grab a lint roller to help pick up crumbs and hair off seats.

We get it, car cleaning isn’t much fun, but it's worth the time and effort. Luckily, you only need to do it once and can then maintain as you go.

Once your car is sparkling clean, it’s ready to have its photo taken. Check out our car photo tips as they will suggest what angles, shots, time of day to shoot – so once it’s spruced up and looking its best, take a shot!