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Outside
Obviously, your first step should be to clean off
all the road grime, using a good-quality
car
shampoo. NEVER use washing-up liquid, as it actually
helps promote rust, unlike car products, which keep it
at bay. Work from the roof down, rinse off well, and dry
with a chamois leather.
Now you need to deal with the details:
Stone chips are unsightly, can rust if not attended to,
and usually put buyers off. Repair them with a touch-up
stick. These aren't expensive, and with a little
patience, you can dramatically improve your car's
appearance. Wheels caked in brake dust look awful.
On alloys, if it's particularly
stubborn, buy an alloy wheel cleaner and treat them. If
you've got wheel trims, consider replacing them -
especially if they've been kerbed. Damaged alloys can be
repaired too, but this is more expensive.
Missing trim or badges stand out like a
sore thumb to used buyers, so buy replacements.
Breaker's yards offer a cheap source of parts. Clean
less obvious parts too, such as sills, wheel arches and
the inner panel of doors; this will impress buyers, and
helps create a 'well looked-after' image. Finally, a
good polish will create that 'new car' shine that so
many used buyers are looking for. Don't worry if paint
residue appears on the cloth; this is just a layer of
'dead paint' you're removing - there'll still be plenty
left on the car!
Why not have a
look at our mobile car Valeting section, if you don't
have time to polish up your car and give a showroom
finish these companies will.
Inside
Cleaning the interior requires a little more hard
work. Starting with the vacuum is always
best - treat carpets, seats, dusty
crevices, even the dashboard itself,
making later jobs a little easier.
You're then ready to start on the
details:
Dashboards should be cleaned with a 'low-gloss'
dashboard cleaner; don't use household polish, as it'll
give a cheap appearance. Clean door trims too, being
careful not to spray fabric. Windows should be cleaned
after the dashboard, to make sure you don't spoil your
hard work. Use a glass cleaner or damp chamois leather.
When cleaning the rear window, use a side to side
action, thus ensuring you don't damage the heater
elements. Replace any non-standard parts, such as racy
gear knobs or alloy pedal covers. They won't impress
buyers, who'll think your car has been thrashed.
Standard is always best. Holes, usually from mobile
phone holders, can be filled in by specialists. They can
also repair any damage to dashboards or door trims, and
it doesn't cost the earth, either. Avoid dousing the car
in air freshener, unless you have smoked in it - in
which case, buy an odour neutraliser. Spray the ashtray
too, after giving it a good clean. Lift tatty old mats
out; the clean carpets underneath will look much more
attractive.
Mechanicals
Buyers love looking under the bonnet, even if they
haven't got a clue what they're looking for. You should
therefore make sure they like what they see.
Steam-cleaning is much-loved by car dealers, but can
arouse suspicion; are you trying to hide oil leaks? By
all means clean the engine bay, but don't go
overboard. Don't bother with older cars, though, as
steam-cleaners can sometimes damage fragile parts or
connections.
Oil changes are cheap, and clean oil looks far better
than sludgy treacle.
Make sure the oil level is correct too. Fill all water
and coolant bottles up, maybe using a sweet-smelling
windscreen washer?
Tidy up generally; attach alarm wiring correctly, clean
out leaves from air intakes, and generally make the
engine bay appear cared-for. |
