How to Detail an Automobile Before Selling

Khodrocar - A good, thorough cleaning of the interior, exterior and engine bay will ensure that a potential buyer will be able to see the vehicle’s strong points, rather than the dirt and grime it may have collected on the road. Remember to clean the body of the vehicle after the engine bay and wheels to prevent any harsh cleansers from damaging the paint.

*Clean out trash and personal items. Before you can do a thorough job of cleaning out the vehicle’s interior, you’ll need to remove any loose trash from the cabin. If you have personal items like blankets, spare pairs of shoes or the like, you should remove them as well

*Vacuum the carpets. Either use a shop vacuum with a long hose or take your vehicle to an automotive vacuum center. Be sure to vacuum all of the carpeted surfaces in the vehicle, including the trunk and beneath the seats. Use leather cleaner on leather parts. Use a cleaner designed specifically for use on leather when cleaning leather seats or upholstery inserts. This will prolong the life of the leather and prevent it from cracking.

*Warm the engine up for five minutes. Engine degreaser works best on a warm application. Start the vehicle and allow it to run for a few minutes to bring up the temperature of the engine block and other components. This will make removing stuck on grime significantly easier.

* Disconnect the battery and cover exposed wiring. Use a hand or socket wrench of the appropriate size to loosen the nut holding the negative cable onto the battery terminal. Slide the cable off and tuck it down to the side of the battery. Then use some plastic bags and tape to cover the battery and any other loose bits of wiring you see in the engine compartment.

* Apply engine degreaser. Spray the engine degreaser directly onto the metal portions of the engine and cylinder head. If some of it over-sprays onto plastic components that’s all right, but try to avoid getting it on painted surfaces as it may damage paint.

* Use a brush to scrub stuck on grime. Use a stiff bristled brush to scrub large deposits of stuck on dirt or grime in your engine while the degreaser works. It should loosen the grime, allowing you to remove it with the brush. Be extremely careful not to burn yourself or breath the fumes in too deeply.

* Rinse the engine with a hose. Use a hose to rinse the engine degreaser and all of the grime off of the engine. After you finish rinsing it, look around for areas that you may need to apply degreaser to again. Repeat the process if necessary.

* Rinse the car with clean water. Use a hose to rinse the wheel and tire cleaners off, then rinse the rest of the car in its entirety. If there are any leaves or other debris on the car, you may want to remove them by hand before continuing to rinse the body.

* Once the vehicle is dry, apply a coat of wax. You can use a towel to dry the vehicle, or you may choose to allow it to air dry. Once the vehicle is dry, use the applicator sponge that comes with automotive wax to apply a fresh coat to the painted metal portions of the exterior of your vehicle.