If you want to improve the resale value of your vehicle or just like to drive around feeling good in a clean motor, find out how with these top tips from Turtle Wax, the world's largest manufacturer of car care products.

Paintwork
Remove any bird droppings as soon as possible; the acid in the poop can eat through the lacquer coat and discolour cars, leaving a bleached effect.

Washing
To prevent scratching use two sponges, one for dirty areas, the other for cleaner parts.
Don't use household detergents - washing up liquids or abrasive household cleaners - on a car as these will strip car paint of protective wax.
In sunny conditions, wash and rinse one section at a time to prevent detergent drying onto the surface, which leaves streaks.

Polishing
Try applying wax in circular motions or straight lines to see which works best for you.

Wheels and Tyres
As wheels are often the dirtiest part of the car, clean them first to avoid splashing brake dust on to clean bodywork.
Make sure you choose the right brush, using a stiff brush may damage the lacquer on the alloys.

Exterior Trim
Spray product on to a cloth when treating areas near glass
If the plastic around wing mirror mounts, light surrounds and door strips is particularly coarse, work treatment in with a toothbrush.

Interior Trim
Clean interior fabrics first, as this requires vacuuming and brushing, his will almost certainly create dust, which is not what you want on your sparkling trim.

Glass Care
Don't over-spray on windows and glass - too much product can lead to streaking.
Use a good quality automotive glass gleaner for headlights and exterior glass, these are specifically designed to cut through grease and oil.
Don't forget about windscreen wipers, blades can become very dirty which reduces their effectiveness and causes smearing and reduced vision.

Upholstery
If you've not used a particular product before, test it on an unseen area of material and allow it to dry to check if it's suitable.

Convertibles
Soft-tops stiffen and go brittle with age, so apply silicone spray to the seals to keep them supple.