The short version
- Typical range: £20 – £90 — see the full steam cleaner value guide
- What decides your price: condition, and how well you evidence it in photographs
- Cost to sell here: nothing, at any price
- Category: Kitchen & Appliances
Before you photograph it
Ten minutes here is worth more than anything else you will do. Buyers are deciding between your listing and someone else’s, and preparation is what visibly separates the two.
- Lay out every attachment, brush, pad and extension and identify which are missing.
- Fill it, run it and confirm it produces proper steam, timing how long it takes to heat.
- Descale the tank if there is visible scale, and check the hose and trigger.
The photographs that sell a steam cleaner
Four photographs do almost all the work. Shoot in daylight, near a window, with the item against something plain — and do not use the flash, which flattens texture and hides exactly what buyers are trying to see.
- The machine with all attachments laid out together
- The unit producing steam, in use
- The hose, trigger and connector
- The tank interior and rating plate, plus any missing or damaged attachment
Photograph the flaws too. It feels counterproductive, but a listing that shows the worst of an item gets fewer questions, fewer withdrawn offers and fewer arguments at handover. Buyers who can see the damage stop imagining something worse.
Writing the title and description
Type, brand and attachments: “Karcher SC3 Steam Cleaner with 8 Attachments”. Attachment count is a genuine value signal. Say whether it is a cylinder, handheld or steam mop, since they suit different jobs entirely.
Then state these in the description, because a buyer who has to ask is a buyer who might not bother:
- Type — cylinder, handheld or steam mop
- Tank capacity, heat-up time and whether it can be refilled while hot
- Every attachment included, named
- Whether it has been tested, and any scale or hose damage
What buyers will actually ask
You will receive the same three messages about a steam cleaner. Answering them in the listing itself removes the back-and-forth, and answering them well when they do arrive is what turns an enquiry into a sale.
Name and photograph each one. Attachments are model specific and expensive separately, so completeness is most of the value.
Run it and describe what you observe. Scale and a failing pump both reduce output and it is easily demonstrated.
Say which. Continuous-fill machines are far more practical for big jobs and it is a real distinction.
Pricing it so it actually sells
Start from the honest condition grade rather than the price you hope for. WishThrift listings use five grades — New with Tags, Like New, Good, Fair and For Parts — and what each grade means is worth reading before you choose, because grading up is the most expensive mistake sellers make. It does not raise the price; it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else.
The steam cleaner value guide prices all five grades for this item. Pick your grade, take the figure, and if you sit between two grades price toward the lower one. Items priced honestly sell faster than items priced hopefully, and on a free platform there is no fee eating the difference anyway.
What you keep, compared
On a £55 sale — roughly the middle of the range for a steam cleaner — here is what the commission-charging platforms would take, and what you would keep on each:
| Where you sell it | Fee | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| WishThrift | £0 | £55 |
| Poshmark | −£11 | £44 |
| eBay | −£7 | £48 |
| Mercari | −£6 | £49 |
| Etsy | −£4 | £51 |
Seller-side rates verified 26 Jul 2026 — Poshmark: 20% commission on sales of $15 and above; eBay: 13.6% final value fee, plus a per-order fee; Mercari: flat 10% selling fee; Etsy: 6.5% transaction fee, plus a listing fee and payment processing. Percentages are applied to the sterling figure above; the fixed per-order and processing charges those platforms add are quoted in their own currency and are not included here, so the real deductions are slightly larger. Full breakdown: marketplace selling fees compared.
Timing and getting it to the buyer
Lifts in spring with cleaning season and in January. Complete sets with full attachments sell within a fortnight.
Empty the tank completely before posting, and pack the attachments in a separate bag so they do not rattle against the unit and crack.
WishThrift does not process payments or arrange delivery — you and the buyer agree both directly — so confirm payment has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.
Ready to list it? It takes about two minutes, costs nothing, and there is no commission when it sells — create a free account or see how selling works.
Frequently asked questions
What is a used steam cleaner worth?
Typically £20 to £90, with cylinder machines and full attachment sets above. See the steam cleaner value guide.
Do missing attachments matter?
Considerably, since they are model specific and pricey to replace. List exactly what is included so the buyer can price any gaps rather than assuming the worst.
Should I descale it first?
If there is visible scale, yes. It improves output, photographs better and takes one cycle. Say you have done it.
See also: what a used steam cleaner is worth · browse live kitchen & appliances listings · condition grades explained.