Cleaning Carbon Fibre

Allot of cars today now have carbon fibre parts, these parts may come standard from the factory or may be added as aftermarket upgrades by the owner. Due to the nature and the make up of the composite material, it has a very distinct look, reflecting the light in a unique way and giving contrasting looks with other painted parts. If carbon fibre parts are neglected and not cleaned properly however, like other parts they will begin to look tired and can let down the overall look of the car.

Most carbon fibre parts have a clear coated finish to actually seal the fibres and to help protect it from harmful UV rays. This means that it can be cleaned just like any other clear coated parts of a car.

Exterior carbon fibre parts should be washed and dried along with the rest of the car, a wax based shampoo is best but any shampoo product can be used. Any bonded surface contaminants can be removed by claying the surface, using the same technique you would use to clay the paintwork. Designated tar & adhesive removers can be used to remove tar and other sticky contaminants. Carbon fibre, like the rest of the exterior should only ever be washed & cleaned in a cool shaded area to prevent any cleaning products & water residues from drying onto the surface and leaving stains.

After cleaning and any prep work has been undertaken, carbon fibre can be polished to remove any light scratches and swirl marks and generally restore the surface. An all in one polish product would be ideal to use but if the parts are heavily swirled or oxidized a more abrasive polish product can be used to restore it. The polishes can be applied either by hand or machine if necessary.

After polishing, exterior carbon fibre parts should be protected like the paintwork for the same reasons. Any synthetic sealant or natural carnauba wax product can be used but there are also designated waxes available now that are actually engineered and manufactured specifically for carbon fibre to help bring out the absolute best in the clarity of the weave and reflections of the clear coat.

After exterior carbon fibre has been initially cleaned, decontaminated, polished and protected, it should be regularly maintained along with the rest of the car by simply washing with a wax based shampoo, re waxing or sealing as the protection level diminishes and intermittently maintaining with a detailing spray and micro fibre towel.

Any interior carbon fibre parts should be regularly cleaned and maintained along with the rest of the interior. A soft vacuum brush attachment and soft bristled detailing brushes should be used to dust the surfaces off and they can also be waxed like exterior parts to help excentuate the weave and enhance reflections.

Even though interior parts should not become scratched and oxidized to the extent that exterior parts may do, if there is areas that could be enhanced, polishing can be undertaken by hand but you should be careful not no contaminate any surrounding materials with polish or wax residue. Again, after initial cleaning interior parts can be regularly maintained simply by using a detailing spray and soft micro fibre towel.