cleaning buffing pads

[jwgarrison]

any advice on the proper way to clean pads?

[Danase]

Spray them with a pad cleaner, rinse them out and either let them air dry or put them on your machine and spin on the lowest speed into a bucket to ctch the water sling.

OR Use a bad washing machine. You have to have a rotary for this though.

[BigAl3]

http://autopia.org/forum/detailing-p...ower+dissolver

[jswift2000]

I use dawn dish soap, washing them very gently by hand. I then let them air dry so foam is facing down.

[kkjv1]

I use Dawn power dissolver. Let it soak for about 10 minutes, then run hot water while agitating. Shake excess water and air dry. Repeat if necessary. I also use diluted APC or tide liquid detergent when i'm out of Dawn power dissolver. Make sure you rinse the pad thoroughly, you don't want excess degreasers in your pad.

[Wren]

I spray with power dissolver, let sit for a few mins, work out product while rinsing, then I'll throw into a DP rejuvy bath. Rinse out, spin on the rotary, let dry face down.

Might be over kill but it works well, my white pads are still white!

[twitch]

When I am finished my session I clean my pads by doing the following:

- spray 1/2 strength solution of Purple Power on the foam and work it in a bit
- throw the pads in a clean bucket of water foam down and let sit (either for a few minutes or until the next day depending on when I get back to them)
- take out and rinse well using the hose. I rest the pad foam up on a grit guard and stick the hose end into the foam in the center. I work my way around to the edge in circles to rinse everything out
- massage the pad from center to edge to remove some water
- fold pad like a taco and squeeze what I can from the pad
- rinse again (until no sudsing and clear water)
- make another taco and squeeeeze with all of my might (which is not much so I revert to my PC for additional drying)
- check for any contamination on the pad. If found I scratch it out with my finger or rinse it out again and repeat the step above
- spin dry on PC, speed 3-4, for a few second in a bucket to catch the water (or the pad if it does happen to fling off)
- dry foam side down under a shelf in my cabinet that I put velcro strips on for this purpose

Some things that I have learned.
Pads don't like a lot of heat when drying or rinsing, it seems to shrink them. I learned this by using hot water once and the other time by setting my white CCS foam pad in the sun for an hour or so. Whooops!

All of my pads still look great so I think this process works well.

[gmblack3a]

The system 2000 pad washing machine works great, but like Danase said you need a rotary to use it. If mine came up missing, I would order another the next day.

[Danase]

Originally Posted by gmblack3a

The system 2000 pad washing machine works great, but like Danase said you need a rotary to use it. If mine came up missing, I would order another the next day.

Agreed! This is what I use for all of my pads. Even if I am not using the rotary that day the rotary is out so I can use the pads on the 2000.

[mikeemaf]

I usually throw them in the washing machine on the hand washables setting w/ cold water, using woolite or tide. I left a new red microfiber from the previous wash in there by accident and it left my white ccs pads pink.