How best to clean pads?

[imported_Indy YZF]

Ive got a meguiars finishing pad, plus 2 lake country light cut and a couple of lake country polishing pads which I used this afternoon. It occurred to me as I soaped, massaged, rinsed, and rung out one of the polishing pads that perhaps this isnt the best way to keep these pads going.. Ringing them does nothing to help the backing material, and it stresses the foam.. Getting all the detergent out of the pad is easier said than done.



How do you guys care for your pads in this regard? Can you put the pad with the product still on it in a plastic baggie, labeled with the product used on it, for next time? Do you favor soaping, rinsing, and drying? Do you favor spending more money on getting pad cleaners/rejuvenators? Or something else? what?



thanks.

[Bunky]

I use Optimum Power Clean straight. When you are done with a pad, spray the pad well, set aside, and when done polishing rinse them all out. OPC rinses well unlike something like Dawn.

[imported_Indy YZF]

I use Optimum Power Clean straight. When you are done with a pad, spray the pad well, set aside, and when done polishing rinse them all out. OPC rinses well unlike something like Dawn.



Along those lines, I tried Simple Green tonight. It worked ok on the polish pads, but wasnt real happy about it on the meguiars finishing pad laden with wax. For that, Dawn seems to work the best for me, but Im not crazy about using detergents on them.

[Brad B]

For the last 15 years or so I have simply run them through the washing machine with a liquid detergent on gentle wash. Never an issue.