PC pad cleaning question.

[mpmiller37]

Can I get a quick rundown on how to clean up PC pads. I want to use a different product on some of the pads so I thought I could clean them. Do I need to squeeze out any remaining product in the pad and throw it in the washer ? Or should they be done by hand ?

[Mikeyc]

I`ve heard from people that the foam pads float in the washer. So, they don`t get really clean unless you wash them by hand. I use DP Foam Pad cleaner in a bucket of warm water. I`ve also heard of people using an APC in water. I let them soak for 15 mins or so and then scrub if needed with a tooth brush. Then I squeeze them out and allow to dry.

[s2skimon]

i wash by hand, agitate with a dedicated scrub brush and then hang to dry or in dryer delicate heat setting if i`m in a rush to use it

[mpmiller37]

Not sure why I`ve heard of people scrubbing pads, as mine don`t have any hardened build up or anything on them. What are you scrubbing off ?

My washer is a front-loader so it spins like dryer, meaning the pads will be tossed around with the rest of the wash, so they won`t float. Not sure if that is enough to clean them.

[Mikeyc]

Not sure why I`ve heard of people scrubbing pads, as mine don`t have any hardened build up or anything on them. What are you scrubbing off ?

My washer is a front-loader so it spins like dryer, meaning the pads will be tossed around with the rest of the wash, so they won`t float. Not sure if that is enough to clean them.

I think whether or not you need to scrub the pads depends on how much you use them and how often you clean them. If you use the pads a lot and don`t clean them often then you`ll get build up which may need to be scrubbed off.

[imported_Neothin]

There`s a difference between cleaning pads that still have "wet" product in them vs pads that have "dry" product in them.

For pads that i just got finished using, a warm bucket of dawn solution works wonders. Let the pads soak for a while, then massage the product out of the pad. Afterwards, give them a fresh water rinse, wring them out, and then either air dry on a towel rack or spin dry them on speed 3 or so on a PC.

For pads that have dried product in them I use APC instead of dawn to soak them. This has a better cleaning ability than the dish soap. I also spritz some apc directly onto the pad before I place it in the hot apc solution.

haven`t had a problem cleaning my pads yet.

[Hey, Moe!]

I`m with Neothin. I try hard to clean my pads while the product is still wet. They`re not at all hard to clean then. I`ve used Dawn, and Der Wunder Wasche.



Once it dries, I agree with soaking with a more aggressive detergent first. Still not that tough to do. I use the hottest water that I can stand.



However, it`s nice to know that if I clean my pads right away, I`m one step closer to finishing the job, and a few minutes closer to sitting on the porch with a cold one (during summer), checking out my result!

[Ed Fisher]

Well yes, I follow Neothin as well; I never let the product dry on the pads. Throw it into a bucket of hot water with dishwashing detergent in it as soon as you ar finished and called it a day and wash and rinse until you see no color of the product (blue / white / pink whatever; depending on the brand) or suds oozing out of the pad...



But what EVER you do, do not let them warp by letting them dry on uneven surfaces (wiremesh / grilled dryer racks etc) . I saw wife drying her angora and cashmere garments by laying them on towels so I did the same and the pads never got warped ever again...

[mpmiller37]

Thanks for all the tips. I currently have my pads in plastic ziplok bags after I used them, so I`m not sure if the product has dried. I`m going to clean them this weekend. I was under the impression that detailers who use the same product over and over just keep using the pad without cleaning it, by storing in a plastic bag until next use. I wasn`t sure if constant cleaning will wear the pad down sooner.

[JeffM]

I spray them with some APC and work them with my fingers ,rinsing until clean.

[imported_Neothin]

:faint:



Dried polish is very rough and hard. I don`t think anyone would want to have that on a pad as you spin the pad for either thousands of orbits or hundreds of revolutions per minute on a paint finish. Clean your pads after each use :D

[Glossequation]

Try and dry your pads within a couple hours of finishing up. Otherwise, the polish gets caked on and is difficult to remove. What I do is first run the pad under warm water and drag my thumbs across the surface to remove the majority of the polish. After, I`ll mix some dishwashing soap with warm water and massage that in. Finally, I`ll wring the pad (yes, wring the pad) until most of the suds are out from the surface. Then I let them air dry in the kitchen. I would say I get the pads about 95% clean, which is just fine.

[mpmiller37]

Ok, I finally had to ask, What is APC ? Is Dawn dishwashing soap just as good ?

[imported_Neothin]

APC stands for all purpose cleaner. Its a concentrated cleaning formula that you can dilute to your needs. I use both poorboy`s and meguiar`s apc

[White95Max]

I "scrub" my pads because you can`t just rinse off a product that repels water. You have to massage the product out of the pad.



I find APC to clean better than Dawn.