Cleaning glass pads

[Risky Bizness]

I have both the 3", and 6" GRIOT`s glass polishing pads. While using them to polish the glass, I was wanting to keep them "clean" while using them.

Short of the pad cleaning brush that GRIOT`s sells, what is anyone/everyone else using?

Thanx,

Risky Bizness

 

[Stokdgs]

I have both the 3", and 6" GRIOT`s glass polishing pads. While using them to polish the glass, I was wanting to keep them "clean" while using them.

Short of the pad cleaning brush that GRIOT`s sells, what is anyone/everyone else using?

Thanx,

Risky Bizness

Do you only have 1 pad each of those sizes ? That will never be enough pads to polish all the outside glass of a vehicle in my experiences..

The only possible way to "kind of" clean a pad of some of the residue on the top of it, is to have a clean (I prefer White) towel there, to wipe off the residue each time you finish the number of passes you do..

And even then, once the pad gets Saturated with the liquid part of the product you are using, it is then very less effective at doing its job, and you have to switch to a new or a previously cleaned and dried pad and continue..

I want to use as many clean, dry, pads as needed to be able to keep the quality level of the work the same, all around the entire vehicle.. When I look at each panel, etc., the clarity, smoothness, and gloss has to absolutely Match or it is not done to the standard I set for my work..
Dan F

 

[Coatings=crack]

I have those same pads and any pad cleaning brush will work.

While at griots flagship store they said 1 3” pad per windshield and 1 per side (mustang front window and rear quarter window. ) should be fine. They come in pack of threes so was perfect. Did the front windshield with no pad cleaning and worked perfectly, removed all water-spots with Griots fine glass polish.

Those thin rayon pads don’t soak up as much products as foam ones do.

Cleaned right after with snappy clean.






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[Risky Bizness]

I did use "1" pad for the windshield, and "1" pad for the rear glass, and used the last pad on the sides. Seemed they "filled up" rather quickly.

Was just wondering what/how to clean them up.

I forgot to order one of those pad brushes, the last time I ordered, and am not ready to place another order yet.

 

[Accumulator]

Just FWIW, and IMO different people will have different preferences...

I use my Pad Cleaning Brush (came free with some "kit") to scrub my MFs prior to their pre-soaking. I DO NOT use it on my various pads very much at all. I`m more likely to scrub those with a Denture Brush or even a soft toothbrush if the pad seems fragile. Get both free from my dentist.

Coatings=crack- Huh, I`m surprised that so few of the GG Glass Pads (haven`t gotten around to trying mine..) are needed! I never woulda thunk it...gather you don`t need to use all *that* much of their Fine Glass Polish to get the job done, right? I`m *guessing* that maybe Risky Bizness used a bit too much product, as I generally suspect is often the case with everything (KBMing excepted ). Thinking how I might want to be careful that I don`t use too much too...

 

[Risky Bizness]

I MO, I probably "did" use too much polish to start with. I had never used this kind of a pad, with the polish before. I took my pads in, and I washed them out, and let them air dry. I have 2 more trucks to practice on, and "try" to get it right.

Was wondering if this polish would work on a boat windshield. I know it is NOT glass, am assuming it`s a plastic type material. Am asking for opinions on this. Am asking what I should use.

 

[Coatings=crack]

Just FWIW, and IMO different people will have different preferences...

I use my Pad Cleaning Brush (came free with some "kit") to scrub my MFs prior to their pre-soaking. I DO NOT use it on my various pads very much at all. I`m more likely to scrub those with a Denture Brush or even a soft toothbrush if the pad seems fragile. Get both free from my dentist.

Coatings=crack- Huh, I`m surprised that so few of the GG Glass Pads (haven`t gotten around to trying mine..) are needed! I never woulda thunk it...gather you don`t need to use all *that* much of their Fine Glass Polish to get the job done, right? I`m *guessing* that maybe Risky Bizness used a bit too much product, as I generally suspect is often the case with everything (KBMing excepted ). Thinking how I might want to be careful that I don`t use too much too...

Yeah one 3” pad got the windshield shiny and waterspot free. Used about the same amount of polish as polishing the paint.


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[Accumulator]

Was wondering if this polish would work on a boat windshield. I know it is NOT glass, am assuming it`s a plastic type material. Am asking for opinions on this. Am asking what I should use.

I`d *NOT* use a Glass Polish, way too aggressive. IIRC, Plexus is still the Usual Answer. I think they make a few different ones...sorry, can`t recall for certain, but doing the dreaded SEARCH on Plexus might bring up other options. Meguiar`s and Griot`s both sell Plastic Polishes, but I never had much luck with them and wouldn`t expect either to work right on the boat`s windshield.

 

[William_Wallace]

I ran into some major issues once where I used the glass pads a second time and must have not cleaned them well enough. I spent about two hours on Makita rotary then took the pad off and put it on a 21 just in case there were holograms polished for about .5 hours. I never stopped to check work just kept going. I must of had a small piece of sand or gravel in the use cleaning pads but the windshield was damaged while trace rotary and orbital marks. Since then glass polishing has been a 1 time use on pads then toss them. It was my worst detailing disaster. I had a new pad and spent the entire following day correcting all of the scratches I put into the glass. Since then I have only used new pad. I must have not cleaned them out enough before use.

 

[Accumulator]

William_Wallace- I really appreciate that you were willing to post that! Also sorry to hear that it happened, but I can sure see how it could no matter *how* careful somebody is. There are indeed times when considering something (that`s reusable) to be disposable is a good idea.

Yeah, yeah..."check your work often!", but [stuff] can still happen and when it comes to Glass I`d rather be safe than sorry.

 

[Stokdgs]

I ran into some major issues once where I used the glass pads a second time and must have not cleaned them well enough. I spent about two hours on Makita rotary then took the pad off and put it on a 21 just in case there were holograms polished for about .5 hours. I never stopped to check work just kept going. I must of had a small piece of sand or gravel in the use cleaning pads but the windshield was damaged while trace rotary and orbital marks. Since then glass polishing has been a 1 time use on pads then toss them. It was my worst detailing disaster. I had a new pad and spent the entire following day correcting all of the scratches I put into the glass. Since then I have only used new pad. I must have not cleaned them out enough before use.

William_Wallace -
Thanks for your feedback on this subject..
Sorry it kind of went sideways on you and it caused further work.. I hate that when that happens..

Perhaps it may take me longer to inspect each pass I do, clean the pad, replace the pad when it`s no longer working, and look again before moving to the next section, but I have found that I never have to go back and re-do something that I missed..

I am totally with you on absolutely keeping a clean, free of anything, pad on the paintwork, glass, etc., surface, at all times.. I go through a lot of pads, but I strive to get the most high level results from each one, and then, they go into the bucket of Snappy Clean when they fail to meet that level..

I only use light colored everything that touches anything on a vehicle - inside and out - so I can look down at the light colored microfiber, towel, or pad, and scan it for anything that does -not-match the light color, and I have occasionally found a little hard, something in these things from time to time.. No idea how it got there, but it was there..

Glad you were able to go back around and fix all that glass !
Dan F

 

[Stokdgs]

I MO, I probably "did" use too much polish to start with. I had never used this kind of a pad, with the polish before. I took my pads in, and I washed them out, and let them air dry. I have 2 more trucks to practice on, and "try" to get it right.

Was wondering if this polish would work on a boat windshield. I know it is NOT glass, am assuming it`s a plastic type material. Am asking for opinions on this. Am asking what I should use.

Glass polish will never be good to use on plastic or plexiglass, it will scratch it all up.. Plastic is always going to be softer than glass... You need to find the best boat detailer around and ask him/her what they use on plexiglass..
Or find a real pro Airplane Detailer and ask the same question..

The last 2 Airplanes I Detailed, the Owners told me to not touch the plexiglass, so I took my portable tape and paper machine with me and totally sealed up all the plexiglass, and it was good.. They did not want me to even clean it.. They know probably from their own experiences how sensitive plexiglass can be..

Good luck with this !
Dan F

 

[Astouffer512]

Off topic and I apologize, but the idea of cleaning glass pads to re-use or just use once and throw out got me thinking about of cleaning in general. This fall was my first attempt at any type of paint work correction with a Polisher - specifically a DA. So I bought a bunch of pads based on adobe on here. I enjoy Brian from Apex Detail for another source of knowledge. He uses 1 pad for a vehicle, but clean with forced air in his modified blast cabinet after every pass. I don’t have forced air, but I do have a cleaning brush, pad cleaner spray and towels I can use to clean and dry my pad as needed. I may not get 1 pad per vehicle this way, but I believe I should be able to cut down on the number of pads used....but here is my really question. When I do finally have the opportunity to use forced air and clean my pads this way. How long will a pad actually last? I’m not an in business detailer or even a part time detailer. I’ll do our vehicles as needed and maybe family / close friends. Maybe 5 per year tops. Probably more like 1-2.


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[Accumulator]

Astouffer512- I dunno if anybody can..or would try to...answer how long a pad will last somebody else...I wouldn`t have a clue! But my pads last a long, *LONG* time, many vehicles, many years, no problems for ages. But there are just so many variables...but if you avoid the highest speeds on your Polisher (not that *I* do, I often run my full-tilt) and generally treat them gently, they oughta last for a long time. I`m still using pads that`re over a decade old, some are much older than that. But abrasives abrade what they touch under pressure, and that includes the pads.

To each their own, but I`d *NEVER* try to do a vehicle with one pad. I hardly even do that with LSPs! And yeah, I clean my pads constantly, both with the air compressor (works a lot better on MF than on foam) and with brush/towels/etc.

Cleaning foam pads with air can be a little tricky lest you just blow the [stuff] you`re trying to *remove* deeper down into the pad, which can bite you. It`s something I do a few times before switching to a fresh pad. Eh, maybe I`m erring on the side of caution, but swapping pads out frequently works perfectly for me, hands-down one of the best changes I`ve ever made in my Detailing.

 

[Stokdgs]

Astouffer512 --
I don`t know Brian from Apex Detail..
Am not sure how 1 pad, microfiber or foam would ever be able to correct, polish, finish, an entire vehicle without losing a lot of it`s abilities to perform at the highest quality of work..

Sounds like your guy is using perhaps all microfiber pads ? Those are the only ones I know of that can benefit from air blowing into the fibers to help clean them somewhat..

But then of course, you have to wonder, where is all that dried compound, dead paint, etc., going, when you blast it out - unless - you do it in some confined area as your guy does..

I only use really nice foam pads that are made of a specific foam that does not absorb liquids quickly, and I will take a white short towel and wipe them off very well when done with the pass and look at what comes off on the towel, and then see and feel how the pad is doing.. I never use a brush because I never let the pad dry out completely, so you have all this dusty residue to deal with.. I hate that stuff and will not ever allow that to happen..

The only liquid I ever use in conjunction with the specific compound, polish, etc., whatever you want to call it, is a simple Pad Conditioner sold by Chemical Guys.. I apply the compound, etc., spread it around the pad, spray it perhaps once or twice, wipe it with my finger so it is all evenly dispersed around the pad and turn on the Makita and do the work..

For my needs and business plan, I always use several pads, sometimes 6+ to correct the paintwork perfectly, and as I use them I can tell when they are starting to absorb and hold too much liquid and the foam is retaining too much compound and dead paint, etc., and then I replace with a new or clean, dry pad...

If your guy is using any of the random orbital machines out there, which put a lot more stress on the pad because of all the movement, compared to a Rotary, I am amazed that just 1 pad can last through an entire correction/polish process and not be all torn up at the end.. It is always too much heat that always kills pads and paintwork if not carefully managed..

And as has been already stated by Accumulator, there is no set in stone number for how long any pad lasts.. It always depends on how it is used, what product/s are used with it, and how it is treated through the process, cleaned completely or not, and then thoroughly dried before it is used again..

I have had some Hydro-Shreds wear down pretty thin, before I throw them away.. But it has taken probably around 70+ vehicle corrections on my Rotary to get them worn down..

Dan F

 

[Coatings=crack]

Yeah i can’t remember but just read an article not recommending blowing out foam pads due to imbedded particles being forced into pads eventually working themselves back out.

I used a pad cleaning brush and pad conditioner after each pass. I used about 7-8 on my car but you could probably use less.

Thing is this your paint. Reason your on this forum. If you can afford the extra 30-50 to get 6 more pads do it. Would suck to do all the work to correct and polish paint only to be marring your paint.

Even some inexpensive ones. Rather have a cheap pad than a dirty pad on my paint.


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[Accumulator]

OK, True Confession time:

Way back in the day before velcro-backed pads, the ones for the Cyclo were *incredibly* hard to swap out....a genuine challenge for some people and a hassle for everyone else. So yeah... ...we`d sometimes do a vehicle with one set of pads. Cyclo green polishing pads and Malm`s Polish (which ya *never* hear about any more).

It didn`t turn out all that great, but as long as we stopped to clean those pads frequently, and replaced them pretty often, it was good enough for used-car inventory. But it wasn`t right, and I sure didn`t do it that way on my vehicles or on units I cared about.

Yeah i can’t remember but just read an article not recommending blowing out foam pads due to imbedded particles being forced into pads eventually working themselves back out.

That`s never happened to me, but I can imagine how it could.

I don`t know Brian from Apex Detail..
Am not sure how 1 pad, microfiber or foam would ever be able to correct, polish, finish, an entire vehicle without losing a lot of it`s abilities to perform at the highest quality of work..

I don`t know him either and don`t want to flame somebody based on second-hand info. But I sure did think, for the gazillionth time, "hey, it`s the Internet".

If your guy is using any of the random orbital machines out there, which put a lot more stress on the pad because of all the movement, compared to a Rotary, I am amazed...

Hey, that`s a good point. And some RO/DA polishers are harder on pads than others. And some people really lean on their polishers...

And OTOH, some machines are very gentle on pads and some users "let the product do the work" without pressure, and and and. Lotsa variables...

 

[Risky Bizness]

FWIW, I did the glass on our Sport Trac TODAY, AND I DID NOT use as much of the polish. It went A L O T better. Glass is sure clear !!!! :dance1:dance1:dance2:dance1

:dance1:dance1:dance2

 

[Accumulator]

Risky Bizness- Hey, that`s great news! Sounds like you`re all dialed-in with it now. Hope it lasts a long time, results seem to vary.

 

[Risky Bizness]

I will try to keep accurate info, on this project, and see how it turns out. I am going to do our 2017 FX4 K/R as we are planning a trip to the Gulf in June, and would be a perfect opportunity to see how it does with bugs on the windshield. :dunno: