The cutting foam pads genereally last about 10-12 cars fro me. The polishing pads maybe double that. I wash them by hand with mild detergent ( woolite) after each use and let them air dry. The wool pads that I have have lasted for abotu 2 years so far and still are good, howveer I don't use them all that much unless I have a car from a body shop that I have wetsanded or have a severely scratched car.