My pad cleaning regimen: PICS

Spilchy

Spilchy

New member
There have been many threads on how to properly clean your pads. We all have our ways in which we believe works best. As much as I love detailing, I hate washing pads. The time of soaking and washing in a bucket with your hands and Dawn or whatever cleaner you use is a major pain in the rear. There are also specialty cleaners for pads, but my way is super cheap and has worked well for a long time now.

So I decided why not use the washing machine. I have read DONT wash your pads in a machine. Well I decided to any way. Zero mess, clean hands, drop in, walk away, come back and they're completely clean and nearly dry. Takes all of 3 minutes total of your time.

If I feel my machine is somehow dirty from this, I run an empty load with Charlie's APC. But, it's like washing your MF's. So I rarely do this.

Test Subjects:
2 LC 7.5 Orange pads with dry PB SSR2.5
3 LC 6.5� White pads with dry VM
3 yellow foam applicators with dry Blitz and #16
1 terry applicator with dry 303 protectant.

The Orange pads are brand new and the white pads have been used numerous times over 2 years. So you'll see they are no longer bright white and have some slight fraying.

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Cleaning Agents:
Liquid Tide Free
Simple Green - I buy the gallon size at Home Depot for @ $8
(I also substitute Simple Green with Charlies APC once in a while)

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Test Subjects in machine:

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Process:
Place pads in machine
Select delicate setting
Select Small load size
Select Warm Wash & Warm Rinse setting
Start machine
Place in Liquid Tide with a measurement for a mini load - a little less than small
Place in Simple Green at around a 1/4 cup
Close and let it work its magic

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When finished, just dry in the same fashion as you always have. Note: the pads may be slightly deformed. Don't panic! You can gently massage back into place and they expand back to their original setting. Its no big deal!

The pads are deep cleaned with all the gummed up polish and wax removed. They smell fresh with all the detergent long removed. The foam pores on the pad and the backing maintain their integrity. There is no separation of the backing. The Velcro still works fine. If you have any concerns of residue, you can always run an extra cold rinse as a precaution. But the pads are so porous that they drain the detergent just fine.

Here are the finished subjects:

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Have been using a washing machine with good results for over a year. My process is not quite as involved but with similar results. I use the hot water wash with regular cycle on half a load setting. I use three or four ounces of Charlies soap. I also use the second rinse to make sure that they are rinsed completely. I wash them with my MF towels and dry them in the dryer with no ill effect so far.

Thanks you for such a good illustrated thread.
 
Thanks guys.

Charles, the inside of the tub is fine. It is made out of porcelin so it isn't porous and the detergents clean it and the water wicks off it. Like I mentioned, this is similar to cleaning your MF's. After all, the same products on your pads are in your towels.

Furthermore, I mentioned that you can run an empty load with an APC if you want.

I'm a neat and clean freak with my clothes, trust me! If I noticed any residue or stains on my clothing, I wouldn't do this.

So, the inside of the machine is just fine.
 
Spilchy said:
Thanks guys.

Charles, the inside of the tub is fine. It is made out of porcelain so it isn't porous and the detergents clean it and the water wicks off it. Like I mentioned, this is similar to cleaning your MF's. After all, the same products on your pads are in your towels.

Furthermore, I mentioned that you can run an empty load with an APC if you want.

I'm a neat and clean freak with my clothes, trust me! If I noticed any residue or stains on my clothing, I wouldn't do this.

So, the inside of the machine is just fine.
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Thanks. Glad to hear that. Since our tub is also porcelain, it should clean up the same. The pads and the MF's have the same products, but not in the same concentration. And if I have to run an empty load with an APC, I would just as soon continue to hand wash.
My clothes don't concern me near as much as my head. My wife would bounce something off it if I mess up her washing machine. :chair:

Sounds like a system worth trying.
Again, nice write up and great pictures. :bigups

Charles
 
How long have you guys been using this method? I get about the same results with washing by hand (dawn and a scoop of oxyclean in the sink) but this method looks a whole lot easier except wasting so much water for a few pads...
 
The whole idea about the washing machine is the CONVENIENCE. Just drop in, walk away, come back - BAM, they're clean!

The LAST thing I want to do when I finish a detail, clean up the driveway, put the hose away, etc... is to first start hand washing pads.

Budman, I've been doing it for a few years now. As far as wasting water; I calculated my water bill a couple months ago and it is literally a couple pennies for a gallon of water.
 
Nice write up and good job. I am thinking this might work well with the DP Pad Rejuvenator although i would imagine you would have to use to much of it to be economical. Maybe next time i do a detail I might give it a whirl and see.

Richard
 
Spilchy said:
Budman, I've been doing it for a few years now. As far as wasting water; I calculated my water bill a couple months ago and it is literally a couple pennies for a gallon of water.
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Ah true. But we only have a 13-14 foot dug well so conservation of water is needed in the dry parts of the summer. I never though of washing the pads in a machine before and really can't think of any side effects either because no matter how you clean them, they will be soaked in water. I guess the problem comes into play is what is used to clean them and if the glue on the backing will hold up.
 
netspec said:
Does anyone know whether this procedure would work with Edge 2000 pads? :goodluck:
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I wouldn't do it. I messed up two of the Edge 2000 Rotary pads by putting them in the washing machine. From my experience, only the Lake Country Pads survive a wash cycle.
 
Scott P said:
I wouldn't do it. I messed up two of the Edge 2000 Rotary pads by putting them in the washing machine. From my experience, only the Lake Country Pads survive a wash cycle.
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Glad I asked
 
Boy am I glad I saw this post! I've been trying the washing machine method recently for my pads and MF's but hadn't seen anyone else on here talk about it. I hate washing pads and MF's at the end of the day too, it really makes the work day seem long (I'm in this cause I like cleaning cars, not doing laundry!), so it's so much nicer to just toss them in the machine and let it do the work for me. Now I atleast feel more comfortable knowing others trust the machine too.
 
I use the washing machine as well. Any well-made pad should be able to handle it just fine, and I haven't had a problem yet.
 
Spilchy said:
When finished, just dry in the same fashion as you always have. Note: the pads may be slightly deformed. Don't panic! You can gently massage back into place and they expand back to their original setting. Its no big deal!
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What would you say is the traditional method of drying the pads?
 
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