PC pads..how long do they last and how do you clean them?

I

imported_kgb

New member
I am just wondering what you guys do to clean your pads and how long do your pads last. Also, do you use your the same pad for polishes and sealants such as Pooboy's EX?





The reason I am asking is because I have gone through 2 Griot's Orange pads in about 2 months! I have a CMA orange but I have not yet used it. To clean them I have been just spraying them off with the hose and ringing the crap out of them. Thanks for any tips and or advise you can give me.



Bob
 
Bob,



I have a different cleaning approach that's worked well for me for the last several years. I take a 5-gallon bucket, put just a little powdered laundry detergent into it, then fill it with warm water. I drop the pads in, let them soak for a few minutes, then agitate them in the water, wringing the dirt out. Then, I soak them in clean water and wring them out again, letting them air dry.



Typically, I've gotten between 12-15 uses out of my CMA pads. Just last month, I acquired some white and yellow pads from www.topoftheline.com, and have used them several times each. They are much thicker than the CMA pads, but time will tell if I get as many uses out of them.



DavidM
 
ntwrkguy1 said:
Bob,



I have a different cleaning approach that's worked well for me for the last several years. I take a 5-gallon bucket, put just a little powdered laundry detergent into it, then fill it with warm water. I drop the pads in, let them soak for a few minutes, then agitate them in the water, wringing the dirt out. Then, I soak them in clean water and wring them out again, letting them air dry.



Typically, I've gotten between 12-15 uses out of my CMA pads. Just last month, I acquired some white and yellow pads from www.topoftheline.com, and have used them several times each. They are much thicker than the CMA pads, but time will tell if I get as many uses out of them.



DavidM
Click to expand...



www.topoftheline.com



Took the comma out. ;)
 
Great topic. I remember reading or hearing somewhere here or Meguiars.com that you are not supposed to wash the pads. I do not have a PC yet but I always wondered how you are supposed to clean them.
 
I just pour some Dawn on my pads, scrub gently with a small fingernail brush under some warm water, then squish the water out of them- much more than 12-15 uses so far.
 
I wash my Meguiars pads on a shallow basin + running water and rubbing a safeguard soap bar on the pad (got this tip from theveed). It works pretty well for me. I just knead the pads while washing and drying. I don't twist or wring them.



Meguiars actually does not recommend washing their pads because the velcro backing might come off. In my rather limited experience with these pads, hand washing them with any mild detergent would be fine as long as you don't wring or twist the pads.



With regard to durability, my W8006 pads are still as good as brand new after more than a dozen washes.
 
I spray mine off with the hose then soak them in a 5 gallon bucket with some liquid tide then send them through the washing machine. They always come out perfect!
 
Your first step is the label the back of your pads (on the velcro) with a black Sharpie pen. Mine read: DACP, #9, #7, GEPC, #6, etc.

Then after I use a pad I immediately run it under warm/hot water and kneed it out. Sometimes I will let them soak (in individual tubs, one tub per product) with a drop of dawn, but I find that if I clean them thoroughly under hot water and kneed them, I get all the remaining residue out of them.

Labeling them is important so that you maintain one pad per product. Wouldn't want to use DACP on a pad one day, then GEPC on that same pad the next, even though they are cleaned well.
 
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