Using gasoline to clean foam pads
- Thread starter 454Casull
- Start date
wannafbody
wannafbody
454Casull said:
Trying to insult someone else for your own lack of knowledge and intelligence isn't very bright:wow:
wannafbody said:
Where was the insult? Find me the insult and I can show you the mountain of condescension here.
Guys, I can appreciate that you don't want me to burn up (or maybe you are starting to come around) or set my house on fire, but I know that extreme heat is quite painful and don't need you to tell me that. However, I am reasonably certain that in the environment that I would be using the gasoline in, the vapors would not form in such a concentration so as to be flammable... though you'd think I was 3 years old what with all the extreme prejudice against using a *gasp* flammable solvent. It's like people have never used toluene, rubbing/isopropyl alcohol, MEK/butanone, acetone or whatever.
LOL, I tried my best to avoid this thread, but I'll give my 2 cents. First off, dawn will be efficient for all of your pad cleaning needs. I use either dawn ultra concentrated or APC+ diluted 3:1. Second, if you think gasoline will be an excellent pad cleaner, DO IT! Then post the results of your experiment instead of fighting the criticism here. Third, Bob will always be 520 posts smarter than 99% of the population here, including myself. His work alone is enough to inspire most of us and he's always raising the bar for detailing standards.
Bob is the man and his arms prove it. You need to stick around and see who gives the best advice.
rcrobbins said:
LOL, I tried my best to avoid this thread, but I'll give my 2 cents. First off, dawn will be efficient for all of your pad cleaning needs. I use either dawn ultra concentrated or APC+ diluted 3:1. Second, if you think gasoline will be an excellent pad cleaner, DO IT! Then post the results of your experiment instead of fighting the criticism here. Third, Bob will always be 520 posts smarter than 99% of the population here, including myself. His work alone is enough to inspire most of us and he's always raising the bar for detailing standards.
nosbusa1700
New member
I use DP Polishing Pad Rejuvenator & Dawn power dissolver on all of my pads. I wouldn't ever try gasoline to clean my pads, or anything else, but whatever floats your boat/works for you..
Richie's Custom Detailing
New member
Make sure you use nitro methane for the best possible results. Although the smell may be a little bothersome your pads will be super clean.
Setec Astronomy
Well-known member
454Casull said:
You don't need LHe, LN2 or maybe even CO2 would work fine. In retrospect, some of us overreacted to (OMG) gas! You're right, there are plenty of other flammable solvents that people use (even me) without blowing ourselves up. However, as Accumulator noted, gasoline is pretty "dirty" and a can of acetone, MEK, toluene, etc. would be a better bet...although I'm sure one or all of those is going to melt the foam, adhesive, or backing.
PS You should be able to get some nitro wherever you get racing gas, unless I'm just too old to know you can't get it anymore.
Gasoline, as mentioned in one thread above, has certain cleaning uses. It is great at removing tar from body panels (modern non-laquer paints only of course). It also is the only thing we could find back in the day to clean off undercoating and other difficult coatings on the underbody of vehicles (that stuff turns yellow after age and looks terrible - on most older VW/Audi you can see this stuff oozing out of drain holes at the bottom edge of doors). Today, we just use FK1 #1119 
The problem with gasoline being used to clean pads is that the foam will dissolve, as well as the glue holding the velcro on.
Now, the real question is: how dirty are your pads to think something as hard core as gasoline is needed to clean them?
The problem with gasoline being used to clean pads is that the foam will dissolve, as well as the glue holding the velcro on.
Now, the real question is: how dirty are your pads to think something as hard core as gasoline is needed to clean them?
bridgersmith
New member
If you want to use a non polar solvent to clean your pads then use Everclear. At least it's better for the environment when you flush your pad. Butane is also a non polar solvent. They are all still flammable just like you like it.
WAS
Driven
rcrobbins said:
Am I the only one wondering why the guy is running down the stairs WITH a leaking gasoline can in his hand ? lol
Snappy pad cleaners are my opinion. It's a powder that comes in little packets. You fill a 3 gallon bucket with warm water, empty the packet into the water, throw the pads in, let them sit for 15min, squeeze them out, then rinse them under a tap or in another bucket of plain water, squeeze them out again and let them air dry. My experience thus far: pads come out like brand new everytime. You'd look at my pads (which have quite a few hours of use on them) and you'd think they were brand new.
BTW, Bob does AMAZING details. I can only hope that one day I will attain the skill level he has.
And I'd have to agree, using gasoline is a bad idea for cleaning purposes. Not to mention gasoline is a carcinogenic, so repeated exposure on your skin and breathing in fumes will cause long term health problems.