Using more than one pad.

Q

q_tip98444

New member
Ok, I have several pads of the same type, I use one pad for each different product, for now atleast. A friend argued that you only need at the most two pads because you should be able to put different products on the same pad. (he has never detailed a car btw) I think I'm right he swears he's right. I tried to explain it to him that I don't want to use say DACP then have to wash and dry the pad to put on 80, because it just isn't time effective. He doesn't understand that. Can you guys settle this?
 
Differnt pads for different products. You don't want to compromise the same pad with a another chemical. I.E rubbing compound with a polish.
 
Well I do, but I wash thoroughly the pads before apply another product. Its still nice to have more than 1 pad.



If you immediately put the used pad in a bucket of dawn and let it sit for a while and then rinse and soak rinse and soak and keep it up until nothing but clear water comes out the pad there should be no problem using it with another product.



It is a little time consuming, but saves money.
 
I wash my pads after every use. If a pad has been properly cleaned you can use different products on it. I do all the time.
 
Thanks for the replies guy. What I mean is like, say I have to do a ca rin three hours its easier to have a few pads then just clean all of them when I'm done. Does that make sense? Or am I just lazy lol.
 
I see what you are saying. This is what I do for example: If I do a two step polish job lets say I use #83 DACP with one pad. Then I will follow with #80 with another pad. Then If I apply the LSP with the machine I will use a finishing pad or polishing pad depending on the product. When I'm all finished I will wash all pads used thouroughly and dry.
 
I do what General Lee does, except for washing at the end.



I have dedicated pads for each product, and when I'm finished I wipe the pad with a clean terry towel and store it in an open plastic ziplock bag. When it dries I zip it up and use it again (with the same product) when the need arises.

When I use it again, I simply brush it gently with a nylon brush to remove dried surface product, tap it clean, and keep using it.



I have many pads and use them this way in my detailing business and have had no issues with quality results or pad life. :bigups
 
You can use more than one product on a pad but it must be a more aggressive product. If you start out with SSR1 on a pad, I think it would be OK to use the same pad with SSR2 or SSR2.5.



I wash my pads after every use, squeeze them, blot them dry with towels, and let them air dry. When dry, they are stored in a marked Zip-Lock bag.



I don't feel comfortable letting product dry on the pad 'cause product can dry in the pad, too. Why take the risk of scratching the surface with a chunk of drier polish or compound?



Couple weeks ago someone had problems with FP leaving weird marks on his windows & paint, I don't remember the resolution but a piece of dried product could have left uniform but irregular marks.
 
I bet your friend would only use one microfiber for everything too, right? I have at least 2 of every type of pad for my rotary and my PC (i.e. 2 PC cutting, 2 Rotary cutting....). Mainly, this is for time and convenience. I just use what I need to and then wash it all at the end of the day. Once a pad has been thoroughly washed, I have no problem using a different product on it.
 
Alfisti said:
I have dedicated pads for each product, and when I'm finished I wipe the pad with a clean terry towel and store it in an open plastic ziplock bag. When it dries I zip it up and use it again (with the same product) when the need arises.

When I use it again, I simply brush it gently with a nylon brush to remove dried surface product, tap it clean, and keep using it.
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If this is what you do than IMO you are using a dirty pad. Would you do this with a hand applicator too? It doesn't matter if it's a pad for the PC or a hand app or whatever, if it touches my paint the app will be washed very well before it does so. Dried product on a pad or in a pad is asking for trouble. There is no way brushing them will remove every thing on and in that pad.



I tried the above method of pad cleaning when I first started using the PC. If I remember correctly it was how Megs recommended to clean pads. No matter how much I brushed the pad it still had product in it. The only way I could get it all out was washing the pad in soap and water.
 
stevet, your statement makes sense...however, I've had no issues.



Your right, Megs recommends that procedure.
 
I just never quite trust myself to clean them well enough. I'll use different (but similar) LSPs on a pad, but with abrasives, if I'm gonna use something else on the same pad I use something *more* aggressive. That way there's no harm if I failed to really remove all of the milder product.
 
stevet said:
I tried the above method of pad cleaning when I first started using the PC. If I remember correctly it was how Megs recommended to clean pads. No matter how much I brushed the pad it still had product in it. The only way I could get it all out was washing the pad in soap and water.
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Steve, I tried cleaning with a brush, and after using dawn I never looked back. My pad are so much cleaner.





This is why I starting washing with dawn. They come very clean. Takes me a bit to get all the soapy suds out. I keep rinsing till there is no soap left in the pad and they appear to be clean. Then I press them flat into a microfiber towel to help dry them faster. Then I let them air dry, and store them in large freezer bags that I leave open.



I also mark my pads with a permanant marker, for example on Meguiar's pads I mark the center little circle on velcro backing side. Being that it is a small space I mark the pads 83, 80, 9, SMR etc. I try and use the same pad if I can. If not the closest one to the product I am using just for extra measures. But over the short time I have been detailing I have picked up quite a few pads, So I usually use the same pad.



Happy Holidays and A Merry Christmas
 
i wash my pad inbetween details.. .such as after a couple fenders ill wash it, just to prevent built up and any dirt from getting on the pad to create swirls... i dont see a problem with washing a pad, then using a different product on it though. it would be nice to have different pads for different products, but i rather spend my money on more polishes/waxes than pads:D



which reminds me.. im gonna get some new pads.. i have the sonus pads, and i have mixed feelings about them.. sometimes i hate them, sometimes i like them. they hold together well though.. no seperation of the velcro. any recommendations on new pads for a makita 9227?
 
cheapshot said:
Then I press them flat into a microfiber towel to help dry them faster. Then I let them air dry, and store them in large freezer bags that I leave open.

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After I hand wash my pads I put them in the washing machine on spin cycle and it removes all the water. When I take them out of the machine they are only damp and dry in a couple hours at room temp.



When I first started using a PC I tried spin drying the pads on the PC but found this to be hard on the velcro and caused it to seperate from the pad. The spin cycle on the washing machine gets the water out of the pad better than using the PC and does not damage the velcro.
 
Alfisti said:
stevet, your statement makes sense...however, I've had no issues.



Your right, Megs recommends that procedure.
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Alfisti, anyone who sees the pics of the Jags youâ€â„¢ve done would be very hard pressed to argue with your results. Iâ€â„¢d say whatever process works best for someone is what they should use.



I do wash my pads with dawn, then give them a spin on a rotary in a bucket to get out the bulk of the moisture, then air dry and put them in un-sealed Zip-Loc bags. I do keep my pads pretty much product specific so I also label the bags. During the Autogeek giveaways I ordered some Snappy Pad Cleaner, Iâ€â„¢m curious to see if it works any better than dawn.
 
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