From an article i read...You should start with least abbrasive (cutting pad) and go from there..
The first breakdown is between wool and foam pads. In general, wool pads are considered "cutting" in nature. That is, the fibers of the wool pad "cut" into the paint, removing top layers of paint much more rapidly than foam pads, which do a relatively small amount of cutting but instead rely on greater heat build-up to do their work.
There are several types of wool pads. The four-ply yarn cutting pad (white wool) is perhaps the most aggressive of the lot. It is not recommended on newer clear coat finishes. The blended pad, which combines both natural and synthetic fibers, is best for cutting newer clear coats. Then there is the "finishing" wool pad, which can be composed of genuine lambs wool or a combination of lambs wool and polyester (synthetic) fiber. The genuine lambs wool, although more expensive, is recommended over synthetic because it contains lanolin, which is a natural oil that helps to lubricate the buffing process and keep the pad soft. This reduces the amount of micro-scratching left behind by the pad, especially on darker paints.
To clean wool pads, use a device known as a spur, available from your favorite detail supplier. To remove chemical build-up as well as the contaminants that are being picked up by the pad while it works over the paint surface, spur the pad often during use. When you are finished with the pad, remove it, set it down, face up, and allow it to dry over night. Never apply any kind of heat to dry a wool pad. The next day, virtually all of the dried chemical residue will come off with by using the spur. To use the spur, lay the back of the buffer on one knee, turn it on, and run the spur back-and-forth along a horizontal line on the side of the pad that is spinning toward the ground. Make sure the cord is out of the way of the pad so that it does not catch in the spinning wheel. Wool pads should never be washed or force-dried. This will break down the pad and remove natural oils, which can cause swirl problems down the line. It will also shrink the pad. If the paint damage is severe, a wool pad may be good for only that one job. But most will last for several jobs. Don't make the mistake of trying to save money by stretching the life of a pad--if an over-worked pad causes damage that you have to repair, you have just lost all the money you tried to save by trying to extend the life of the pad.
