Cleaning Pads after use / storage

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imported_CkretAjint

New member
What would the proper way to clean a pad after useage? Like I JUST finished cleaning and washing and detailing my car and now what? do I soak them in water? wash them in warm water and soap? toss them in a ziplock baggie without washing untill next time?



Also, should I store them in a container? roa zip-lock baggie untill next time to dust and dirt will not get on them?



Just making sure I wont screw up my new pads on their way :spot :2thumbs:
 
I would wash it right after you are done and not wait until next time. I wash mine with an APC and l make sure you sinse it out REALLY good and dry it really good. I don't like putting mine in a bag or container that totally seals them off unless they are 110% dry.
 
Before I even start using my pads, I make up a small bucket of dish soap and warm water. This way as soon as im done with the pad, I can take it off the machine and put it directly into the cleaning solution. If you don't need the pad again right away, I'd let it soak in the bucket for an hour or two to let the soap do its job. After this, massage the hell out of the pad with your hands. Work the pad for a minute or two to make sure you get all of the old product out. Then rinse the pad COMPLETELY. you don't want old product left in there that could interfere with product that you're applying next time you use the pad. After rinsing, wringe the pad out. I then put it on the pc/rotary and spin out alot of the water. i use speed 3 on the PC and the lowest setting on the rotary (i just got the hitachi, i dont know what the numbers relate to in RPM's off the top of my head). After spinning the pads, I stick them on a towel rack and let them completely dry. Once dry, I put them in large freezer bags and into my pad container it goes (a large 55 liter clear plastic bin i got at walmart for $4)
 
Hmm.....anyone stick one in a dishwasher with no soap, or even with soap..be interested in that experiment :D
 
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. The porcelin tub is fine. No residue or anything. I'm a clean freak and wouldn't do it if I noticed an issue with my clothes.



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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that's pretty good spilchy... I think I may have to give it a whirl next time I do pads... Sitting there cleaning pads does get kind of boring after a while now that you mention it.
 
wow I hate cleaning the pads as well. I sure will try this method.

I do not use liquid tide so let me try charlie's shop.



Nick
 
i fill up a little bucket with dish soap and let it soak for 30 minutes. after about 15 minutes, i agitate the pad(s) and squeeze/loosen all the caked on product out and then toss it back in for the remaining 15 minutes. lastly... i fill up the bucket with clean water and squeeze it clean one last time, and then off to the grit guard where they dry off.
 
I just started using the washing machine for my pads too, with the same results as Spilchy.



On a side note, my wife just saw me looking at this thread.....now she thinks we're all nuts!! Her words: "Someone did a photo-documentary on machine washing their buffing pads?? You guys all need help!" :LOLOL



I think she's actually happy to know that I'm not alone in this affliction. :grinno:
 
can anyone verify that washing propel pads in a washing machine is fine? both the old ones and the new pads with the "ridges" around them? i just want to make sure those new ones dont start to tear between the edges or something...or the velcro begins to separate.
 
i washed all my pads in the washer the other day....two of them are fine and one of them the velcro is starting to come off....nothing a little krazy glue cant fix, but it happened...meguiars pads.....
 
toyotaguy said:
i washed all my pads in the washer the other day....two of them are fine and one of them the velcro is starting to come off....nothing a little krazy glue cant fix, but it happened...meguiars pads.....
Click to expand...

how old is the pad with the velcro starting to come off? and its starting to come off as a result of washing them in the washing machine?
 
the pads were heavily saturated and only about 2 months old....I think that I apply too much product, so the next time around, I am going to monitor that more closely
 
Spichy,Thank you for taking the time to post this thread,I will now take the plunge to gently machine wash my Sonus pads as washing them even in the sonus cleaner isnt giving me the results I want.



Thanks again.
 
Neothin said:
I then put it on the pc/rotary and spin out alot of the water. i use speed 3 on the PC and the lowest setting on the rotary (i just got the hitachi, i dont know what the numbers relate to in RPM's off the top of my head).
Click to expand...



I'd be scared to put the pad on a PC and letting it rip against no surface for fear of flinging the pad. But if I carefully center the pad on my Metabo and let it rip full blast, you can get lots of water out if not all of it. It's one of the few times I get to go full bore, so I enjoy drying the pad and listening to the machine sound like it's about to blast off.





Back on topic though. Cleaning pads has never been so much of a chore that I'd risk machine washing it. You'd think these manufacturers ran through a set of stringent tests to determine that it was unsafe for the pad to be machine washed. Maybe they didn't and just say not to throw it in the washing machine to cover their arses legally. If ever I get so lazy as to dread washing pads, I just might join the bandwagon.
 
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