how to clean LC foam pads?

B

brokentelephone

New member
I just used my PC for the first time today with some ColorX. Wondering how I am supposed to clean the pad as it is totally saturated with product and it feels gummy. I tried rinsing it with no luck.



Thanks!
 
I run them under some cold water and massage some dawn into it. Then rinse and repeat if necessary. I let mine air dry for a day or two afterwards.
 
In addition to washing I just got a pad cleaning tool that can be used for both wool and foam pads. You put the pad on the PC or rotary turned on to the lowest setting and spur the pads. I believe TOL sells them
 
I have an old pulsating massage type shower head on my laundry tub faucet and I turn the water on warm and full pressure .. this removes most of the product with a little massaging then I add Dawn.



To dry I hang them on my *super duper home made pad dryer* ( Velcro strips attached to a line over the tubs and I stick the pads to them )
 
How 'bout this:



Cleaning under running water, add detergent/APC, agitate, scrub, rinse, rinse again til clear. Wring dry.



Attach to rotary/PC. Place tool in bucket. Spin for 10 seconds.



Buff.



G'luck.



Jim
 
Jimmy Buffit said:


Attach to rotary/PC. Place tool in bucket. Spin for 10 seconds.



Buff.



G'luck.



Jim
Click to expand...



The problem I'm having with this is that the velcro backing on my LC pads aren't as "plush" as they were when my pads were brand new... I started noticing this after about a month or two of use, and now my more frequently used pads have trouble staying on even when the machine is off :angry



This is with the Coastal Tool backing plate... I purchased another backing plate for my PC from CMA and the results were the same. Anybody have a good solution for this? The only thing that I can think of is getting new pads... the Edge 2000 system is looking quite appealing to me right now...
 
99ITR_SC said:
I just used my PC for the first time today with some ColorX. Wondering how I am supposed to clean the pad as it is totally saturated with product and it feels gummy. I tried rinsing it with no luck.



Thanks!
Click to expand...



I have one of those big, plastic popcorn buckets from the movie theater. It holds 4 liters (I'm in Canada, eh). I fill it with water and add 2 capfulls of Zero (that would be Woolite in the US). When I'm done with my pad I drop it in the bucket and let it soak while I do other things. Later on I go and squeeze the polish from them using my thumb and working toward the edge. Then I rinse with water.



If drying using the "PC in the bucket" technique I'd suggest doing it on speed 1. I did it on speed 6 once with the pad that came with the PC and I accidentally hit the side of the bucket and ripped the pad in half. Good thing I was just playing around and didn't need that pad!
 
bunmango said:
The problem I'm having with this is that the velcro backing on my LC pads aren't as "plush" as they were when my pads were brand new... I started noticing this after about a month or two of use, and now my more frequently used pads have trouble staying on even when the machine is off :angry



This is with the Coastal Tool backing plate... I purchased another backing plate for my PC from CMA and the results were the same. Anybody have a good solution for this? The only thing that I can think of is getting new pads... the Edge 2000 system is looking quite appealing to me right now...
Click to expand...



That really sucks, bunmango. I've been using my LC pads with my PC for over a year now -- polishing, washing, drying -- and the velcro is still very strong now. So I don't understand why you're having this experience.



At first, I washed my pads in Dawn. But, since then, I've seen manufacturer's recommendations that we use our car-wash soaps, and I'm happier with that.



I wash the pads for quite a long time. Manufacturers warn us not to squeeze the pads -- I had been guilty of that before. Then I rinse a bunch. Then it seems to take about two days for the pads to dry out. (I suspend mine on a cake-drying rack.)
 
Lynn, what backing plate are you using? Do you agitate the pads at all, or do you just soak, squeeze, and rinse? I fold the pad in half to rub one side of the pad with the other... perhaps that's what's causing the wear on my velcro?
 
Jimmy Buffit said:
How 'bout this:



Cleaning under running water, add detergent/APC, agitate, scrub, rinse, rinse again til clear. Wring dry.



Attach to rotary/PC. Place tool in bucket. Spin for 10 seconds.



Buff.



G'luck.



Jim
Click to expand...





Yep, this works for me, no velcro issues for over a year now, I dont keep the PC/rotary on longer than I have to :up
 
~One man’s opinion / observations ~



Clean pads soon after use, if left saturated with chemicals for a long period, foam pads will deteriorate. Extend pad life by periodic cleaning. Remove caked residues by lightly brushing the pad with a horsehair brush. Don’t use sharp tools or metal / nylon brushes to clean pads; they destroy the foam.



Soak in medium hot water (>140oF) and then squeeze out wax/polish with your hands (do not bend pads it will weaken the Velcro) rinse thoroughly twice. Hand wash with any liquid detergent (P21S Total Auto Wash) that will remove wax or polish, do not use bleach (bleach will shorten the life of your pads) air-dry or place in wash bucket and spin pad with PC at low/medium speed, let pad come to a stop unaided to avoid injury. When pad is dry test with a fingertip.



Store pads where they can expand unrestricted, don’t sore wet/damp, or stack pads / leave them where other objects may deform or crease them. Don't use the same pad for different products unless they are washed first (i.e. don't use for wax and then for polish unless you wash it first.



~Hope this helps~



Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/ Jon

justadumbarchitect * so I question everything *
 
bunmango said:
Lynn, what backing plate are you using? Do you agitate the pads at all, or do you just soak, squeeze, and rinse? I fold the pad in half to rub one side of the pad with the other... perhaps that's what's causing the wear on my velcro?
Click to expand...



I have the hard PC backing plate to accommodate 6" pads. But, of course, I remove the pads before I start cleaning them.



Hmmm ... not quite sure what YOU mean by "do I agitate them." In my view, yes, I agitate the dickens out of them. But only by hand, not by machine. And in a bucket full of car-wash soap, and wishout distorting the pads. I too, at first folded them in half, rubbing one side against another, when I started. ('Cause that's how my momma taught me to clean laundry lo those many decades ago.) But then I saw a manufacturer's website with cleaning instructions. (Sorry, but I really can't remember whether it was Autopia, or CMA, or TOL.) And they strongly recommended against that kind of physical manipulation. So now I just squeeze the suds thru the pad, and I do think I'm sensing it slows down the degradation of the pads. But this is subtle stuff.



Also, with this gentler method of cleaning, I probably spend about 10-15 mins. cleaning each pad. And once the wash/rinse water seems to show suds/debris, I switch the bucket to provide fresh water.



Honestly, I'm not sure all that slow washing and water-changing is necessary. I've just become very conservative about this. ... But I do seem to sense that my pads are wearing more slowly now. Go figger. :nixweiss
 
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