How to clean PC pads? & Lexol Question

AZ Ferrari Man

AZ Ferrari Man

Member
Hey guys, any help with cleaning Porter Cable polishing and cutting pads would be greatly appreciated! What kind of soap, how long etc... I want to use Dawn but if it strips wax I dont want any dry residues on the pads when they dry.

P.S. Anyone use Lexol leather cleaner to clean vinyl? I dont like the the Woolie mix too much, for I think it drys it out.

Andrew
 
AZ:

I'm still pretty new at this but here's the regimen that I've used thus far and results have been good.

I put the used pads in a bucket of warm soapy water with Dawn & let 'em soak while move on using a new product. When I'm finished I squeeze the pads a few times underwater, rub the surface of the pad by hand underwater, lift the pad out of the bucket & squeeze it dry, and then repeat in a fresh bucket of soapy water.

Do the soapy bucket thing at least 2x, perhaps 3x, and then do a 4th time in a bucket of clean water, no soap. The sealant (EX-P, UPP, FMJ) pad will probably be the toughest to clean thoroughly.

Mount 'em on your buffer & spin 'em in a dry bucket if you want to avoid getting wet.

I squeeze the pad dry as much as I can then put it individually on a towel face down, lay a towel over it and press down ... repeat until mostly dry & then let air dry.

Do the next pad on a dry part of the, towel etc ............

Let them air dry & put 'em away until the next "search for perfection" urge strikes.

I use Lexol on leather, never used in on vinyl so I can't comment.
 
I'd use a dedicated vinyl cleaner like Lexol's Vinylex for your vinyl. I wouldn't use the leather stuff.

There are plenty of threads around here on cleaning foam pads. I soak mine Murphy's Oil Soap, then hand wash them with Micro Restore, then let them air dry.
 
i just cleaned my vinyl up, so if it helps i'll post what i did:

used tuff stuff (a foaming vinyl carpet cleaner) and a tooth brush. it came out great! didn't leave any streaks or scrathes or residue, tooth brush works great for getting in all nooks and crannies. this left the vinyl squeeky clean and stripped. i worked small areas at a time, then wiped after i was finish, for tight area, i sprayed a little foam cleaner on tooth brush and worked it that way. this was my first time using this foam cleaner and i like it, it works well, and can be found at any retail store.


i then soaked a bar of dove soap in a large bowl with nice n' warm water, for a minute or so, just till it became slightly cloudy. i used a microfiber towel to wipe everything down, i soaked the towel then twisted it out till it was just slightly damp. just wanted to make sure any chemicals or cleaners from tuff stuff were not left behind.

then i used nice amount of 303 with a microfiber applicator, let it sit for about an hour, then wiped it all down a few times with clean MF, till it was like new looking.

then i cleaned my windows, first covering dash and panels with towels and cleaned windows with MF and stoners IG.

what a difference this made.

i notice no matter what dressing or protectant i use, meguires, 303, lexol, are some i tried. after awhile crevices build up dirt and need to be cleaned.

hope this helps.
 
Cleaning PC Pads - After im done using the pad, I let it soak in water or just spray some water on it so the product doesnt dry. When im done with everything, I take some Tide Free (without softeners or fragrances) and rub/scrub the pad with my fingers for a minute or two. I then rinse everything out in warm/hot water until it looks like all the soap is out and then spin it at 6 on the PC until its 90% dry.

For vinyl, I use Meguiars #40 (bought a gallon of it) with a terry applicator. I like it because it's a one step process and it leaves a fairly matte finish.
 
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