When they are new or if I start detailing I usually miss with S&W. Feels safe and in a way will help clean a little. They also prim the pad to buffer easier.
i do the same thing.. water works too .. i use water when using my rotary to keep the pad from gumming up .. sometimes the product gums up on the paint and water fixes it right up
Always a good idea to mist a new pad to help prime it, and as bigron said it helps to keep a water bottle with you especially on hot humid days when wax and polish tend to cake and gum up. Hey the water is free and it works great!