Preferred method to clean MF pads

derek37

derek37

New member
So, what is it? I know that they say they are machine washable, is that how you guys usually clean 'em? I've never used the washer I've always used the sink with running water to clean the mfs and surbuf. Foam gets the Pad washer. Also, has anyone used a pad washer to clean the MFs. Wonder if that would be safe?:eek:



Lemme know what you know. Thanks

Derek
 
Microfiber Pads



During use - clean the pad and fluff up the fibers using foam pad Conditioning Brush before moving on to the next area.



Machine wash - After polishing pads should be machine washed in warm water using a suitable liquid detergentand allowed to air dry. When dry, pads will often contain a fine, powder residue which should be removed before using the pad again.



A common misconception is that a regular all purpose cleaner (APC) or detergents can be used to clean pads. While they do clean the pads but they also leave a soapy residue that doesn't completely rinse out. This residue will reactivate the next time you use the pad.



Using (P21S®® Total Auto Wash or Optimum Power Clean â„¢) diluted 2:1 (or stronger) soak the foam pads in hand-hot water for about an hour. Then gently work the surface of your pads with your thumbs for a minute or two. Compress the pads individually (do not wring as this may damage the Velcro®) under the water with the flat of your palms a few times.



Drain the water and rinse thoroughly with warm water and compress the pads to drain the excess water. Place pads between two terry cloth towels and compress to remove water. You can also put them in the dryer using the setting for air dry (no heat) or spin them on a rotary by placing the pad in an empty bucket until excess water is removed.



Using Compressed Air - with the machine off and the pad face upwards hold the air nozzle close to the outer edge of the pad and allow the pad to spin, working from the outer edge to the centre. It takes very little air pressure to do this as you should avoid causing high RPM as the foam may delaminate from the Velcro®



[Edit: added 02/07/2012] http://www.autopia.org/forum/autopia-detailing-wiki/139531-wool-foam-pad-cleaning-care.html
 
Keep them clean as you polish with a quick brushing and then blow them out with compressed air. When done for the day, I spray a little bit of APC on them and rinse them in warm water. Spin them out and leave out to dry. After this quick cleaning sometimes I throw them in the wash with other MFs.
 
Compressed air during use and toss them in the front loader with some Tide HE with white vinegar rinse and they come out like new. No powder, nor detergent remains. Pads are clean and last a long time. I've done about 40 cars with my first polishing pads and they still looks great. I love these pads.
 
C. Charles Hahn said:
I usually just clean them in the pad washer (Grit Guard)....
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Its one of the best investments Ive made since I started this hobby.
 
gmblack3 said:
Keep them clean as you polish with a quick brushing and then blow them out with compressed air. When done for the day, I spray a little bit of APC on them and rinse them in warm water. Spin them out and leave out to dry. After this quick cleaning sometimes I throw them in the wash with other MFs.
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So Bryan, do you agitate with with any kind of a brush or just your fingers? Do you throw them in the wash because they did not come clean enough? Thanks.





C. Charles Hahn said:
I usually just clean them in the pad washer (Grit Guard)....
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Good to know. I love my Pad Washer but was hesitant to try with mf being that all I've read was "machine washable". So Charlie, no issues at all? Would you say this is your "preferred" method? And what do you use as your cleaning solution?



jfelbab said:
Compressed air during use and toss them in the front loader with some Tide HE with white vinegar rinse and they come out like new. No powder, nor detergent remains. Pads are clean and last a long time. I've done about 40 cars with my first polishing pads and they still looks great. I love these pads.
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Cool. That's easy. Whats the HE stand for?



Thanks everybody, good info.



Derek
 
usdm said:
Its one of the best investments Ive made since I started this hobby.
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)

I know man, it's like one of my favorite tools. Need to upgrade though(I think?). Got an old system2000, one of the originals. Works fine but only with a rotary.
 
LangMan37 said:
Good to know. I love my Pad Washer but was hesitant to try with mf being that all I've read was "machine washable". So Charlie, no issues at all? Would you say this is your "preferred" method? And what do you use as your cleaning solution?
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Nope, no issues at all. They do say the MF pads are machine washable, but that doesn't mean they're "only" machine washable.



The pad washer is definitely my preferred method since it's a lot faster and leaves the pads almost completely dry and ready to use afterward. I find myself using it every couple panels to freshen the pads up a bit.



For cleaning solution I've just been using the cleaner they include with the unit. Once I run out I'll probably use some diluted OPC or something similar.
 
Ok don't laugh, but me and my buddy found that a rubber pet hair brush works amazing...Seriously Using warm water and this brush fluffed fibers and really rejuvinated the pads. Give it a try.

MYE_25-600.jpg
 
I have relied on the washing machine for the last 10 years. Works great. It's easy and I am lazy.
 
All 100 pads get washed in the washing machine at the end of the week, or 4 days, whenever I run out! I typically have 7-8 loads of wash, 2 for pads, 5-6 for towels! No way I am going to sit there and had wash things!
 
Compressed air is a must to insure that the spent product/paint doesn't load up in your pad. This will reduce cut and finishing power. I've tried just brushing and also the yellow brick/bug sponge route and it just isn't close to clean.
 
toyotaguy said:
All 100 pads get washed in the washing machine at the end of the week, or 4 days, whenever I run out! I typically have 7-8 loads of wash, 2 for pads, 5-6 for towels! No way I am going to sit there and had wash things!
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You're going through 25 pads a day? I can't imagine how much time you're spending just swaping out your pads. Do you have an air compressor?
 
LangMan37 said:
)

I know man, it's like one of my favorite tools. Need to upgrade though(I think?). Got an old system2000, one of the originals. Works fine but only with a rotary.
Click to expand...



The current grit guard pad washer supports rotary and da polishers, and it seems a lot more forgiving than the system 2000. So, yeah, an upgrade may be worth it for you in the future.
 
LangMan37;1484489...Cool. That's easy. Whats the HE stand for? Thanks everybody said:
HE stands for High Efficiency. It's a low sudsing detergent formula. All front loading and some top loading washing machines are HE. They can use up to 60% less water than regular machines. HE detergents are designed to be more effective with less water and produce noticeably lower suds. They are also designed to rinse out better since the machines use less water.
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Personally I use Snappy Clean for all my pads including the MF pads. If they're crusty (like I didn't get to them for a while) I'll spray the mf pads down with OPC @ 3:1, then soak in Snappy clean for a couple hours, then rinse. Works great. I've also cleaned them in the washing machine with micro-restore after spraying them with OPC.
 
Let's not forget how handy your rotary polisher can be too. Spray some APC into the pad > scrub it a little > rinse > spin it dry on the rotary. Dries very fast after that.
 
I mainly have backing material issues with pads that are 4 - 6.5". I no longer use dawn, tide, or much soap at all. A cap full of car wash, mixed with warm water, hand clean and spin dry. The pads don't look perfect, but seem to last much longer.



When the material breaks away, I'll either reattach using Sprayaway foam glue, or cut them up for applying dressing on tires and wells.



Larger rotary pads seem to have much better QC on backing material.
 
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