Why Are My Pads Getting So Dirty?

I

imported_DieselMDX

New member
I have polished 4 cars since purchasing my PC. I start by washing and drying the vehicles then claying all exposed surfaces. I then start polishing. Now I have pretty much been doing beat up cars to learn on so the paint is always in terrible condition.





My question is this, even after a good cleaning AND claying my pads are filthy after my first pass on these cars. I mean i just did a 1999 chevy and my pad is now toast completly filthy and even after letting the pad soak in some soap and water is is still dirty.





Am i doing something wrong?





Is there a better way of cleaning these pads?





Any sales going on for some porter cable pads?





TIA
 
As was suggested, trim will dirty a pad quickly. Also, it's hard to get even coverage when claying, so there will probably be some spots you missed that the pad won't. But more likely, you are removing some sub-surface gunk that the clay will never touch, in the "pores" of the paint. There are two reasons for polishing, one, to remove scratches/swirls, and the other, to get that gunk off.



PS Guys, don't take me too literally with the pores, etc. and give me a hard time.
 
So basically the paint is in such terrible shape that I am not doing anything "wrong" it is just the paint is filthy so it is tranferring the dirt to my pad?





There was no trim on that car that i hit, i was told that trim can rip your pad so i am very careful around there.





What is the best way to clean my pad?
 
Are you working on single stage paint? That'll dirty up your pads in no time flat. Working on single stage paints is the only time I've had the pads get really dirty.



As for cleaning, I use DP's pad wash powder. Agitate then soak for about 15 minutes. Rinse, air dry.
 
Danny can you take a picture of a dirty pad?

I detailed my fathers white 2003 nissan frontier pickup that he just bought.

It is white and it had so much black junk in the paint I washed it 3 times and clayed and it still didnt all come off untill i used klasse AIO with a green polishing pad after a few passes the paint became white again and my pads was pretty dirty. With a white vehicle its easy to see the paint is still dirty but if the color is darker you may not notice
 
wash your pads in the washer like you do your microfiber. i picked that tip up from someone on here some time ago. gentle cycle if you got it then let airdry. you might wanna use woolite or add a splash of apc but that will do the trick.
 
atticdog said:
Danny can you take a picture of a dirty pad?

I detailed my fathers white 2003 nissan frontier pickup that he just bought.

It is white and it had so much black junk in the paint I washed it 3 times and clayed and it still didnt all come off untill i used klasse AIO with a green polishing pad after a few passes the paint became white again and my pads was pretty dirty. With a white vehicle its easy to see the paint is still dirty but if the color is darker you may not notice
Click to expand...





i do not like the green pad aio/paint cleaner combo, ive seen marring when i tried it. honestly unless im working on black i rarely use my green, i sub the green for yellow on finicky paint but sometime feel like green is as aggresive as yellow. if youre cleaning with aio why use cut? polishing pads all you need.
 
sorry i should have named the manufacturer green propel pad is a med polishing pad yelow is cut pad I wish all colors meants the same
 
atticdog said:
Danny can you take a picture of a dirty pad?

I detailed my fathers white 2003 nissan frontier pickup that he just bought.

It is white and it had so much black junk in the paint I washed it 3 times and clayed and it still didnt all come off untill i used klasse AIO with a green polishing pad after a few passes the paint became white again and my pads was pretty dirty. With a white vehicle its easy to see the paint is still dirty but if the color is darker you may not notice
Click to expand...







unfortunalty I do not have my camera handy but the color of the vehicle was a gold color, i only hit it with OC and a orange pad and seeing as it was a quicky the change was amazing to say the least.
 
atticdog said:
sorry i should have named the manufacturer green propel pad is a med polishing pad yelow is cut pad I wish all colors meants the same
Click to expand...





gottcha, i just figured we were talking lc or the same style. at least you know what i mean lol.
 
When trim was mentioned by the first 2 posters, I believe they were referring to the weatherstripping rubber material around the windows. When I did my van last week, my pads would get black patches where it contacted the weatherstripping.
 
DieselMDX said:
\





straight to the PC
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Maybe the residue left after claying is what is soiling your pads???:nixweiss



I usually wash after claying .... either with the same stuff I washed the car with or at least something like S&W.



Just my .02.
 
smprince1 said:
Maybe the residue left after claying is what is soiling your pads???:nixweiss



I usually wash after claying .... either with the same stuff I washed the car with or at least something like S&W.



Just my .02.
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good idea I will do that from now on
 
10770d1156793450-critique-my-pad-picture-img_1102.jpg






Thats my pad after polishing the womans 98 camery. It WAS yellow. As others are saying, with neglected paint, "dead" and dull paint has to go somewhere. Unless we both are doing something wrong, which is possible i guess...
 
Mach30SiR said:
10770d1156793450-critique-my-pad-picture-img_1102.jpg






Thats my pad after polishing the womans 98 camery. It WAS yellow. As others are saying, with neglected paint, "dead" and dull paint has to go somewhere. Unless we both are doing something wrong, which is possible i guess...
Click to expand...





thanx for posting a pic that is how my orange pad looked after one side, to say least there was alot of DEAD paint.
 
DieselMDX said:
thanx for posting a pic that is how my orange pad looked after one side, to say least there was alot of DEAD paint.
Click to expand...

my pads look like that often during use. should clean up fine.
 
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