Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 6
Foam vs Fiber - Car Detailing by Hand or Machine
When working on car paint by hand, the safest application method would be a soft foam applicator pad. If you need more bite or more cleaning or abrading ability to remove swirls, scratches, oxidation and years of neglect, then a soft microfiber applicator pad will provide more abrading ability than foam. The thing is, if you start with a fiber pad, the fibers themselves can leave their own defect, (marring/scratching), but that's the trade-off to get more abrading ability. The good news is, in most cases, you can remove the fiber marring or scratching by re-polishing but switching over to a foam applicator.
Here's the difference,
Foam has a UNIFORM surface texture.
Fiber pads have a CHAOTIC surface texture. The surface is made-up of thousands of individual fibers. In context, as you press and rub a fiber pad over the surface each of the tiny fibers "cuts" the paint. This is more aggressive than the uniform surface texture offered by soft foam.
If you're trying to use the least aggressive process possible then start or test with foam. If this isn't cutting it, (pun intended), then test or use a soft microfiber applicator pad.
Make sense?
When working on car paint by hand, the safest application method would be a soft foam applicator pad. If you need more bite or more cleaning or abrading ability to remove swirls, scratches, oxidation and years of neglect, then a soft microfiber applicator pad will provide more abrading ability than foam. The thing is, if you start with a fiber pad, the fibers themselves can leave their own defect, (marring/scratching), but that's the trade-off to get more abrading ability. The good news is, in most cases, you can remove the fiber marring or scratching by re-polishing but switching over to a foam applicator.
Here's the difference,
Foam has a UNIFORM surface texture.
Fiber pads have a CHAOTIC surface texture. The surface is made-up of thousands of individual fibers. In context, as you press and rub a fiber pad over the surface each of the tiny fibers "cuts" the paint. This is more aggressive than the uniform surface texture offered by soft foam.
If you're trying to use the least aggressive process possible then start or test with foam. If this isn't cutting it, (pun intended), then test or use a soft microfiber applicator pad.
Make sense?
