New Technique- Pad cleaning

budman3 said:
Who would have thought there was so many ways to wash pads?
-Wash by hand in the house
-Wash via machine
-Wash in driveway
-Soak and rinse
-LC pad washing machine
-Some don't even wash (more for wool I believe)
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You forgot bikini wash.
 
ZoranC said:
You forgot bikini wash.
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That is one technique you won't see me trying ... :cheers: however, watching is a different story :p.
 
If a pad isn't that dirty I find XMT Pad Cleaner works well. However, if it's so dirty that I want to soak the pad for a while I use the DP Foam Pad Rejuvinator. It works REALLY well.
 
I usually spray my pads with APC, let them dwell a few minutes then simply rinse them with my garden sprayer set on "centre". It produces a cone-like stream with very thin, strong jets of water. They feel like tiny needles on the skin. This setting cleans the pads in no time.
 
As a future PC owner, how often do pads need to be cleaned? For a typical car, does one pad work or do you need multiple pads? I know you dedicate one pad per product.
 
It really all depends on a few different things but most of the time you can probably get by with one pad per product. Two or more for some polishes that gum up pads ...
 
RTexasF said:
Like others here if I have 4+ I drop them in the Maytag. A bit of Oxyclean powder and some Micro Restore in warm water and let 'er rip! Haven't had the backing come off one yet and they come out cleaner than they do with me hand washing them.
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When you say the maytag do you mean the washing machine?

Sorry for the dumb question but this seems to be like a good easy idea.
 
Wow, I was not aware that one could use Folex to clean pads! That is great to know!
 
My 2 cents, I can't stand the smell of XMT pad cleaner - that lung collasping stuff is going out the door. I found just an old toothbrush and Dawn will clean most pads, even after that gummy Optimum poliseal. XMT does make nice polishes that clean up well, but I tried Malco last week and that's got to be the easiest to clean there is.
 
I have Megs pads (8000 and 9000) and get dawn (Palmolive or whatever is in the kitchen at the time) and use water to get the cleaner into the pads, then put them in the washer, use the largest load size (max water) add a little soap and wash on warm cycle . . . then in to the dryer on low temperature (usually do three at a time). They come out clean and dry (for the most part). My wax pad (9000) is the one that doesn't dry or clean as well, but that is to be expected. They are clean and I've not lost a pad to backing adhesive failure yet.
 
I know this is a little late, but thanks for the review budman.

Now I have been using Dawn with warm water to clean my pads. I do it by hand with a brush, then spin dry. Ive got two of everything, so I just grab the other pad if the other one gets gummed up or whatever. Anyways, I found this thread on autopia. I dont think Im allowed to give a link, but the title of it is "CAUTION!! : Dishsoap ruined my pad !!" Now if you go there, youll see a post by me which says I havent had an issue using Dawn. Well, Im going to have to take that back. I guess I never really payed close enough attention. But I do see the edge of my pad starting to disintegrate, crumble, whatever. Also, when I get ready to use my pad the next day, I put it on the PC and spin it, and dust starts coming off. Well I noticed this is actually the pad crumbling up. I dont know if this is from the Dawn, or because I use my pads so often. But I figured I would make you guys aware of it just in case it is the Dawn. Ive since switched over to using Woolite 8:1 or 10:1 to clean them. Better safe then sorry right?

So heres my new method.

Rinse with warm water/ scrub with hands
Spray on Woolite 8:1 or 10:1 (pre treat for 1- 3 min. for tough stains)
Scrub with brush
Rinse thoroughly
Squeeze out water
Spin dry on PC or rotary
Lay pad FACE DOWN on plastic bag or something clean over night
Once dry, store in plastic container.

I find Woolite 8:1 & 10:1 to be more cost efficient, easier to rinse out, and cleans just as well. It should also be gentler on the pads.
 
Recently I got a 7.5 kg Hoover Boss top loader and instead of using the DP cleaner or laundry liquid, I use wax free car shampoo and boy does it clean the pads back to like new

Plus the velcro backing stays put. I always double rinse them afterwards to make sure their is no residue still inside
 
D&D Auto Detailing said:
Also, when I get ready to use my pad the next day, I put it on the PC and spin it, and dust starts coming off. Well I noticed this is actually the pad crumbling up. I dont know if this is from the Dawn, or because I use my pads so often. But I figured I would make you guys aware of it just in case it is the Dawn. Ive since switched over to using Woolite 8:1 or 10:1 to clean them. Better safe then sorry right?
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I thought this was just a little polish left over in the pad that didn't get rinsed well. I'll have to keep an eye on that, thanks.
 
I let them soak in a 5 gallon bucket with a little APC for about an hour, then I agitate them with my hands while in the bucket, then I center them on my grit guard in the driveway and hose them off. Then I wring them out, then slap them on my PC on speed 6 for a few seconds, then store them on a towel overnight to let them completely dry before storing them.

Pinnacle Pad Cleaner seems to be an APC. Works the same on the pads and my lungs----so it's gotta be;)

I definitely would NOT use a hose and the rotary at the same time. One "well placed" squirt, leak, or broken hose and you'll be in trouble!!!!!
 
D&D Auto Detailing said:
I know this is a little late, but thanks for the review budman.

Now I have been using Dawn with warm water to clean my pads. I do it by hand with a brush, then spin dry. Ive got two of everything, so I just grab the other pad if the other one gets gummed up or whatever. Anyways, I found this thread on autopia. I dont think Im allowed to give a link, but the title of it is "CAUTION!! : Dishsoap ruined my pad !!" Now if you go there, youll see a post by me which says I havent had an issue using Dawn. Well, Im going to have to take that back. I guess I never really payed close enough attention. But I do see the edge of my pad starting to disintegrate, crumble, whatever. Also, when I get ready to use my pad the next day, I put it on the PC and spin it, and dust starts coming off. Well I noticed this is actually the pad crumbling up. I dont know if this is from the Dawn, or because I use my pads so often. But I figured I would make you guys aware of it just in case it is the Dawn. Ive since switched over to using Woolite 8:1 or 10:1 to clean them. Better safe then sorry right?

So heres my new method.

Rinse with warm water/ scrub with hands
Spray on Woolite 8:1 or 10:1 (pre treat for 1- 3 min. for tough stains)
Scrub with brush
Rinse thoroughly
Squeeze out water
Spin dry on PC or rotary
Lay pad FACE DOWN on plastic bag or something clean over night
Once dry, store in plastic container.

I find Woolite 8:1 & 10:1 to be more cost efficient, easier to rinse out, and cleans just as well. It should also be gentler on the pads.
Click to expand...

Thanks!Im the MAN
 
The Grit Guard is the black plastic thingy in the pictures in the first post. You put it in the bottom of your wash bucket to keep dirt particles from getting in your wash mitt/sponge. You can check it out in the webshop.

I have the system 2000 pad washer, and it works well for cleaning most pads. But it can't handle e.g. a really caked in wool pad, so sometimes I still wash pads by hand. It also worries me slightly that when using the pad washer, you don't actually rinse out the pad, you just spin it dry on the rotary, so there would still be a little bit of the wash solution left in the pad. I haven't noticed any problems with polishing pads, but especially for my wax pads I don't like the thought, so I will still rinse those.
 
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