They appear to work better when the foam pad is ‘primed’; use pad conditioner formulated to reduce dry friction between the foam or wool buffing pad and the vehicle surface. Reducing friction will also greatly extend the life of the pads. Using a pad conditioner also reduces micro-marring and / or dry-buffing of the paint surface and dramatically reduces any dust – Danase Pad Conditioner
Or a very slightly distilled water dampened foam as it stops the pad absorbing to much product and provides a longer ‘working’ time; do not use a quick detailer (QD) as most are formulated with either a wax or a polymer; however they are not easily adaptable to a spray formula. To be efficient they need to be emulsified to work as a spray, to facilitate this they need to use an emulsion of silicone oils and water.