Pad Cleaning Question

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Wknd Dtlr

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OK, this is going to sound like a really dumb question, but here it is....

When soaking pads in a bucket, how do you get them to stay below the water line so they can be exposed to the cleaning solution? ( in this case Snappy Clean ) For me it seems that the pads just start stacking on top of each other above the water. Not sure if this makes sense but it just seems it would be better if they could actually be submersed and truly let the snappy clean penetrate for a while.

Many times I'll just spray the pad with degreaser and then hit them with my pressure washer in my homemade pad cleaner. They come out very clean on the surface but I would prefer to have them soaking in a solution so I know I'm getting out the waste material.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

thanks.
 
If you squeeze the pads and force them to soak up the water they will sink. Sometimes you just have to let them sit in there a while also.
 
zmcgovern45 said:
If you squeeze the pads and force them to soak up the water they will sink. Sometimes you just have to let them sit in there a while also.
Click to expand...

Maybe that's the answer for me then. At first they just all seem to pile on top of each other and stay above the water. I'll let them sit there for a while. Thanks, Zach.
 
If you are soaking them in a 5 gallon bucket, put a grit guard on top of them.
 
If you want to take care of pad cleaning the easiest way, simply take a minute as soon as you decide it's time to switch to a new pad and lay the used pad face up on your grit guard and spray it with your pressure washer. It'll come clean with plain water if you don't allow it to sit and marinate.

The jet setting on a hose nozzle or even just massaging the pad over running water in the sink will work just fine as well. The key is to not allow them to sit overnight.

Then once you rinse it clean, slap it back onto your DA and spin it on speed 6 for a few seconds while holding the polisher [level] into your wash bucket [so water doesn't spray all over]. After that press it down on a waffle weave towel and it'll be 100% clean + 90% dry that same moment.


Sent from my iPhone
 
The pressure washer does not damage the pad? I have not tried that method.
 
KirkH said:
The pressure washer does not damage the pad? I have not tried that method.
Click to expand...

I've never tried with the pressure washer. I only do it with the hose nozzle. But you may be right? Just stick with the hose or sink works good.


Sent from my iPhone
 
AZ Mike said:
If you are soaking them in a 5 gallon bucket, put a grit guard on top of them.
Click to expand...

And when you are ready to clean them, scrub them on the face of the Grit Guard to help remove the residue on the pads.
 
We have been pressure washing pads for years... does not damage foam or MF... works very nicely.
 
Eldorado2k said:
If you want to take care of pad cleaning the easiest way, simply take a minute as soon as you decide it's time to switch to a new pad and lay the used pad face up on your grit guard and spray it with your pressure washer. It'll come clean with plain water if you don't allow it to sit and marinate.

The jet setting on a hose nozzle or even just massaging the pad over running water in the sink will work just fine as well. The key is to not allow them to sit overnight.

Then once you rinse it clean, slap it back onto your DA and spin it on speed 6 for a few seconds while holding the polisher [level] into your wash bucket [so water doesn't spray all over]. After that press it down on a waffle weave towel and it'll be 100% clean + 90% dry that same moment.
Click to expand...

Eldorado2k - thanks for the response. I usually like to keep moving while polishing and use a new pad every panel or two and throw the spent ones in a bucket. I'll give your method a try. Are you saying you are able to reuse the pad right away after cleaning and drying to 90%, or do you still have to let the pads dry completely before using them again? The whole reason I brought this topic up is that I have been unable to remove HD Speed from my white pads.

Here's what I usually start with at the end of a day if I've been doing a full detail. After I pull off the DA I spray them with Zep purple or OPC
View attachment 54888


When I'm done I pressure wash them in in my washing contraption and use a wide nozzle ( 40 degree ). This process is extremely quick and gets them really clean. ( with the exception of HD Speed as you can see on the white pads
View attachment 54889View attachment 54890


I then squeeze them out and then put them on a wire rack to air dry. To give credit where credit is due, I did not come up with this idea. I saw it on either this forum or another forum. It's reduced my pad cleaning time by 80%. I use to throw them in our HE washer but it scummed up the inside. I also use to hand wash but leaning over a sink scrubbing pads for an eternity was not the most enjoyable task after a hard day of detailing !
View attachment 54891


thanks again for your help.
 
Wknd Dtlr said:
Are you saying you are able to reuse the pad right away after cleaning and drying to 90%, or do you still have to let the pads dry completely before using them again?
Click to expand...

I've never Had to, but if someone absolutely had to [i.e. they were short on pads] it would certainly be dry if left out in the sun for the last 10% to dry by the time they used up that current pad, I'd bet on it, because using that method leaves them very near fully dry.

As far as HD Speed or any other similar AIO.... Forgetaboutit. That method works for pads used for polish & compound. AIO's and certain sealants [I'm not actually sure about the sealant statement since I apply all lsp's by hand] But I'm sure AIO's are a different beast and a PITA to get out of pads. I still have some LC White pads with Megs Black Wax residue on them that I don't think will ever fully come out. Lol.



Sent from my iPhone
 
Eldorado2k said:
If you want to take care of pad cleaning the easiest way, simply take a minute as soon as you decide it's time to switch to a new pad and lay the used pad face up on your grit guard and spray it with your pressure washer. It'll come clean with plain water if you don't allow it to sit and marinate.

The jet setting on a hose nozzle or even just massaging the pad over running water in the sink will work just fine as well. The key is to not allow them to sit overnight.

Then once you rinse it clean, slap it back onto your DA and spin it on speed 6 for a few seconds while holding the polisher [level] into your wash bucket [so water doesn't spray all over]. After that press it down on a waffle weave towel and it'll be 100% clean + 90% dry that same moment.


Sent from my iPhone
Click to expand...

nice tips bro, how do you get a white pad white again after its changed color?
 
Eldorado2k said:
I've never Had to, but if someone absolutely had to [i.e. they were short on pads] it would certainly be dry if left out in the sun for the last 10% to dry by the time they used up that current pad, I'd bet on it, because using that method leaves them very near fully dry.

As far as HD Speed or any other similar AIO.... Forgetaboutit. That method works for pads used for polish & compound. AIO's and certain sealants [I'm not actually sure about the sealant statement since I apply all lsp's by hand] But I'm sure AIO's are a different beast and a PITA to get out of pads. I still have some LC White pads with Megs Black Wax residue on them that I don't think will ever fully come out. Lol.



Sent from my iPhone
Click to expand...
really? but the machines are such a time saver
 
Wknd Dtlr said:
Are you saying you are able to reuse the pad right away after cleaning and drying to 90%, or do you still have to let the pads dry completely before using them again?
Click to expand...
If I'm short on a specific color/size pad... after washing, I squeeze them out in a towel then spin them on my rotary to dry. That's about all I use my Dewalt rotary for unless I'm doing a cut & buff on fresh paint.
 
AZ Mike said:
If you are soaking them in a 5 gallon bucket, put a grit guard on top of them.
Click to expand...

That's what I do. Or I just set the remainder of my 3D Cleaner Gal. on top of them to push them down :)
 
fightnews said:
really? but the machines are such a time saver
Click to expand...

I guess I'm from the old school. Lol.

You know what's funny, last Friday during the taping of Competition Ready I was standing there applying paste wax with a machine... That was probably the 2nd time in my whole life that I've done that. [not including the times I've machine polished using AIO's]... But yea, I always apply by hand.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I keep Snappy Clean mixed one packet:gallon of distilled for soaking sealants. Put the pad in a quart baggie and enough solution to saturate.
 
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