Still refining my initial pad cleanig technique...

[PaulMys]

Used to just throw used pads off the machine into a bucket of apc solution when spent. Then, just hand wash.

Just bought McKees polishing pad cleaner, and a GG pad brush.

I've read a bunch of different threads, but can you guys take it from here and consolidate what works best for you?

My boys!!

 

[DaveT435]

I spray mine with McKee's polishing pad cleaner, brush it in, let it sit for a couple minutes and rinse. I usually wait to rinse until I have 2-3 pads. They come out looking like new. Set them upside down on the drying rack I have attached to my wall and put them away when they're dry.

 

[Thunderbucket]

I spray mine with McKee's polishing pad cleaner, brush it in, let it sit for a couple minutes and rinse. I usually wait to rinse until I have 2-3 pads. They come out looking like new. Set them upside down on the drying rack I have attached to my wall and put them away when they're dry.

Put mine in th washing machine and let soak for 2 hours with GG microfibre wash. Then run a hot water rinse, low spin. Put on polisher and slowly engage spinning the rest of the water out. Set aside and air dry.


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[fly07sti]

Paul, I despise cleaning pads. So what I’ve done is I made a little park bench apparatus that has velcro strips stapled to it. I soak my pads in 5 gallon bucket of hot water and pad cleaning solution for an hour or so, then put the pads on to my bench and pressure wash them clean. To dry I put on Dewalt rotary and spin for about 15 seconds to get majority of water out, then lay face down on grit guards to get 100% dry.

 

[FrankS]

I don't have a high production shop so I wash each pad by hand under a faucet with warm water. I really like the McKee's Polishing Pad Cleaner.

I spray the pad cleaner a few times on the surface of the pad, add a little water, brush the surface of the pad with a foam pad conditioning brush and then massage the mixture of water and pad cleaner into the pad and then squeeze it several times until it rinses clean.

After the pads are clean, I squeeze out as much water as I can with my hand then I attach them to my Flex rotary and spin them on the highest speed for a few seconds to fling out all the excess water.

Then I place them upside down on grit guards with a small fan blowing on them until they are dry. They usually dry pretty quick this way.

 

[Calendyr]

While working, I use only water in the pad cleaner so that I can clean pads without introducing degreasers in the pads and in the water. I can usually get pads 80-100% clean with just water when the product is still wet on the pad. Some products are very hard or almost impossible to remove completelly with this method: Cleaner waxes and sealants. For exemple, when I use D166 and the pad gets dirty, after cleaning it with only water I get a pad that still has a lot of products in it but dirt and paint residues are gone. So for me, that is good enough to use it again on the next cycle (I use a 2 pad system, use a pad for a panel or two, clean it, then switch to the other pad then repeat).

When I want to clean the pads completelly, I let them soak in McKee's pad rejuvenator solution for about an hour then put them in the pad cleaner again with only water. A single cleaning is usually enough.

A trick for the pad cleaner: Use a rotary with an extension nut to clean the pads. It's much more effective and easier than using a DA. Also the pads come out dryer after spinning them at 3000 RPM in the pad cleaner.

 

[PaulMys]

While working, I use only water in the pad cleaner so that I can clean pads without introducing degreasers in the pads and in the water. I can usually get pads 80-100% clean with just water when the product is still wet on the pad. Some products are very hard or almost impossible to remove completelly with this method: Cleaner waxes and sealants. For exemple, when I use D166 and the pad gets dirty, after cleaning it with only water I get a pad that still has a lot of products in it but dirt and paint residues are gone. So for me, that is good enough to use it again on the next cycle (I use a 2 pad system, use a pad for a panel or two, clean it, then switch to the other pad then repeat).

When I want to clean the pads completelly, I let them soak in McKee's pad rejuvenator solution for about an hour then put them in the pad cleaner again with only water. A single cleaning is usually enough.

A trick for the pad cleaner: Use a rotary with an extension nut to clean the pads. It's much more effective and easier than using a DA. Also the pads come out dryer after spinning them at 3000 RPM in the pad cleaner.

Thank you!! Great post.