How to clean Meguiar's foam buffing pads

[Mike Phillips]

hi, im mike from philippines, can you give some example of absorbent material?thank you

100% Cotton Terry Cloth is pretty absorbent and easily washable so you can use it again.

Note the new W7207, W8207 and W9207 pads are washable.

[curley1441]

I know it says that 2.0 cutting pad canonly be used on a rotary bufer , why not a DA polisher

[tcope1]

I know it says that 2.0 cutting pad canonly be used on a rotary bufer , why not a DA polisher

Megs feels that it's too aggressive for people that would be using a DA as opposed to a rotary. With that said, I know of many people who use the cutting pad on a DA without any problem whatsoever. I think it's a CYA things for Megs but with any experience on the DA and you won't have any issues.

Also, from what I recall, you usually need to follow up after using a cutting pad and most abrasives. Many people won't do this and won't like how the paint looks after justing using the cutting pad.

[rusty bumper]

I have used the red cutting pad / DA polisher combo on many occasions without issue, but I would only recommend them as a last resort, and be sure to follow up with the yellow pad afterwards.

Here is a vehicle I did using the red pad / DA combo...





These details were done 7 years ago.

I didn't know how to photograph a car back then, so therefore I have no closeup shots to see if left any swirls. Nevertheless, the owner was ecstatic with results.

[l SIC l]

Would a Microfiber drying towel be another option to dry out the pads instead of the traditional terry-cloth towel method?

[pizzano]

What can be used to clean off the pads after applying the synthetic sealant 2.0 #21, it seems to stay slimmy , obviously it is not water soluable like the 105/205.

Thanks

[klink10]

What can be used to clean off the pads after applying the synthetic sealant 2.0 #21, it seems to stay slimmy , obviously it is not water soluable like the 105/205.

Thanks

Having just done a detail of my chassis using NXT 2.0 as the LSP I found that a spritz of a product from a local store followed by a massaging(sp?) and rinse with warm water made my yellow applicator pad like new. PM for product name and store as I don't think I'm allowed to post it here.

[6043ron]

The only issue I've ever seen caused by hand washing is de-lamination of the Velcro material from the foam, they tend not to stay their original color after washing, but the foam seems to work just the same.

We upgraded the adhesive used to hold the Velcro material onto the foam a couple of years ago so every pad being shipped today should have this new adhesive formula that is for sure water resistant and much more resistant to chemicals, heat and the wear and tear associated with the oscillating action of the dual action polisher on the 5.0 setting.

I have collected up three large boxes of foam pads used during our Detailing classes on Saturday's to experiment with washing using different soaps, the problem like usual is carving out the time as with forum growth it's really all I can do to keep up with the current duties and behind the scenes work, so adding new projects is difficult.

I know one thing for sure however, washing compounds, paint cleaners, cleaner/polishes and pure polishes will wash out with soap and water fairly easily, however when it comes to removing wax, especially the NXT and the M21 Synthetic Sealant, it's always going to be very tough to remove these products as they are water and detergent resistant.

In fact if you've ever tried to rinse out a foam wax applicator after using either of these two product you will have noticed how difficult it is to get all of the wax out of the pad and when it does come out it's not breaking up in the water, just coming out as a slimy ooze.

I use ZEP TNT. It's Truck and trailer wash. Product #0376 803D. I just put a splash on the pad and work it into the pad while running it under a slow running tap water. All the waxes and compounds just runs right out and then just wring it dry. The pad looks like new. Been doing this for years now. ZEP TNT is also great for spraying on your tires and scrubbing them with a brush. The TNT strips the tire right down to the rubber.

[Slidder]

I have been washing ALL of my buffing pads using the "Pad Cleaning Bucket." In over two years I have never had a problem of any kind. These are pads I use with a PC or Flex. I have several of the same pads. I will let them air dry but have never put them in any type of plastic bag while they are damp. While one or more of the same type are drying then I will use a fresh one when needed. These are not Mequiar's pads but they do the same thing any Mequiar's pad will. When I am done with these pads I will be ordering ones from Mequiar's. All my pads are dedicated pads ~ one for each product.

[lewisb]

Hi all! I'm a newbee here. Just got my new Meguiar's Dual Action Polisher along with a couple of pads, the yellow one for Ultimate Compound and the black one for wax / sealant. I decided on Ultimate Liquid Wax, and everything went great! Finish turned out awesome! Then came the dilemma of how to clean the waxing pad. I read this thread and others and couldn't figure out how to wash it out. As was stated here, water alone did NO good! I tried a using some dish soap in water, again without success. I read one of the posts that said something about an enzymatic cleaner. So here is what I did... I put a couple of inches of hot water in the sink and added Oxi-clean. I let the pad soak for an hour then rinsed it out. After shaking most of the water out, I put it back on the DA polisher and ran it on 6 for about a minute. To my amazement there wasn't a trace of the ULW left! Just like new. Letting it air dry now. What do you think?