Brush to clean DA Microfiber pads?

[veener79]

I have not been able to find the brush to clean my microfiber pads when using them for the first time this coming weekend. I do not have a air compressor currently. I have a mix of brushes in my detailing gear. I am wondering if I can use them till I find the one that is made for the Microfiber pads. Can I just use a nylon one? Been reading I should clean the pad about every body panel.

Thank you for the help.

[Joe Dragon]

A nylon one is fine; some even use an old toothbrush, gently. Welcome to the forum.

[bigbull2984]

i use a tooth brush, I have one of those aquafresh bendy ones that I bent at a 90 degree angle

[Michael Stoops]

While a toothbrush should work, they tend to be really small so maybe not quite as effective. Any moderately stiff bristled brush should do the trick, you just don't want a really stiff brush as it could damage the microfibers, and too soft a brush just won't clean the pad as effectively.

When you get a chance you should order our proper "pad conditioning brush" from any one of the major online detailing supply sites.

Been reading I should clean the pad about every body panel.

In reality, you should clean the pad after every single section pass, not every body panel. On a panel the size of a hood you could have as many as 6 sections, and you definitely do not want to wait that long. So, with the D300/DMC5 combo you must clean the pad after every section. This isn't just to fluff up the microfiber "fingers" but to clean them out fully. Microfiber is great at hanging on to stuff, and if the D300 is allowed to accumulate and dry in the microfibers it will lead to greatly diminished results. Also, since you are removing some paint (albeit a very small amount) that paint will also accumulate in the fibers. Clean that pad constantly! This is less critical when using D301/DMF5, but you should still do it a few times while going around the car. Remember, too, that the application of D301 should be a very quick process. We often find people working it very, very slowly and that's just not the correct process. You should be able to cover the entire car with D301 in just a few minutes. D300/DMC5 is a very slow moving, methodical process. D301/DMF5 will let you hustle.

[veener79]

Thank you for the help.

[BlackHawk]

Maybe not much help since I don't have the new DA system. I have Meguiar's Soft Buff 2.0 pads and find that a "Foam Pad Conditioning Brush" is too extreme and does some damage to the pad. I tried to be as gentle as possible, but I just don't care for it. I find using a microfiber towel pressed against the DA while running it to be best. Just a guess... air I would think would be good and not damage as much.

[ethereal45]

You can use either a terry towel or a microfiber disc to clean the foam on the fly. The conditioning brushes in my experiences can do some damage to the foam if you don't apply the pressure evenly.

[Michael Stoops]

Maybe not much help since I don't have the new DA system. I have Meguiar's Soft Buff 2.0 pads and find that a "Foam Pad Conditioning Brush" is too extreme and does some damage to the pad. I tried to be as gentle as possible, but I just don't care for it. I find using a microfiber towel pressed against the DA while running it to be best. Just a guess... air I would think would be good and not damage as much.

You can use either a terry towel or a microfiber disc to clean the foam on the fly. The conditioning brushes in my experiences can do some damage to the foam if you don't apply the pressure evenly.

The process of cleaning a microfiber disc versus a foam pad should be a bit different, because the two materials retain product differently.

• Microfiber discs: the fibers mat down with each section pass and need to fluffed up again. But more importantly, microfiber is great at hanging on to stuff, and you want to clean that stuff out from between the fibers after every section pass. That "stuff" is a combination of spent product and the small bit of paint you've just removed. If you don't clean these pads regularly you get an excess buildup of both product and paint, and that can lead to a clumping of dried material, which in turn can lead to the creating of pigtails in the paint. The chance of this happening is actually quite high if you fail to clean the pads regularly, partly due to the thin construction of the discs, and partly due to the amount of pressure used with them. Add those two together on a dirty disc and you could run into trouble. With the microfiber discs compressed air is the best way to go, but not everyone has it available. A pad conditioning brush is an excellent second choice.
• Foam pads: obviously there are no fibers to fluff up, but as the pad is compressed and product collects on the outer edges, it tends to dry and can create a lot of dust should the edge of the pad contact a bit of trim. But most of the product starts to collect toward the center of the pad and it does need to be cleaned off as well. A pad conditioning brush, when used with only light to moderate pressure, can easily knock off this surface material, whether dried on the edge or still wet but heavy in the center. Of course, this wet and heavy material towards the center is the same combination of spent product and removed paint that you get with the microfiber discs. But there is a third component to all this with foam pads - they will absorb product and start to load up internally. If you're prone to overusing product, and many people are, this only exacerbates the problem. And this internal build up can not be removed with a pad brush; it needs to be forced out of the pad. Fortunately this is easy to accomplish by placing a clean terry cloth towel firmly against the pad and switching the tool on. Doing this forces the product from the center of the pad out, and it can only go out the face of the pad due to the backing plate on the other side. The absorbent terry cloth towel will then collect this material and you've now got a pad that is ready for some more work. Of course, this towel-against-the-pad process will also remove any dried material on the edge and any excess on the face of the pad. Light use of a pad brush, however, can help eliminate any exterior build up

[jarred767]

So, I've got the MF system ordered and will be practicing with it on some personal cars before beginning to use it on customer cars. I want to be as effective as possible and therefore would like to use compressed air to clean them, however being strictly a mobile unit, that is a little more difficult.

I'm looking into getting a small air compressor that is easily portable, but still has enough power to clean the pads well. I have limited space left in my truck, so size definitely matters. Does anyone have any experience with this and can offer up any suggestions, or has anyone used airbrush compressors since they are smaller? Would they have enough power to clean the pads effectively? I just want to make sure that I get a usable model as I haven't needed an air compressor for anything else before. Thanks,

[thoryamaha919]

So, I've got the MF system ordered and will be practicing with it on some personal cars before beginning to use it on customer cars. I want to be as effective as possible and therefore would like to use compressed air to clean them, however being strictly a mobile unit, that is a little more difficult.

I'm looking into getting a small air compressor that is easily portable, but still has enough power to clean the pads well. I have limited space left in my truck, so size definitely matters. Does anyone have any experience with this and can offer up any suggestions, or has anyone used airbrush compressors since they are smaller? Would they have enough power to clean the pads effectively? I just want to make sure that I get a usable model as I haven't needed an air compressor for anything else before. Thanks,

Here is the air compressor I use for my pads along with other things is small packs a punch light weight and easy for me to take to jobs that I do.