Pad cleaning BEFORE storing????

[Speedway]

OK guys I have just got in from using the DA for the first time ever!!! WOW it is amazing and I should of had this along time ago!! I have done both of our cars this weekend and I still have a ARM left, oh ya and it remove almost all my scratches!!!!!! I will post pictures here in just a bit!!

I have one question now that I'm done, I was cleaning my polishing and finishing pads "on the fly" but now I need to store them for the winter and would like to know how I clean the M80 and NXT 2.0 wax out of the pads. Do I clean the pads with soapy dish detergent and allow to dry and then store in the bags they came in? OR.........Allow to dry them "knock all of the dry M80 and 2.0 out of them and place them back in the bags they came in????

What do the most of you guys do with storing your pads???

[CharlesW]

Re: Pad cleaning BEFORE storing????

OK guys I have just got in from using the DA for the first time ever!!! WOW it is amazing and I should of had this along time ago!! I have done both of our cars this weekend and I still have a ARM left, oh ya and it remove almost all my scratches!!!!!! I will post pictures here in just a bit!!

I have one question now that I'm done, I was cleaning my polishing and finishing pads "on the fly" but now I need to store them for the winter and would like to know how I clean the M80 and NXT 2.0 wax out of the pads. Do I clean the pads with soapy dish detergent and allow to dry and then store in the bags they came in? OR.........Allow to dry them "knock all of the dry M80 and 2.0 out of them and place them back in the bags they came in????

What do the most of you guys do with storing your pads???

If I remember correctly, Meguiar's didn't recommend washing the earlier pads. Just wipe the excess product off them and use them for only one product.

I think the new 2.0 pads can be machine or hand washed.

Being a hobby detailer, I hand wash my version 1 pads with dish soap, rinse them good, let them air dry and store them in a Zip-Lock bag that I don't close. The open bag protects the pad from dirt, but should allow any remaining moisture to evaporate from the pad. That has worked for me for about 6 years with no real problem..

[Speedway]

Re: Pad cleaning BEFORE storing????

If I remember correctly, Meguiar's didn't recommend washing the earlier pads. Just wipe the excess product off them and use them for only one product.

I think the new 2.0 pads can be machine or hand washed.

Being a hobby detailer, I hand wash my version 1 pads with dish soap, rinse them good, let them air dry and store them in a Zip-Lock bag that I don't close. The open bag protects the pad from dirt, but should allow any remaining moisture to evaporate from the pad. That has worked for me for about 6 years with no real problem..

I guess I would call my pads Version 1 so if I don't wring and twist the pad and be gentle with the cleaning I should be fine. I would say I'm a hobby detailer as well. You have not had a problem for 6 years with the same pad??

[CharlesW]

Re: Pad cleaning BEFORE storing????

I guess I would call my pads Version 1 so if I don't wring and twist the pad and be gentle with the cleaning I should be fine. I would say I'm a hobby detailer as well. You have not had a problem for 6 years with the same pad??

Pretty much correct, but maybe I should explain a little further.
When washing, I try to submerge only about 1/2 of the foam in a dish soap and very hot water solution. I try to avoid having the adhesive come in direct contact with the hot water/soap solution. After it soaks for a time, probably 10 to 20 minutes, the water is cool enough to hand wash the pad by pushing down on it to squeeze as much stuff out of it as I can. I do knead the pad with my fingers, but I don't wring or twist it. I then switch to clean water and do the same thing for a rinse. Since I dedicate a pad for use with a product, I don't think getting all the old product out is terribly important. I just want to get rid of the dirt and paint that is removed during the polishing process. After washing a pad, I would not hesitate to use it with a different polish, but since I have quite a few pads, that rarely happens. If I happen to be working on a vehicle in fairly bad shape, (Not one of mine), I use one of my older and more worn pads so I don't gunk up one of my better/newer ones.

When I first started using the PC, I wasn't as careful about the pad adhesive getting soaked in the hot water. I did have one pad that the Velcro backing separated about an inch on one side. I probably helped it separate in the way I removed the pad from the backing plate. I wasn't as careful about grasping the Velcro before removing the pad so I was actually pulling the foam away from the Velcro. I reglued the Velcro and I still use that pad today. Since I use a variety of products, I have probably a dozen pads. More than necessary, but having an extra is handy if you happen to contaminate the pad while you are using it. With a spare, you just change pads and continue working.
FWIW, I have light cutting, polishing and finishing pads and I use the polishing pads about 99% of the time. I have yet to use a cutting pad and don't apply my LSP via PC anymore so the finishing pads aren't used much either. Like many of us, I got caught up in buying stuff that I didn't need when I first got into PC polishing.

Sorry for the book, but I couldn't seem to shut up.

[Speedway]

Re: Pad cleaning BEFORE storing????

Ok thanks I will give it a try!!!

[sudsbyhubbs]

Re: Pad cleaning BEFORE storing????

If you need to dry your pads faster you can always put the pad on your DA run it on the highest speed and get A LOT of water off the pad. Makes drying so much faster.

[Speedway]

Re: Pad cleaning BEFORE storing????

If you need to dry your pads faster you can always put the pad on your DA run it on the highest speed and get A LOT of water off the pad. Makes drying so much faster.

With using the "clean on the fly" method right?? By using a terry cloth?? Or just turn on and let the water fly?

[sudsbyhubbs]

Re: Pad cleaning BEFORE storing????

I guess you could do either, but I just let the water fly!

[CharlesW]

Re: Pad cleaning BEFORE storing????

If you need to dry your pads faster you can always put the pad on your DA run it on the highest speed and get A LOT of water off the pad. Makes drying so much faster.

I guess you could do either, but I just let the water fly!

While I have never used that method, I have heard of people doing it and holding the pad in a bucket to minimize the "water flying".

[Jokeman]

Re: Pad cleaning BEFORE storing????

I clean my pads after a detail and before a detail. That way they are clean when they get put away and clean when I start a detail.

[CharlesW]

Re: Pad cleaning BEFORE storing????

I clean my pads after a detail and before a detail. That way they are clean when they get put away and clean when I start a detail.

No offense intended, but given your user name, are you serious?
Why would you need to clean a pad a second time when it hasn't been used yet?
Like, is this a Joke, Man?

[andyo]

Re: Pad cleaning BEFORE storing????

i use the garden hose for the 9006 pad cuz the m80 is water soliuble and will wash out with water. then i will spin the pad so the water will get out of the pad and put it in a ziploc bag. the 8006 pad for the wax cant be cleaned as the wax is not water soliuble and i just clean on the fly and put it in a ziploc bag wen done.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Pad cleaning BEFORE storing????

While Meguiar's doesn't recommend washing our version one foam pads lots of people do because that's the only way to get the residue on the inside out of the pad. Most people will use some kind of soap and squish the pads under running water until most of the residue seems to have rinsed out.

After this you'll need to let them air-dry where dirt, dust and other air-borne contaminants wont land on the buffing surface, so turn them upside down on a rack of some type so water can drip out and air can flow around them.

After they are dry, store them in a clean plastic bin, box or cupboard out of the open air so again, air-borne dirt particles cannot land on the buffing pad surface.

I've alway owned a rotary buffer and this makes it easy to clean you pads, some people will actually buy a cheapie rotary buffer just to use it to clean their pads.

Of course our new buffing pad are washable and this fixes this entire washing problem.

There are two pad washers on the market and the Grit Guard version will clean pads using either a rotary buffer or a DA Polisher.

Hope this helps... plus if you do some searching there are many threads on this topic with lots of members sharing how they clean their non-washable pads.

[Speedway]

Re: Pad cleaning BEFORE storing????

Thanks a lot Mike!!! I always look for your threads because they are packed full of info!!! But any how I have searched and read a lot of threads pertaining to pad cleaning........I have started to wash my 1.0 pads with a mild soap and warm water let them air dray and back in the bag they came in (leaving the bag open)!!

I guess what I saying is I know Meg's don't recommend this but hey once they are all messed up that means I get to buy new pads!!!!!!!! Of cause I will go with the 2.0

Again thanks for the info and have a great Holiday season!!!

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Pad cleaning BEFORE storing????

I like to clean my pads after each detail. This way I am ready to go the next time. I would definitely clean them before storing them for winter.