Fulani has a TL

iTrader: (1)

Just wanna see what ya'll are doing with your pads.

I just toss them after I use them once, but wanna see what everyone else is doing with them.

And also, do you guys wash your microfibers once before using them? I notice there is some lint that is released thats why I am thinking about starting to wash them before using them.

Input greatly appreciated.

syee99

At $10 a pop (and I use 3 different ones every time I do it), I wash them.
I bought the cleaning powder and soak them for a day or so then rinse them out. It's not perfect in terms of getting all the product out, but I usually use the same product with the pad, so it's not that big a deal.

I usually wash the microfiber towels after I use them. I then air dry it for a day so they're ready to use next time.

Hawhyen51

You toss your pads? I have a couple of pads that are over two years old and still using them. I'll either store it in a ziplock or wash them depending if gotta use 'em again. For washing, I'll agitate them in a solution of Dawn with warm water, rinse couple of times and let them air dry. Store in a ziplock bag. If I have a lot of MF towels that need washing, I wash them together, haven't had any problems doing it that way.

exceldetail

I throw em in the washer................SSssshhhhhhhhh !

conan777

Hey Fulani, I'll take your old pads! ha..ha..! Keep them and I'll pay for the shipping!

Like stated earlier at almost $10ea I can't imagine throwing them away after just one use unless they started tearing or something? I have had a couple yellow CCS pads start to tear up after one use but that was because it got chewed up on a license plate bracket or something. Otherwise I wash them with a Pad cleaner I bought on Autogeek. You can use the same cleaner on your microfiber too. I can't think of the name off hand right now though. Its an orange colored powdery subs. I let them soak for awhile then just hose them off and let dry face down. Works pretty good. I also usually spray some XMT pad cleaner and that works well also then just hose down or rinse under a faucet and let dry.

blassiter1

How long can you keep it in a ziplock before using it again?

joerockt

Too funny...

Dude, you can wash these things multiple times before you toss them. In fact, their the only thing in my detailing arsenal that I actually use dawn with lol. I soak the pad with hot water, squirt some dawn on it, work it in and rinse it out. Then I take my PC, slap the pad on and let it run for about 10 seconds on 3. The whole process takes about 2 mins per pad.

I can only think of one time I had to throw out a pad. I did a white Honda Civic that had never been touched and by the time I was done, my orange pad was saturated with white paint (Single stage paint). Just wasnt worth the time to clean again...

Fulani has a TL

iTrader: (1)

Alright so now, I feel like an idiot, cuz I don't clean the pads. Way I see it.

3 Pads - $30
Polish - $05 (considering I never use an entire bottle)
Sealant - $05 (again considering I never use an entire bottle)
Knowing that I did it myself and STILL saved money - Priceless

But I guess I will start throwing the pads in the washer as Excel said.... I tried the whole washing them by hand, but I thought it wasnt clean enough....

joerockt

I think Excel was kidding about throwing them in the washer. Its pretty rough on the pads, especially if they have a non permanent backing. I did this once and the backing started to peel off. Plus, do you really want to wash all that polish in the same place you wash your clothes??

Fulani has a TL

iTrader: (1)

WELL thennnnn..... EXCEL are you kidding or being serious?!

syee99

I doubt you'll get all the polish out of the pads. I usually keep using the same product with the pads so if it's not completely clean, it doesn't really matter. It's not like they'll mix with other product. I've had my pads soak for like 3 or 4 days and the backing hasn't started to seperate so I think soaking for a few days is OK. I've never put them in the wash, and like joerockt said, I'm not sure I'd want my clothes covered in polish (or smelling like polish).

Probably the best bet - soak it in Dawn (or pad cleaner) for a few hours, squeeze out as much crap as you can from the pad, rinse, and throw it in a ziploc bag. The ziploc bag should stop it from drying up for the most part.

joerockt

^^^ Putting it in a ziplock just traps the moisture and will eventually cause mold to form. Gotta let them dry completely before storing them. Spin them on the PC and you're more then half way there.

And yea, your not going to get it all out, but you'll get most of it. What you want to avoid is the polish drying up in the pad and turning it into a dust bomb.

syee99

haha...I should go check on my pads then

I used to just leave them sitting out till they dried after washing them, but I thought I'd try the ziploc route last time. Probably covered in mold now.

joerockt

I've done it before.

steve9207

Man, too bad I didn't see this before someone else said it. As soon as I read that you toss them out, I was ready to jump on that and tell you that I'd send you money to ship them to me, heck I'd even ship the boxes and ziplock bags, hahaha.

In all seriousness though, most people already summed it up, but here's what I do. Mix a half packet of "Snappy Cleaner" in a 1 Gallon bucket of warm to hot water. Drop them in as I go along with the detail. By the time I'm done, I agitate them in the bucket for a while, then go inside and rinse them in the sink with dish soap. This has seemed to work very well for me and I can't get any product out of them, but I usually use the same product the next time around on those pads.

* Oh yeah, if you're just tossing them now, you might as well try the washer method for the heck of it and see what happens. Pat sells some stuff for your washer (I forget the name, maybe Charlie Soap??) and I believe it's supposed to clean out your washer if you use it for car stuff...

mdkxtreme

wait wait wait, so you can't throw them in the washer? OK so after I use FS UPP, I throw the pads in the washer with this http://www.pinnaclewax.com/pin620.html

Is that ok?

P.S. I know that detergent is meant for MF towels but it says it can also clean terry cloths

exceldetail

in all seriousness, I toss them (about a dozen or so) in the washing machine. I try to use Charliesoap as often as I can too. But sometimes I just use liquid "ALL". If I have done a real heavy polish job I will use the pre-wash cycle first. You should get at least a dozen and a half jobs out of your pads. And I mean AT LEAST!

joerockt

Neither of which are polishing pads

I throw my MF towels in the washer, but I draw the line at pads loaded with polish in the same machine I wash my clothes in.

joerockt

I'm sure you do a LOT more of these on a daily basis, so I can understand that.

Nothing like the smell of UPP on your favorite shirt

Hawhyen51

I store it no more than 3-4 days, then they get washed, dried and stored.

Jesstzn

I wash and reuse my pads all the time .. some are 3 years old and I've had to reattach the velcro backs.

The wife on the other hand doesn't .....

syee99

hahah...that's nasty Jesstzn!!

joerockt

tl2go

By all means toss them! In fact, for environmental reasons, I'll send you a postage prepaid envelope and I'll dispose of them properly for you ;-)

padway

I was reading on the meg forums that they recommend cleaning the pad after each/every other section (ie cleaning it immediately after using it). I have never read or heard about anyone doing that here. Opinions?

GTSX-05

iTrader: (1)

Each or other section/ panel of the vehicle? whoa that would be a serious waste, my pads take two days to fully dry out, after each vehicle I have polished I just give the pads a thorough wash.

Jesstzn

Can you post the link to that?

padway

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...ad.php?t=21413

joerockt

Interesting. I actually find it easier to work with when the pad I'm using is saturated with the product. Especially a polish

Unless I need to apply a very thin layer, like with FSUPP or Klass AIO or SG, it dosent bother me if the pad is saturated. In fact, sometimes when the pad is saturated, I find it easier to apply a thin layer of a product because I dont need to add anymore to the pad...

SweetJazz

Oh lordy........let's see........OK

1) No need to toss pads unless the velcro backing has come loose or you are rich.

2) I mix one packet of Snappy Clean in a 5 gallon bucket with 3 gallons of warm water.

3) I hold the pad under the solution and use my thumbs to work the pad to get rid of product. I rotate the pad after working a section and repeat for a couple of rotations.

4) After the pad is clean I wring out the pad the same way I removed the product. I am careful not to fold up the pad or wring it out like a towel. I do not want to weaken the seal between the pad and velcro backing (felt).

5) I rinse the pad out at the sink with warm water to get rid of the cleaning solution.

6) I then attach the pad to the PC or UDM and turn it on. I start at 1-2 and finish at 5-6. Make sure the pad is vertical or you will get a bath!. This is the best way to get the liquid out of the pad.

7) The pad will still be a little damp and I just let them air dry. I NEVER put them in a ziplock unless the pads are 100% dry. You do not want mold or mildew.

8) You may try a low temp dryer but I would be careful not to use high heat which may separate the pad and velcro backing (felt).

Fulani has a TL

iTrader: (1)

sweetjazz - Does the Snappy Clean remove the polish as well. Cuz I am trying to clean my pads with dish washing soap but I feel as though I can't get all the polish out, cuz it keeps oozing out whenever i squeeze with my thumbs to try and get all of it out?

Also, Excel any chance you will start carrying snappy clean?

Jesstzn

Ok .. I took cleaning as propper full washing etc .. not just product transfer.

Jesstzn

....

01tl4tl

I believe the ~intent~ of the ziplock bag is to store just used and product laden pads for their next use.
If you work on more than 1 car- like your friends and neighbors after seeing what your baby looks like now etc- that works fine and keeps the UDM bag clean and organized.
Each color/density pad is for a different compound in my bag-
ziplocks are easily written on like: Orange pad-w/ Optimum compound-
next bag says White pad- Hyper compound
If its going to be months before next use- then wash and dry- no need to store airtight after fully dry- just a clean dry bag.
In my case- the first UDM effort was overall good results, next try was more effort on the hood, then more on the roof---getting all the little stuff that only I can even see~
Who can own a tool like this and not be using it all the time. Wash the pads when they are dirty- otherwise just keep working!!

Jesstzn

What polish you using? Maybe way too much? I don't have problems washing out Megs/Menzerna or Optimum polishes.

I soak them in warm water with Dawn for a bit then reapply Dawn and kneed with my thumbs then rinse and do it again .. after a couple applications the suds start and you know your close.

Patience grasshopper

Fulani has a TL

iTrader: (1)

Haha, Grasshopper....

Yeah I had a feeling I was using too much from when I discovered I applied too much polish... And that just feeds into this problem as well!!!

Thanks for verify my thinking!

SweetJazz

Yes, Snappy Clean removes any polish, compound, or wax residue in the pad. I love the stuff.

SweetJazz

Interesting. The silicone sealant does not release under all of the vibration? Do you have the sealant info.?

Jesstzn

just regular silcone sealant , I have the tube for the caulking gun.

I apply the sealant then set a weight on it over nite.

OmeGa101

WTF 10 dollars for one pad? what kinda pads are they? i use meguairs pads and they're 35 dollars at lordco.. i get 30% discount so they're about 25 dollars for ONE Pad.............................