How To: Quickly & Effectively Clean Polishing Pads

[Nick McKees37]

When it comes to car care, you can never have too many polishing pads. Properly cleaning your polishing pads is critical to maintaining your investment.

It's a common misconception that a regular all purpose cleaner or dish washer soap is an okay cleaner for the pads. While they do clean the pads, they leave behind a soapy residue that doesn't completely rinse out. This soapy residue will often reactivate the next time you apply a wax, polish, or compound to the pad.

You can avoid this by using a dedicated pad cleaner, such as Detailer's Pro Polishing Pad Rejuvenator. This cleaner in particular is a citrus based degreaser that effectively breaks down polish and wax residue while rinsing completely clean. Your foam and wool pads will look and feel new again, all while retaining their shape, texture, and polishing ability.

Take a look at the pads after the "Red Fire" Mustang Convertible Makeover. You can clearly see the build up of caked on polish and wax residue in the pads.

DP Polishing Pad Rejuvenator is available in 3oz packets and a 16oz jar that includes a scoop for precise measurement. I used a small, one gallon bucket to clean the pads, so only one scoop was necessary.

Once the pads had soaked in the bucket for about 10 minutes, I used the Foam Pad Conditioning Brush to further help break up any caked on polish or wax. The Foam Pad Conditioning Brush is ergonomically designed and features stiff bristles that effectively break up and remove polish or wax that has caked up the pads. The brush is stiff enough to effectively clean the pads, but not too stiff to where it causes damage.

After a thorough rinsing, I set the pads out in the sun to dry. Although the Crimson pads are now stained purple by the Dodo Juice Purple Haze, they are all free of any polish or wax residue and ready to be used again!

Detailer’s Pro Series Polishing Pad Rejuvenator

Foam Pad Conditioning Brush

[Emm]

Shouldn't you dry them upside down?

[BobbyG]

Nick,

It looks like this stuff works pretty well.

I'll bet this stuff works well as a Microfiber Towel pre-wash to breakdown and remove the bulk of contaminants prior to washing...

I dry my pads standing on end so the water drains through the foam....

[WRAPT C5Z06]

DP pad rejuvenator works great!

[Emm]

Nick,

It looks like this stuff works pretty well.

I'll bet this stuff works well as a Microfiber Towel pre-wash to breakdown and remove the bulk of contaminants prior to washing...

I dry my pads standing on end so the water drains through the foam....

I put mine in the dryer on no heat for 15 minutes works great!

[Nick McKees37]

Shouldn't you dry them upside down?

You could, but letting them sit out in the sun for a little while as is dried them pretty well.

[A4 1.8tqm]

I'll bet this stuff works well as a Microfiber Towel pre-wash to breakdown and remove the bulk of contaminants prior to washing...

I do exactly that, works well.

I put mine in the dryer on no heat for 15 minutes works great!

Me too, plus a quick spin on the Rotary helps get most of the water out prior to putting them in the dryer. For some reason I don't like leaving my pads out in the sun.

[AeroCleanse]

I use the Grit Guard Padwasher, works great.