best pad cleaner(s)?

[stevehecht]

I'm wondering what people recommend for DA pad cleaning. Any favorites out there? Also, is it a good idea to use different products with the same pad after cleaning? Or should pads be dedicated to a certain product or type of product?

[Rsurfer]

I like Dawn Power Dissolver. You can find it at Walmart. If your pads are clean it won't matter what product you use.

[stevehecht]

I just answered my own question, or rather Mike did: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/20135-how-clean-your-foam-pad-fly.html :dblthumb2:

[sparkie]

I like Dawn Power Dissolver. You can find it at Walmart. If your pads are clean it won't matter what product you use.
I agree about Dawn Power Dissolver, cleans the heck out of them. But I think it messed up the glue on my edge pads. Don't know that for sure. Started to come apart. Safe way is to use XMT Polishing Pad Cleaner by Pinnacle For your dual action or rotary polisher. (http://www.autogeek.net/xmt-pad-cleaner.html) IMO.

[loudog2]

You don't need that pad cleaning bucket system, unless you are doing multiple cars a day. For regular pad cleaning all you need is Dawn Power Dissolver, like Ron said. Or get the DP pad rejuvenator.

[stevehecht]

Also, is it a good idea to use different products with the same pad after cleaning? Or should pads be dedicated to a certain product or type of product?

The answer is probably no, but just checking.

[Jimmie]

The XMT pad cleaner is my go-to. For tough stuff like paste wax in pads I use Dawn Power Dissolver.

note* I discovered the Power Dissolver is really good for cleaning that slightly dried latex paint out of your brush. Yeah, I know not detailing related, lol.

[karburn]

I use the DP pad cleaner - the powder stuff that mixes into a bucket of water. Handy when you can't get to the cleaning part right away. As far as dedicated pads, I get the idea that a lot of the pros segregate their pads as to the type of product used. I tend to just use polishing pads for polish, whether it's Meguiars #83 or #105, and the finishing pads for the lighter polishes such as meg's #205. I have some blue, red and black pads for the final finish, but I have yet to use them. I think the rationale for the separation is that sometimes you may not get 100% of the product out of the pad. I could be wrong. Pads take a lot of cleaning, regardless of the method used.

[Bimmerfan]

I used XMT pad cleaner. I'm not hijacking his thead but I have another question here as it took me about a week to dry them complitly at room tempriture. And I store them in zip locks. Is this Guys how you dry and store them?

[WindyCity]

I used XMT pad cleaner. I'm not hijacking his thead but I have another question here as it took me about a week to dry them complitly at room tempriture. And I store them in zip locks. Is this Guys how you dry and store them?


I tried to store them in zip locks and if you dont get them completely dry then they will MOLD up! Now i put them in zip locks but I don zip them up all the way just in case they are not 100% dry. I only put the pads that I dont use on a regular basis in a bag the most used ones I have a velcro strip on my wall that I stick them to...

[Jimmie]

I tried to store them in zip locks and if you dont get them completely dry then they will MOLD up! Now i put them in zip locks but I don zip them up all the way just in case they are not 100% dry. I only put the pads that I dont use on a regular basis in a bag the most used ones I have a velcro strip on my wall that I stick them to...

I absolutely agree ^^^. I lost some pads to mold after I zip lock bagged them. I dry them completely in the open and then put them in a plastic tub.