Newbie Pad Washing Question

[asallwey]

Ok, so I get how everything has to be clean -- vehicle, towels, pads, hands or gloves, and no breeze with sand.

But, do you clean tire pads? If so, how? I just opened my new bottle of Duragloss Tire & Rubber Dressing and applied it. Did a great job on the tires and rubber parts, and really left the pad black. Pad cleaning solution didn't do much, nor my fall-back Dawn. So do I worry about it? Use it that way or try something else?

[Setec Astronomy]

There's not too much worry about tire dressing applicators being dirty, tires don't get scratched the way clearcoat does. I think most of us just toss the applicator when it gets dirty; I've cleaned them but it's not too much fun.

A hint is that a lot of the black is usually from the tire not being clean, a secret to good dressing life is to clean the tire well before applying the dressing, using a good tire cleaner or APC and a nice brush. That will help with your dressing adhesion as well as keeping your applicator cleaner (it will turn black eventually).

[Chevota Guy]

For tire dressings, I buy the 3 pack of foam grout sponges from my local big box store. I cut each sponge into thirds and use those for about 4-6 applications, then discard them. They cost less than a dollar per home made applicator that way.

[asallwey]

Hey Setec Astronomy, I think you hit the nail on the head. I did wash the tires, but I did not do it aggressively, just sort of washed over with a rag. Next one I'll scrub!

Good suggestion Chevota Guy on cutting the pads up, thanks!

[Setec Astronomy]

Hey Setec Astronomy, I think you hit the nail on the head.

Well, at least I didn't hit my head on a nail, I've done that before, and well...let's say some people would say that explains a few things...