Best and or largest waxing applicators - Help!

[MrOneEyedBoh]

Man, I guess I just don't have it anymore or something but I cant get those 4" foam pads well anymore. Any recommendations for larger than 4" pads or something else? Doesn't have to be foam, assuming MF is okay to use when applying wax/ sealant too?

[FUNX650]

I don’t use MF applicators/pads to apply
Finishing Waxes/Sealants; or most other
Finishing LSPs, for that matter.

•Below is a link to many of AGO’s
Wax/Sealant applicators. Your choice.
-’Both large and small,
AGO has them all’!

Auto Geek- Your Car Wax SuperStore, Car Wax, Auto Detailing Supplies , Car Accessories, Car Buffers Store, We Are Car Care


Bob

[MrOneEyedBoh]

Thanks Bob, Im guessing foam is foam now days? I browsed and found a few new applicators that werent out a few years ago ( the last time I bought pads ). Lake Country has a block and a grip styled applicator.. Both look interesting.

[Mike Phillips]

Here's my take,

If I'm going to apply a wax or sealant by hand, here's what I want a clean, uncontaminated applicator pad. I don't want anything I'm in doubt of because if my applicator pad is contaminated, even with one small particle of dirt or something abrasive, then I could be putting swirls and scratches into the paint as I apply the wax or sealant.

So normally, if the thing I'm working on is important to me, then I want something that's NEW and CLEAN. Just to reduce the potential of swirls and scratches.


While "yes" you can wash an applicator pad after it's been used with a wax or sealant, I can't count how many times someone has posted,

I can't get the wax, (or sealant), out of my applicator pad?


Then I reply,

Just to comment because this question come up a lot....

The reason the Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant 3.0 won't wash out of the buffing pad easily is the same reason it won't wash off your car easily and that's because waxes are not supposed to break down "easily" with water, or rain or wiping with water based products like spray detailers.

If they did wash off easily then people would complain that the sealant didn't last long. So "yes" it's difficult to was a quality wax or synthetic paint sealant out of a buffing pad and also out of hand applicator pads.

About the best way I have found includes using hot running water at your kitchen sink, a strong detergent and lots of "you" squishing the soap and hot water into and out of the pad.

You'll find a slimy ooze seeping out of the foam and it will take you a while. The better the wax or sealant the longer it will take.




For anyone reading this into the future, if you're a forum member you can use the Search feature on this forum to search the forum and do a search using the term

Water Insoluble


If you're a Lurker, you can't use the forum search feature but you can use Google and use the terms,

water insoluble mike phillips




And below are just a few threads you will pull up that discusses this issue....


cleaning pads

Removing LSP from Applicator Pads?

How To Properly Clean Pad After Using XMT 360?

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...ning-pads.html

Removing WG Deep Gloss Sealant from pad


And there you go....

Here's the link to that reply,

cleaning sealant from foam pad





Waxes and sealants are NOT water soluble thus they are DIFFICULT to remove even with soap and water.


Now follow me,

Because applicator pads, (or foam buffing pads), are difficult to clean all the wax or sealant out of, when it comes to working by hand, what I want is a cheap foam applicator pad that is somewhat THIN so if I do want to wash it there's less FOAM to have to somehow SQUEEZE the wax or sealant residue out of.

If I choose to throw it away, I don't want to cry over throwing away an expensive pad.

So - back to "if it's important to me", if it's important to me, I wan a new, clean applicator pad and because I may throw it away, I don't want an expensive applicator pad. Because I might wash it, I want a thin applicator pad.


Make sense?

For the record, I wash all the foam and microfiber applicator pads in the washing machine and then dry them here at Autogeek, I'm always a good steward of the boss's resources. If I were at work right now, I could and would take a picture of the "used applicator drawerS in the garage that are full of used but clean foam and microfiber applicator pads.


So here's the applicator pads I would choose to use and do use if and when applying a wax or sealant by hand, it's the applicator pad I just used for this write-up.


Review: Wolfgang Si02 Paint Sealant



Wolfgang Si02 Paint Sealant





Now fast forward down the thread to post #3


Step 2: Apply the Wolfgang Si02 Paint Sealant by hand using a clean foam or microfiber applicator pad.







Wipe, wipe wipe....





And at the bottom of post #3 - I included a link to the sealant and also a 6-pack of the applicator pads....


Pinnacle Foam Wax Applicators - 6 Pack


And if you know you're going to be hand applying product into the future, might as well buy in bulk. This way you save money but more important - you always have a STASH of clean, foam applicator pads. Heaven forbid you're half way around waxing your car and you DROP your applicator pad on the ground while applying wax to the side of a fender?


Pinnacle Foam Wax Applicator - 12 Pack



So there's some food for thought. That's how I would look at the "hand waxing applicator choosing process".

But me?

I would always apply my liquid and paste products by machine.


Here at Autogeek, we don't sell hands, we sell machines.


Just kidding, I apply by machine because it's faster and the machine always does a better job than the human.

[MrOneEyedBoh]

Thanks mike.. I just tried to clean one of my LC Closed cell hands pads and well, yeah like you said the wax just doesnt really come out. Makes sense, it repels water on the car in a thin film... The pad is filled with sealant thus even harder to get it all out. I get the gist, get the yellow foamies and treat them as a one time use expendable item.

[PaulMys]

get the yellow foamies and treat them as a one time use expendable item.

Once I use a foam pad to wax my truck, it gets retired to lawnmower/snow blower duty.

I will also use them to apply a coat onto my fishing gear once or twice a year.