Originally Posted by
Candy Apple
I've always washed my foam pads immediately after use in a sink of soapy water, but I've found them to be too fragile to last through one or two washes. Compressing them to squeeze the water out seems to do the most damage. Cleaning them is also messy, time consuming, and I end up with a bunch of wet towels to wash after drying the pads.
Even after squeezing them out with a towel on both sides, they hold enough residual water that I have to let them air dry for several days before storing them in plastic zipper bags. During that time, they are exposed dust and other contaminants that could cause scratching during their next use.
I'd prefer to use cheap pads and throw them away after one use. To me, cleaning up is the worst part of polishing and waxing, so not having the chore of cleaning foam pads makes things a lot more tolerable. It also gives me the peace of mind that I'm always starting with a brand new pad that's free of any abrasive contaminants that might scratch.