DA Pad cleaning hack!!!

[SyntheticAtmosphere]

I came up with this idea one day while cleaning my buffing pads after waxing. Would work well after polishing and compounding too. Normally I would clean my pads over buckets or fill the sink and rinse with running water. As anyone who has been there, wax or compound that can be embedded deep inside the the pads and takes a long time to clear.
Grab a large Ziploc freezer bag as they are usually thicker than the regular bags. Add some warm water and cleaner then toss in the pads.

Now you can squeeze, press and work the pads with your fingers without damaging the cell surface of the pad. Empty and repeat as required until the pads are clean. Remove the pads and give them a quick squeeze under clean running cold water, wring out and let dry fully before storage.
Doing pad Cleaning this way I used 10% of the water and completed in half the time.

 

[scotman]

My rule with foam pads has been to rinse/wash twice and then replaced.
I have chosen to use the foam pads for the compounding phase and then for wax application and buffing I revert to an orbital buffer and wool or hybrid bonnets.
I have never “wheeled out” any of my vehicles. I do hand polish some areas if they need it. But, I don’t want to remove any of the clearcoat Finnish if I can avoid it.
Just staying aware of the bird crap and tree sap accumulation and getting it cleaned off right away, is my long time practice. I apply wax products twice a year.

 

[SyntheticAtmosphere]

Bonnets are almost a lost art. I am not by any means a Jedi or Ninja with them either. Ive only met a few wizards and many hacks (used car dealers)
There are wool and knap pads available but I would have to upgrade to a random orbit or long throw to take advantage of them.
I have had good success with the dual action and foams, and I find modern paint responds well due to its high surface hardness. New cars also have extremely thin paint systems and foams can be very forgiving. In the next topic I import, people will see some proof worth bragging about.
That being said, no show circuit winning car was ever buffed out with a dual action and foam!!