What's up guys, you've been asking us how to clean and maintain your pads which is a
great question.
So, today I'm going to be showing you to do that by machine and by hand.
Over here we have our Citrus Based Polishing Pad Cleaner.
We'll spray this onto the pad and scrub away the polish, compound, glaze, sealant, wax
and anything else that is on the pad.
Later on in the video we're going to show you how to do this by machine.
To get started I have two dirty pads.
One microfiber and one foam pad, we'll start off by spraying down the surface with the
Pad Cleaner.
I'm only going to do half to show you the cleaning power.
I'll also spray the brush for added cleaning power and lubrication to make sure this glides
smoothly across the surface.
Gently working back and forth, it takes off residue, polish, compound and anything that
was on the surface nicely without harming the pad.
You guys have asked how many pads we use for a typical polishing job.
Usually we only use one pad because we only use five dime size dots of product and that
isn't clotting or damaging the pad in any way.
So usually if you're polishing your car you only need one pad unless you are performing
a two step polish where obviously you would need a cutting and a refining pad.
Even for waxing, glazing and sealing steps you only need one pad because the pad won't
clot if you're using the proper amount of product.
So if you're over doing it with the product it will cover the face and it is useless but
if you use the recommended five dime size drops, you'll only need one pad for polishing
or coatings.
So this pad is coming along nicely, after scrubbing one half of it you can see it removed
a lot of that old residue from polish while the other half is still dirty.
These pads are pretty old.
Another question a lot of people ask, is how long do these pads last before you have to
throw them away.
Obviously if they are no longer polishing or cutting they are no good.
This pad has been in here for almost a year now and it still does a pretty good job.
If you maintain your pads and use the proper amount of polish while using Pad Conditioner
this will last you a long time.
We're going to finish cleaning this pad off later.
In the meantime we're going to move to this microfiber pad.
Same process, we're spraying the face of the pad using Pad Cleaner.
Now gently scrubbing it with the Pad Conditioning Brush to remove built up polish or compound
while also reviving the fibers.
If you don't know this, microfiber pads create more heat and more cutting power than a foam
pad the only way it is going to work is if the fibers are standing.
By pulling off product that is stuck in the fibers it will make it like brand new again.
Just using a regular clean microfiber towel and wipe off the excess.
For those of you guys who are wondering how to maintain your pads, this is the simplest
and easiest way to accomplish that.
Just by scrubbing with a simple brush and Pad Cleaner it took care of the residue and
rejuvenated that soft surface.
Over here you can see it is clogged with spent product.
This is how your pads are going to last, you can use this on foam, microfiber and even
old school wool pads.
So now that we've shown you how to do it by hand lets move over to the machine and show
you the quick way to do this.
I've already got the Pad Washer set up with water and we're going to add a cap full of
Pad Cleaner, then we'll attach the dirty pad to the rotary machine.
You can do this with either a dual action or a rotary machine.
I choose to use a rotary because it is a lot faster and I feel like it gives a better clean
because it really gets in there.
This is a Flex 3403 Rotary Polisher.
Now that we have the pad as centered as we can, you can see this green pad is covered
in old polish residue that is hard and dry.
Starting off by pressing the pad into the Pad Washer.
Inside, there are special springs and cones that force water and Pad Cleaner into the
foam which loosens old product.
Now on the lowest speed setting we'll pass the pad over the Grit Guard that is in the
bucket which is going to remove it and then we will dry it on the highest speed setting.
There you have it guys, just simply using the Pad Washer it is done in less than a minute.
This pad is nice and clean, it is also dry by using the highest speed setting but still
inside of the bucket so that we didn't make a big mess.
If you guys want to learn more about these products go to our website chemicalguys.com.
If you like this video be sure to give it a thumbs up.
We'll see you next time right here in the Detail Garage.