Do you clean your polishing pads?

[CarrollB]

I have two DA polishers/buffers that I use on the truck and my fiberglass boat. Do you clean the foam pads or terrycloth bonnets after waxing your truck or just throw them away and buy new ones? If you clean them how do you wash them? I tried washing a terrycloth bonnet cover after applying polish/wax and it was a mess. Did't think I would ever get the polish/wax off my hands. Do you wash the towels you use to buff and remove the dried wax? If yes, how do you wash them? I hate to throw the towels away as I normally pay $4-6 each for them.

 

[BWL]

I wash my towels in the washing machine. Hot water, lots of soap and an extra rinse. Then I partly dry them in the dryer without dryer sheets and hang them up to finish drying. The pads I keep in ziplock bags with different ones for different purposes, but you can clean the foam pads with soap and water in a bucket of hot water as well and rinse them out thoroughly. they make conditioner for pads if they get a little crunchy to bring them back to life. They do make cleaner specifically for this, but I've had no problem cleaning them with plain old laundry soap.

 

[Simpleman]

I polish my truck with microfiber pads and then do my rims & step bars and toss it out not worth saving and the rags i wash

 

[Noneck]

For my foam polishing pads, I soak them in a bucket of simple green for a day or 2 then wring them out and throw them in the washer with no soap with any of my microfiber towels. No fabric softener or dryer sheets.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[McBroom]

Ues i put them in the washer with all free n clear extra packs throwed in. Do not use any fabric softener!!!
Air dry!

Blue Mule

 

[Dad_Jokes]

I clean mine after every use, a quality pad isn't cheap. I think my cutting pads are $15 each. Warm water with soap does a good job, but I will say I've tried 2 specific pad cleaners and both were much easier to clean with over just soap and water. For my foams I will use a shop towel/napkin to squeeze out any remaining goop then I spray it down with cleaner and let it soak for a few minutes then a good scrub with a soft brush. Then its warm water and wring outs with a few more spray/soaks. Come out brand new after they dry. Takes me about 15 minutes per pad to clean them.

 

[Tim Garceau]

Reuse? No, absolutely not...

6 years and 100k miles clear coat doesn’t look this good recycling protectant wipes.

 

[quickster2]

I use the bucket method on the pads initially. Then they get washed with the micrifiber cloths using McKees Microfiber Cleaner soap. Works well for many years. I air dry my pads. Towels get dried with no softener.

In a pinch I 've used my scent free hunting clothes wash as well. This works also.