If you’re polishing a car, a pad should be cleaned after doing 2 sections (each section being roughly the size of a trunk lid). If you’re polishing floors, the pad should be quick-cleaned when you notice that the most recent floor section doesn’t look as polished as previous sections.
Make sure you’re more than a few feet away from the vehicle so the dust from the pad doesn’t get onto the freshly polished paint.
Avoid applying too much pressure with the brush because it might damage the foam on the pad. If you’ve already removed the pad from the polisher, hold it in one hand and scrub the pad back and forth with a plastic bristle brush with your other hand. [4] X Research source Note that this procedure is only recommended for foam polishing pads.
You can purchase buffing spurs at any automotive or hardware store.
If you’re using a buffing spur for a wool pad, move the spur all over the surface of the pad until the wool is no longer matted with polishing product. Make sure to hold the polisher firmly in one hand while you’re doing this. You can also hold it in place on a work table or other flat surface.
Note that this deep-cleaning procedure will work for foam, wool, and microfiber polishing pads.
Refer to your buffer’s user manual to see how to remove buffing pads for your particular model.
You can purchase cleaner made especially for buffing pads online or at any automotive or hardware stores. Some manufacturers make specific cleaning solutions for wool and foam polishing pads, and some focus on car or floor pads, so get the one that best suits your needs.
Most polishing pad cleaning sprays have a pungent smell, so take this time to open a door or window if you like.
Start with your thumbs together and move them apart before circling them back together again (think of it like a rolling, kneading motion).
You should see dirty water coming out of the pad as you massage it.
If you see areas with lingering dirt or residue, repeat this rinsing process again, massaging those sections until the dirt is gone.
It may help to wrap the pad in a microfiber towel and squeeze it to remove excess moisture. You can also attach the damp pad to a polisher and set it to a medium speed for 20 to 30 seconds to help it dry faster. Hold the machine head down into the sink so water doesn’t sling everywhere. As an alternative, you can put the damp pad in the dryer on low or no heat for 10 to 20 minutes, but just know that it might cause shrinkage.
