Making your polishing pads last longer - matt’s tips for success
The ZviZZer Thermo All rounder Orange foam pad with thermo rubber foam interfacing
Polishing pads are something which I am extremely passionate about and have gathered a heck of a lot of knowledge about them over the decades as a detailer and R & D specialist
Not all of these are inexpensive and whilst being a consumable item, there is a minimum lifespan that all pads need to last for but I am here to tell you that it is not that difficult to extend their lifespan well past that with the right type of TLC and some tricks of the trade. Whilst many people may get a few or several cars or maybe ten cars out of each pad they use, in reality they can last far longer than that and achieving a longer lifespan will mean higher return on investment for detailers and anyone who polishes anything
USAGE TIPS
#1 - Avoid dry buffing whilst paint correcting with foam pads
Dry buffing is what happens when detailers apply a compound or polish to a dry foam pad, apply it to the paint and start polishing and overwork the product with too higher machine speed, added pressure or working at normal speed for too long. It can also be caused by the product prematurely drying out due to the paint being a porous paint absorbing the lubricants quickly. This and the other issues cause no lubrication to be provided to the pad once this occurs and the pad starts to tear up and the foam can start to crumble.
Dry buffing also causes poor finishes with haze or micro marring most common.
To prevent this from occurring, spray a dry clean foam pad with either water, a silicone and wax free Quick detail spray, a pad conditioner spray like my “Matt’s Magic after burner” polish and pad performance booster spray, an organic based wetting agent and conditioner for pads and polishes which will moisten the foam and also extend the lubricating and working times of most polishes as well as changing their viscosity and filming properties so they either don’t dust at all or far less and film on the surface far better. This is best for dry and dusty compounds.
Having the pad moist with just one or two spritzes of the spray prior to applying the compound or polish to the pad will ensure the pad remains moist, no tearing of the foam can occur and the cutting and finishing performance of the abrasives in the polish is kept at optimum.
Dry buffing is very common with crash repair shops who destroy pads very quickly but even detailers can have this problem
It’s one of the biggest killers of foam pads.
If you start to notice powdery dust adjacent to the area of a panel on a vehicle that your working on or the film of product on the surface of the paint starts going white and dusty, stop immediately, clean your pad with a spritz of water, a wetting agent or QD then compressed air or use the Lake Country system 4000 pad washer and clean the pad then spin it until just barely damp or lightly damp.
Then reapply some product (not as much as before) and do a pass or two over the area to finish it off
Always have an eagle eye on the film of compound or polish on the paint - having a nice moist film on the paint under the pad keeps the abrasives working and guarantees an excellent finish as long as a good technique has been executed with the polisher.
The typical look of a foam pad that has suffered from dry buffing - the foam is tearing up
#2 - Switch pads regularly - at least once every panel or two
The lifespan of any pad is effected by the amount of heat cycles it goes through and whilst the system 4000 pad washer can cool the pad down when it’s cleaning the pad, there is a point that no pad can go beyond when it’s optimum performance has been compromised.
This is usually after it has polished an entire panel or two panels maximum. Yes it’s possible to use one pad over a whole car if using the pad washer but foam is susceptible to a number of things that shortens it’s lifespan and water is one of them.
So the best practice is to finish paint correcting a panel or two maximum and then taking the pad off the machine and putting another one of the same type that’s dry and clean onto the polisher then conditioning the pad as described in section 1
On average I used between six and twelve pads per step of paint correction on a whole car and then I would clean those and let them air dry and when the next car came in, I used another set of six to twelve pads of the same type on that car so the previous set could have a breather. This is not easy to do for some with the cost of pads today, buying multiple or several sets of the same type of pad is a significant investment but this is why I am now importing pads from European factories directly to lower detailer’s pad supply costs. Because foam is way overpriced these days and I am doing something about it.
The best benefit of switching pads after paint correcting a full panel or two especially the roof or the bonnet is that you stay within the optimum cut and finish performance window with that pad because your using a new pad or a fully clean and dry pad (prior to conditioning the pad) for every panel or two and massively reducing the paint and polish residue buildup on that pad. We know that this residue especially the paint residue will reduce the cutting and finishing ability of a pad. Not even compressed air and liquid can get 100% of the residue out of a pad as you are working on a car. The pad washer does better but eventually foam pads will soften somewhat or too much and most of it’s cutting ability is hindered.
This means you will get easier defect removal and a world class quality finish if you follow the guideline of switch pads very often.
TECH TIPS: Use 4 to 6 pads or 6-12 pads per step and switch sets of pads with each vehicle you do to rest the previous set. Why?
Because too many heat cycles wear pads quicker than less cycles (it softens the foam and freys some fiber based pads) , changing to a clean pad after every half a panel (on the big three panels) or every panel (sides) is finished keeps you working efficiently and getting consistently world class quality results with hardly any need for having to redo a panel or section of a panel due to micro marring, haze, holograms or other issues coming from contaminated and over worked pads.
#3 - Watch out for sharp edges and use the correct pad for intricate and difficult shaped panels
When performing paint correction, use the correct pad for the intricate areas, weirdly shaped areas of panels and any sharp edges on the vehicle. This is where different edge profile designs on pads especially foam and microfiber pads really come into their own.
To prevent edge wear - the tearing of the side of the pad, use a pad with an edge profile that suits that shape of panel or area of a panel.
Each profile design has it’s advantages and it’s cons so choose wisely. By using the best possible edge profile pad design in tricky areas, you avoid splitting or ripping the foam on the sides and this again increases pad lifespan.
Here are the main variety of edge profiles available with one of the foam factories I buy from
Rounded edge is ideal for rotary polishers whilst cone is common with long throw random orbitals but UFO discs with a bevelled edge also have a place on the rotary. Cylindrical shaped pads can work too but will have their downsides.
having the velcro layer or a chunk of material taken out of the side of a polishing pad usually means it’s curtains for that pad
Just a few of the different edge profiles available with pads
#4 - Slow down the speed man !
Increasing machine speed in order to achieve faster more efficient paint correction can work but the time frame that you have to achieve that is very short compared to polishing at lower speeds. You want to keep any high machine speed paint correction process to between fifteen seconds to thirty seconds
Check the pad and also the panel temps with a good temp gauge - if your at 35 to 45 thats fine, 50 is okay but I’ve seen 52 to 55 and I have learned to know the smell of paint that is approaching the swelling point.
Ideally get your high speed work done quickly (1 to 2 passes) before the paint becomes too hot and softens too much which reduces or eliminates the capacity of the abrasives to keep cutting thus removing the paint imperfections. The paint can also swell if it gets to 60C. What this can also do I believe is absorb the lubricants, oils and any other carriers in polishes and creates a botox like effect. This totally destroys any correction ability as it’s like trying to cut a freshly baked loaf of bread straight out of the bread maker with a knife without any serrated teeth. It just makes the bread bend downwards and won’t cut through it.
So the key here is to keep your polishing temperatures between 30 and 45 C or 50 C maximum. By lowering the machine speed on random orbitals to speed 2-4 and rotaries between 300 and 1000 rpm plus tilting the pad but then finishing with a pass or two with it flat, you gain a longer working window and a cooler polishing temperature
This also has the effect of keeping your pads from overheating. That causes density/firmness loss and reduced rebound effect of the foam as well as possible tearing of the foam and they can sink in the middle of the pad. It’s structure starts to break down.
Avoid this by either using high machine speed combined with fast arm speed and more passes or slower machine speed with slower arm speed of half an inch to two inches per second movement depending if it’s DA or Rotary
Cranking the speed up and adding pressure works for a very short time only and I believe that you can push the marks down deeper with too much pressure but never known if it’s actually true. Once the paint softens, your hindering performance and end results by keeping the machine speed high.
#5 - Punching out damaged pads to extend pad life
If you have some pads that have started tearing or freying on the outside edge of the pad or the outside edge of the pad has been sliced into by something, the best option is to make the pads the next size down by punching it out with a wad punch kit or some other method.
So if you have a 150 to 160 mm wool pad for example and the fibers are freying on the outside edge or it’s a foam pad and it has some damage on the outside edge, punch it down to a 140 mm using your preferred method. This gives you a nice new looking pad without any damage so you can continue to use it. Repeat the process down to 125 mm, 100 mm, 90 mm, 80 mm and 55 mm and then consider throwing it away.
This is something which I have done for two decades - using a wad punch kit plus a 55 and 90 mm punch as seen in the photo below. I’m now using my engineer’s CNC machines to cut pads down in terms of thickness and size
If you have access to a CNC machine you can machine a foam pad that has starting to fluff up from dry buffing and the foam tearing or so much use and take it down 3 to 5 mm or more and the pad will become like new again in terms of being smooth again but of course if the foam has softened too much it’s best to discard it or use it for something else like exterior trim polishing which is another thing I’ve mastered over the decades.
My Wad Punch Kit plus the 55 mm and 80 mm punches for converting big pads into smaller ones or modifying pad designs such as adding extra cooling holes
Cleaning tips and tricks
#1 - Better residue control and cleaning pads whilst polishing
Once you have finished polishing a section of a panel it’s time to clean the pad by removing the residue from the pad before continuing to polish by starting the next panel
There are two great options for cleaning pads as your working on a vehicle - compressed air and liquid or a system 4000 pad washer
With the compressed air and liquid method, the best way I’ve found to clean them is to spray them with a non protective wetting agent like Meguiars Final Inspection, Gliptone Body Lube, Optimum No Rinse, Phoenix Hydra or other rinseless washes at the usual ratios or down to around 1:100 or 1:125 dilution ratio then rub the pad with a brush or use your fingers/thumbs but best to do it with a nitrile glove on, work it in then blow the pad with the air compressor blow gun on an angle - starting from the middle and going to the outside then one side to the other plus blow the side/edge of the pad too.
Whilst this can over a long period of time with repeated use, reduce the density, performance and lifespan of the pads it really takes a hell of a lot of this for it to destroy pads. Breaking the bonds between the foam cells or pores is what can happen but a pad with very small cells closely packed together will stand up to the rigours of use and compressed air better than other pads with less cells and a bigger gap between each cell or pore - at least that has been my experience.
Using a system 4000 pad washer is ultimately the best and really does an amazing job of cleaning pads but you need a rotary polisher that goes to 2500 to 3200 rpm to get most pads not dry but very lightly damp, random orbitals work great but do not turn the polisher on when you use the compressed air, over time I have seen pads become oblong shaped due to the orbital oscillation of the pad as it spins in the air with the polisher on. just do it with the machine off, the pad will freespin fast enough no problem.
You can choose to spray the cleaner onto the pad then wet the pad more by pushing down on the pad washer grille or simply adding water and pad cleaner product or rinseless wash and water into the bucket and pushing down on the cleaning grille to release the liquid and wet the pad. Once done, turn on the polisher and place the pad onto the grille and then raise it above it and spin dry the pad. Cleaning of the pad should be done after every section of a panel has been done at minimum.
The only drawback with the pad washer is if your favourite polisher is a forced rotation machine, those machines don’t spin pads dry enough after being cleaned in the pad washer so the pad will be wet not damp or too damp at minimum. So use a random orbital or rotary polisher for the cleaning instead.
Never put fresh polish on a dirty used pad - scouring, haze, micro marring and holograms and a poor finish are the main outcomes.
#2 - Do not soak the used pads in a bucket, tub full of water or water and any chemical
This is something which many detailers have done in the recent past and may still be doing. As much as it seems like a good idea and prevents dried polish and paint residue from drying and bonding to the pad fibers or foam material and becoming much harder to clean and also causing dusting, soaking any pads but especially foam pads in a large amount of water and chemical or just water for hours or a full day until they get hand or machine washed is asking for trouble and here is why
Water reduces foam density/firmness
When foam is submerged in water for hours or a day or longer or is put in a bucket or tub of water every day and used to wash cars, the foam soon becomes mush. There is a very high chance for loss of density - that firm feel and the fast rebound effect you see after pushing down on the foam when it’s new or in excellent condition - it bounces back up quickly to it’s original height.
If you’ve ever worked at a car dealership and cut the top off of a twenty litre container of a detailing chemical, filled it with water and soap then left a wash sponge in it like it used to be done in the 2000’s at most dealerships and probably some still today and noticed how the foam sponge goes from that brand new firm dense feel to becoming a flattened, mushy piece of foam with absolutely no rebound or hardly any ability to bounce back to it’s original shape and height then you know what I’m talking about. The foam loses too much of it’s original properties
So to extend life to your pads, once you’ve decided to switch to another pad, before you remove the pad from the machine, either clean it in the pad washer and spin out most of the water then store upright like how dishes are stored on a drying rack or spray the pad with a liquid like QD or other non sudsing wetting agent and then blow the pad with compressed air thoroughly from the middle outwards on an angle so your not blowing the residue into the pad but across it to the outside and off the pad. The liquid helps the air remove more residue than with a just used pad that’s almost dry.
Store upright or on a pad holding rack with velcro attachment then grab a clean pad and continue
#3 - Cleaning wool pads with wool wash to keep the wool fibers plush, soft and smelling fresh
To keep your wool pads in tip top condition besides a little shedding or freying of wool fibers from the centre and edge of the pads, clean your pads with a dedicated wool wash containing eucalyptus. I am currently using Tasman Chemicals Wool Wash which I dilute a reasonable amount, around 10:1
A quality wool wash will not only do a better job of cleaning the pads but keeps the fibers soft, plus and smelling nice.
When washed with all purpose cleaners, dish soap or even a dedicated pad washer, the wool pads can sometimes go mushy and start smelling like wet sheep or wet dog which is not pleasant. The pads tend to become discoloured also, not a huge deal but something I dislike personally. There are varieties of wool washes available so find the gentlest one that still has good cleaning power but doesn’t dry out the fibers like other cleaners can especially alkaline based cleaners.
It is not a necessity to do but will certainly help.
BONUS TECH TIPS - Use a steam cleaner to quickly give your wool pads a fluffing up. especially any wool pads with tall pile aka high nap wool fibers that tend to get matted down during use or after hand washing. Steam makes the wool fibers bloom and adds a little moisture so when polishing the pad works a little better or conforms to the panel better.
When cleaning wool pads, if your rinsing out the pad with water from a laundry sink tap, only use cold or warm water only as hot water shrink natural wool. If the pad is a blend of natural and synthetic wool and acrylic wool or wool and silk or polyester, follow the same procedure as with natural wool cleaning.
Most fabrics can be ironed but you cannot iron wool so steaming is a far better option as it fluffs up the wool fibers or yarn
#4 - How to hand clean microfiber and foam pads quickly and easily whilst reducing water use
A demonstration of the quickest and easiest way to hand clean foam pads if you don’t have a pad washer. Reduced amount of water going through the foam prevents the density and rebound loss which happens with soaking foam pads in a bucket or tub of water and pressure washing pads. With microfiber pads, spray the pad with microfiber dedicated cleaner, brush the pad then rinse under the tap as seen here.
A close up of the pad cleaner and paint/polish residue being flushed away by the water. Cleaning made easy
#5 - Do not wring out your foam pads to remove the excess water
One thing which I was lucky enough to learn from one of my foam manufacturer and converter contacts in England which is now owned by a company that supplies a number of industries with high quality foam and has an ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certifications. I.M.P.E. and certified by the TÜV SÜD told me that when hand washing pads, it is not advisable to wring out the pad to remove the excess rinse water from foam pads like we would with a traditional chamois. This can cause crushing of the foam cells or some of them at the least and the end result of that over a short time is a pad that absorbs more liquid and does not perform as well as a pad that is used and maintained properly. So if hand washing, once you’ve rinsed out the pad cleaner residue, you can either spin the pad on a rotary polisher or a random orbital and compressed air (with the machine off) or at the least, put the pad between your two palms and gently push both palms together. This will safely squeeze the excess water out of the pad without doing any damage. Wringing pads out also can put them out of shape.
#6 - Never high pressure wash your pads
Pressure washing pads is something which some do but even if you do it at a distance with the pads velcro’d to a pad rack, your pushing so much water into and through that foam, possibly tearing the bond between the foam cells and you will definately reduce the density quicker that way due to the amount of water that goes through it. Can you do it and get away with it - yes but is it the best method - absolutely not.
The absolute best options are a pad washer #1 and liquid spray, quick agitate then compressed air is #2
#7 Choose your pad cleaner carefully - what the best cleaner is for each pad material
Not all cleaners are created equal and some are far from ideal for cleaning pads. The main perpetrator of wear and tear to pads when cleaning them are all purpose cleaners, degreasers, dishwashing liquid and any other cleaners that contain disodium metasilicate and other sodium based alkaline high PH cleaners. The better option is something lightly citrus based, a laundry liquid base and funnily enough, a leather cleaner as they can’t be aggressive enough to over wet the leather, dry it out or pull colour off. At 1:10 ratio, my leather cleaner of choice works amazingly well to clean pads without doing any of the following things to the pads.
What the products with those high PH alkaline ingredients do is turn foam pads from a smooth to silky smooth feeling material to feeling somewhat like a piece of sandpaper, they wash out the colour of the foam pads quicker than other cleaners or hurt the velcro adhesive as it soaks through the pad, some are way too sudsy and this requires too much water to rinse them out of the pads unless using a defoamer and they simply dry out the foam.
With microfiber pads they also turn them from feeling plush and new to rougher.
As for wool pads, using a dedicated wool wash product is the best option. Whilst some are very sudsy, dilute it at least 1:10 to 1:20 then spray, rub or brush the pad then rinse with cold or warm water.
I have tested many cleaners for getting my pads clean and I’m still yet to find the perfect solution
My main recommendations are
Microfiber pads - some MF washes hurt the velcro adhesives but I am keen to try Rags to Riches or an unscented non phosphorous laundry liquid and see how that goes. Costco have one called Ultra Clean that some say works well.
Wool - any quality wool wash with eucalyptus for a fluffy, plush and fresh smelling wool pad not turning it into smelling like wet sheep or wet dog (been there experienced that with pads in the past)
Foam - A quality leather cleaner concentrate, Mckees 37 polish pad cleaner as it’s non sudsing
Benefits of my GEN II NEXUS Foam pads that are slowly being released in 2025
One of the greatest benefits of having foam pads with a closed cell interface material (not PU foam) is that if you were to decide to put your pads in a washing machine, the interface material retains the pads shape after the wash and spin cycle is completed. Instead of coming out half bent over or warped looking they come out almost laser straight. Some pads without an interface may go back to normal once they dry but it’s never a good thing to machine wash every time. Wool pads tend to handle it better than foams.
Well there you have it, a pretty decent dive into polishing pad use and maintenance. I hope this has been helpful for you.
Stay tuned for more blog posts from yours truly with in-depth technical tips and tricks
My new GOLD Universal foams currently in production in Europe using an all new foam material unlike other foams of that colour. Available in three face profiles eventually. Waffle, spider and flat with conical centre hole