I am talking about a specific look, where the floor have gone from shiny to hazy and the polishing pad has become a useless brick of nothingness. It’s worse than that, right? You’re trying to buff harder.
You change compounds. Still, no luck. And it isn’t usually anything wrong with the floor or even the finish.
Nope. It’s the tool you’re using in your machine. Bauer polishing pads is an engineering wonder but they aren’t magic.
If you want them to work like new, you have to take care of them. Failure to do so would of cost you time and money. Most detailers treats polishing pads as disposable item.
Run one out, toss it in the trash, go get another. That works fine at first. However, once you start a multi-stage correction job, the number of pad you need will add up quickly.
Running a dirty pad also can ruins your finish. It picks up old swirl mark and compound, then traps them. Pushes it back into the paint.
You’re essentially polishing with debris. It is not a miracle solution but a routine. The problem is usually the tool sitting in your machine.
How To Clean Bauer Polishing Pads Properly
Why Polishing Pads Lose Effectiveness
To understand this, you must first know what’s stuck to the pad. Polish contain fillers, solvents, and abrasives. Working it fill the wool or foam fiber with these items. Some of that stays on surface.
Understanding Compound Loading and Contamination
Some penetrates deeper. Removing surface contamination are easy. Removing deep loading take a little longer. If you don’t deal with the depth of the contamination you are not going to clean properly.
Match the intensity of your cleaning to how much compound is loaded in your pad. Your best friend in this situation are hot water. Hot water break down the oils in the compound more quickely than cold water.
Get yourself a bucket. Fill the bucket with hot but not boiling water. Put the Bauer pad fully into the bucket.
Cleaning Pads with Hot Water Soak
Soak the pad from five to ten minutes. During this period, the warm water penetrate the tight foam structure. As the residue becomes softened by heat, you’ll notice that the water begins to cloud.
That’s the visual clue; the compound is releasing and it’s cleaning. It’s a passive process, which mean you can do something else while pad is soaking. After soaking, apply mechanical action.
Firmly squeeze it. Gently work it from center outward. Never twist hard on foam.
Twisting can tears up the structure. Squeezing firmly push the dirty water out while drawing clean water inward. Frequently rinse with water.
When the water run clear, stop. If it becomes milky again, repeat. Continue until clear.
That mean all the loose compound are removed. The pad will feel lighter and more flexible. A pad cleaner is a special cleaning solution.
Using Pad Cleaner for Deep Residue
There is a few on the market. Foam pad cleaners, or meguiar’s quik detailers will help remove the tough stuff such as oils that may has stuck to the pad. Apply the pad cleaner to a damp pad.
Rub with your fingers. Rinse well. It is optional for easy application but mandatory for heavy correction application.
Why? Because the pad cleaner are a type of surfactant. They break down the bond between foam and compound.
They greatly extend the life of pads. Every Bauer pad you buy last longer. The last and most important step is to let them dry.
Drying Pads to Prevent Damage
Put a wet pad back on machine and it will cause water spots on your paint. And, it will damage your buffer motor. And, it will cause suction problem.
Lay the pads out on something where they has good airflow and just let them dry all the way out. This may take a while so be patient. Use of a hair dryer or other type of heater will destroy the integrity of foam.
You’ll save yourself from screwing up your finish down the road by being patient. Clean pads is best. They cut more consistantly.
They hold compound evenly. Swirl removal efficiency return to best levels. The shine you recieve is clearer and deeper.
The final results are going to have you noticing a difference right away. Your cars, your floors, will look better. Your wallet will feel lighter.
Take good care of your Bauer pads. They’ll take good care of your surfaces. The shine is worth it.