does the pad really matter?

S

shyne

New member
i was wonder if the pads really matter when waxing/polishing/cleaning



going to use a paint cleaner/polish (megauirs premium paint cleaner) - terry cloth pad -cause it has more cutting power?



glaze (megauirs show car glaze #7) - foam pad



carbuana wax (s100/p21s) - foam pad



i read in davidb's polishing section that if you have a clearcoat and your polishing you should use a foam pad.
 
Yeah, pads matter a lot when using a machine but maybe not as much when working by hand.



There are strengths and weaknesses of each applicator type. For example, a foam app will distribute product evenly, waste is very low, and they're cheap and easily replaced. Cotton terry apps can be durable if you wash them after use, they're soft, and can be used with two different products, one on each side. Microfiber has the edge in softness and are ideal for that final wax or sealant application.



Frankly, as long as what you are using is soft and clean, its probably more a matter of personal preference. I know the foam apps work well but I hate using them so I prefer cotton terry covered pads or kitchen sponges. Maybe the best thing to do is buy a few different apps and use whatever you like best.
 
What Bretfraz said. It really IS a matter of personal preference.



I believe it was Nick T. who recently tested a bunch of different pads (terry, foam, etc.) and found that NONE of them caused marring.



For machine use, pad selection DOES seem to matter. I used Griot's orange pads and NEVER seemed to get swirls/scratches out..switched to yellow cutting pads- problem solved.



Also, note that while GOOD MF's are unbelievably soft, some MF's ARE NOT and can cause micro-marring or worse. The same would hold true for terry- many differences to be taken into account, so pick the RIGHT stuff, whatever it's made of.
 
I have also heard the tip about using cotton applicators or folded terry towels (probably better) to add "bite" to hand polishing. I think some people just use regular wax applicator-type foam pads to do their polishing though. I tried this on some small non-PC-able areas a while ago and it seemed to work.
 
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