Good questions.
Here's everything you need to know about the pads...
We recommend using FiberPlus scrubbing pads. These pads are well suited for scrubbing carpets with the correct degree of agitation. Why scrub with pads rather than brushes? Consider this illustration – you have a greasy frying pan to clean. You could get it clean by scrubbing it with a scrub brush, but if you scrub it with one of those green kitchen pads the pan will clean up even easier. Why? It’s because the pads make more surface contact. So when we scrub a carpet with a pad the same principle holds true. We have better agitation and we use less solution to get the job done. FiberPlus pads will clean an average of 10,000 square feet before they wear thin and need to be replaced. FiberPlus pads are available for the 19" Cimex machine, as well as 15" and 17" machines, as well as the little Oreck Orbiter.
The FiberPlus pads are sturdily built and will last an average of 10,000 square feet (scrubbing technique and coarseness of the fiber can cause this average to vary). The pads have an elastomeric property that adds to their stability. FiberPlus pads start out in life as 1 inch thick pads and they can be run till their about 1/8" thick (about as thick as a piece of corrugated cardboard). The pads are being worn away as you scrub. It's not likely that you will see any of the fiber in the carpet as you scrub - the fibers in the pad are very tiny.
The economics of the FiberPlus pads:
A box of (15) 7-3/4" pads for the Cimex costs $30, with free shipping. So there are enough pads to clean approximately 50,000 sq ft of carpet - for $30.
Rick Gelinas
