I'm tired of my pads looking like crap, anybody know any great ways to wash them to get them cleaner?

Terry cloth pads will typically show damage as they get used and laundered. They can be bleached to get them whiter, but this will also weaken the fiber a little bit. Keep them wet after usage. I keep them in a plastic bag after the job to keep 'em wet. Wash with Tide in HOT water. You can let them pre-soak for a while too. Don't dry them in the dryer just hang them out, or if your using them the next day just take them to work damp. One idea is to rotate your pads - using cleaner/fresher pads for nicer jobs and keep the grungy pads for the commercial jobs and dirtier jobs.

An alternative to cotton would the 19" Thin-One Encap pad/bonnets. They aren't quite as absorbent as cotton, but they last longer and they launder better too. http://www.excellent-supply.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=5&idproduct=69

Another option is Microfiber pads - we will have some soon.




Rick Gelinas
encapman

is this like a pad for spotting? or for an OP machine?

either way, one thing i've read about is: don't wash cotton pads of any sort WITH ThinOne type pads...the latter are very abrasive to the cotton in the laundry and will "shred" it faster.

thanx --- Derek.

I've gotten my best results by starting them all in the rinse cycle with a full scoop of detergent. That initial rinse cycle get most of the easy dirt out of the pads. Then I put them through a full cycle on hot, and this time add a booster (borax 20 mule team or oxy). But even though I've gotten my "best" results this way, some of the pads just don't want to look very good anymore after a while. Rick's idea about keeping a good pile and a bad pile is a good idea. I keep some "retired" pads in my van and use them to wipe my shoes/feet off in peoples homes, as knee pads when doing stairs, and things like that.