Pad cleaning ?'s

[reverend]

Just finishing up with the black Trans Am I did in single stage, as it isn't a clear coat the color has transferred to the wool pad I used initially to cut out the sanding scratches and I was wondering is that pad forever contaminated or can you clean them after with a wash without destroying them?? I see in previous posts regarding cross contamination of compounds that the pads should have been cleaned but I'm not sure if this means just spurring them or if further steps are required.

[Len]

Just finishing up with the black Trans Am I did in single stage, as it isn't a clear coat the color has transferred to the wool pad I used initially to cut out the sanding scratches and I was wondering is that pad forever contaminated or can you clean them after with a wash without destroying them?? I see in previous posts regarding cross contamination of compounds that the pads should have been cleaned but I'm not sure if this means just spurring them or if further steps are required.

In most cases spurring will do the job if you're going to be using the same compound. It's usually best to have separate pads for different materials but throwing them in the washer can do a pretty good job of removing unwanted compound from the pads. Most pads can be washed many times without damaging them but if you're using inexpensive pads they may get damaged by the action of the washing machine. If I throw some pads in the washer I usually use cold water then lay the pads in the sun to dry before spurring and reusing.