Taking care of your car is something you can’t just ditch. However, to some individuals, it could be a frustrating experience. Especially when it comes to buffing pads, it’s no wonder that most users get puzzled – about which one to purchase.
As a matter of fact, you will find several people out there who have a sad story to tell about their experience with a buffing pad. People usually get confused because there are tons of buffing pads brands, colors, and sizes out there. So, when they go to purchase, they find it quite hard to make a decision.
The most common reason is they don’t have any prior knowledge about buffing pads. And talking about colors, oh, dear! That’s like finding your way out of the Grand Canyon. Different colors of the buffing pad mean different uses of them.
In this article, we will provide you with the necessary intel about what color buffing pads to use on the car so that you don’t end up buying the wrong buffing pad again. Let’s dive in.
What Exactly Is A Buffing Pad?
To some people, their car is like their own baby. I’m sure you are here because you love your car like crazy, so you do your best to make sure it’s proper care for. Yeah! Thanks! But what the heck is buffing? Well, when your baby gets dirty, buffing is something you are going to need to make it clean.
When you need to polish paint or remove other hard substances, you will need a buffing pad. You can also use them to apply wax and sealants. They are usually made of microfiber, wool, and at times a compound of all three.
Why Do I Need a Buffing Pad?
Good question! Let me explain. When you are done with polishing, you will need a pad to remove the flaws, and that is your buffing pad. Instead of spending a lot of time finishing your work, using a buffing pad will reduce it greatly.
Pad is much better than a towel for removing defects as it can hold polish far more smoothly than a towel. It is also a lot easier to attach to a machine that allows you to remove the defects much more easily.
Using a buffing pad will let you use less polish than a towel would do. It also makes sure of your safety while working as you get a safety barrier in the middle of your machine. And also, there will be no risk of scratching the surface which you are trying to get fixed.
What Colors Buffing Pads to Use on Car?
You will find buffing pads in different colors, and each color represents an individual characteristic. For instance, you can use a yellow pad and a black one when you need to polish your car. The black pads are much softer than others.
So, if you are dealing with a sensitive painted surface, you should use the softer pad as it’s going to offer you an excellent finish.
The white pad is generally coming into play when you need to do spray cleaning. It has a sturdy build of polyester fibers in dense texture, a non-woven pattern, and a powerful rotary machine, which makes it a perfect choice for spray cleaning, dry buffing, soft finish, and also light cleaning.
What Is the Difference Between a Polishing Pad and Buffing Pad?
The polishing pad creates a brushed or lined finish. On the other hand, a buffing pad is used to remove those lines to bring a shiny finish. There are also some differences in pads, such as wool pads, microfiber pads, and wool buffing pads. You can use these pads for dual-action orbital or as a rotary polisher, but the pad has to be the same, or a bit larger size is acceptable.
What Is the Difference Between Polishing and Buffing?
Polish and buffering are the process of finishing to make your work more refined and eye-catching. Buffering is lesser aggressive than polishing, and that helps to get a smoother and glossy finish.
How Do I Deal with Swirl Marks?
Swirl marks could be an embarrassing impression when it comes in contact with bright light. They appear like a spider web around the place where light is reflected. If your painting was properly done, then you may notice that the light is reflecting like a mirror.
When you wash your car, it creates millions of puny scratches, and that’s how swirls are made. These swirl marks can easily be removed by compounding and polishing.
Keeping Your Buffing Pads Clean
Keeping your buffing pad is essential. You wouldn’t appreciate seeing your buffing pads clogged. Would you? If you want to avoid such an issue, you must clean your buffing pad regularly as they tend to get clogged by dried liquids.
So, when you go using them next time with that condition, they might ruin your paint. You can use a foam pad conditioning brush and polishing pad cleaner to clean it. Also, you can do it by using your toothbrush.
Frequently Asked Questions:
When it’s time to change my buffing pad?
If you notice that your buffing pad has a pockmark, you should replace it immediately. When you use the buffing pad for an extended period of time, it might lose its softness, which may create swirl marks instead of making your car look shiny.
How many buffing pads are enough to set off?
Just one buffing pad will do. However, you might want to get a cutting pad, waxing pad, and polishing pad. All of them should be six to six and a half inches in size.
Can a polish remove a clear coat?
Yes, you can remove them easily with car polish. But you must know polish won’t protect the paint. And here you will need a car wax.
What color pad do I need for stripping?
A black pad is the best choice as it comes with very aggressive heavy-duty scrubbing capability. When it comes to doing heavy-duty scrubbing, they are the best you have got.
Do I need a white buffing pad?
This pad is usually used when it comes to spray cleaning. The built of polyester fibers in dense texture, non-woven pattern, and a powerful rotary machine make it ideal for spray cleaning, dry buffing soft finish, and also light cleaning.
Final Words
As you can see, buffing pads with different colors come with diverse applications for the maintenance of your vehicle. So, you better be aware of what color buffing pads to use on car before starting to clean your car. Keep this guide bookmarked for immediate help!