Plush, Microfiber Buffing Bonnets

Amazing, plush, Microfiber bonnets keep going and going!

Somewhere around 2002 or 2003, out of complete frustration, I discontinued offering Terry cloth buffing bonnets. Every time I used one of these bonnets on my orbital polisher, they would cake-up with residues after a few passes and need to be turned inside out or replaced with a fresh bonnet. It was actually easier and faster to buff off polish and wax residues by hand. When Microfiber became the rage, I had bonnets made from various Microfiber cloths but experienced the same problem. Buffing by hand using a Microfiber cloth was fantastic. Making a bonnet from the same Microfiber material and using in on a machine, disaster!

At SEMA, I met with our Korean Microfiber supplier who gave me two, new, Plush, Microfiber Buffing Bonnets that were developed for Asian paint and body shops. The pile on these bonnets had to be at least 1/4 inch high! The material felt like a luxury bath towel.
	This close-up shows how plush the bonnets are woven.

The bonnets came in two sizes. One is a 6-1/2 inch bonnet designed to fit over any 6-1/2 inch diameter by 1-1/4 inch thick foam pad and the other is a 7-1/2 inch bonnet designed to fit over any 7-1/2 inch diameter by 1-1/4 inch thick foam pad. (Actual bonnet size is slightly larger than the foam pad size.)


Stretching bonnet over a 6-1/2 inch CCS, Red Finishing Foam Pad	Bonnet fits over the entire pad and most of the backing plate.


Stretching bonnet over a 7-1/2 inch CCS, Red Finishing Foam Pad	Bonnet shown over a 7-1/2 inch foam pad.

When I returned home, I waxed my full size sedan with BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection. I attached a 6-1/2 inch, CCS, Red Finishing Foam Pad on my Porter Cable 7424 and stretched a bonnet over the pad. Setting the Porter Cable's speed to 3-1/2, I started buffing the hood. To my amazement I was able to buff the entire hood without any trace of hazing or pad caking. I continued to buff the entire top of the car. I'm speechless. In my forty odd years in this industry, I have never been able to machine buff this much of a vehicle without changing bonnets! I continued to buff the trunk of the car. The bonnet is still removing haze and residues without any sign of residue cake-up or streaking the surface. Out of guilt, I removed the bonnet, turned it inside out, stretched it over the foam pad and continued to buff both sides of the car. I had used one bonnet to buff by entire car! I backed my car out into the sun and looked for streaks or hazy patches. None! I didn't have to go over anything by hand!

TIP: Use these bonnets over a softer, finishing foam pad such as Lake Country's CCS, Black Glazing Pad or Red Finishing Pad.


Using bonnets over a soft finishing pad allows easy buffing of complex curves.

If, like me, you stopped buffing with bonnets out of frustration, I can not urge you strongly enough to try these Plush Microfiber Buffing Bonnets. Like the famous bunny, these bonnets just keep going and going. They allow you to use your Porter Cable 7424 to buff your car in a fraction of the time it would take by hand, without streaks, swirls or hazy patches.

I have since used these bonnets on my Flex XC3401VRG with equally great results. I do not normally buff using a circular polisher and I have not tried these bonnets with a circular polisher but I suspect, if you keep the speed around 800 - 900 rpm you could even use these bonnets on a circular machine to remove polish, wax and sealant residues. If any of you try this, email me your results and I will share your findings with our readers.

Bottom line, this old dog has learned a new trick. After years of recommending only hand buffing of residues, I now strongly recommend these Plush Microfiber Buffing Bonnets.

Available in 2-packs and 6-packs of 6-1/2 inch diameter or 7-1/2 inch diameter sizes.