Lake Country is an American pad manufacturer and the CCS pads are the ones most detailers recognise, with the dimpled face designed to hold compound and reduce the pad loading up mid-panel. We stock the HDO CCS orange polishing pad, CCS blue heavy polishing pad, HDO and standard white and blue microfibre cutting pads, and purple foamed wool pads, plus the Pad Washer System and Snappy Clean for keeping them working.

Choose by how much correction you need. The microfibre cutting pads deliver the most cut on a dual action and are the ones to reach for on harder paint with real defects. The HDO orange polishing pad is the general-purpose middle ground. The CCS blue heavy polishing pad is softer and suited to light refinement and applying protection. Foamed wool sits at the aggressive end for heavy correction where foam alone is not cutting.

It is if you polish whole cars rather than single panels. A loaded pad stops cutting and starts smearing, so cleaning it properly is what keeps your correction consistent from bonnet to boot, and it dramatically extends how long an expensive pad lasts. The Pad Washer System handles a full set between sections; Snappy Clean is the cheaper approach for cleaning as you work. Either beats swapping to a fresh pad every panel.

Three things do most of the damage: running a pad dry, letting it load up with spent compound and paint residue, and letting the edge catch on trim or a panel edge. Prime the pad properly, clean it every section or two with compressed air or a brush, wash it out before the compound dries in, and let it air dry fully rather than storing it damp. Tape sharp edges and badges so the pad face is not being cut on them.