White buffer pads can have two different uses:

They act as a softening cushion between your drive plate and your abrasive screen so that your floor is treated very gently. The process of buffing should blend previous sander marks, or to evenly de-gloss an existing coat to prepare it for a new coat, all without leaving new scratches.

These thick, white pads are designed to dilute and handicap the power of the buffer so it can do its blending job without causing more sanding flaws. When used for this purpose, the white pad never touches the floor; it is just the pillowy sandwich filling between your buffer plate and your sanding screen.

When used with a buffer screen, expect your white buffer pad to last for about 2000 sqft of floor.

After that it gets too thin and crushed down and no longer acts as a cushion.

If you are applying one of the new hardwax oil finishes (Rubio Monocoat, Pallmann Magic Oil) the white pad is used for your final oil-removal step.

The pad is used directly against the floor to soak up excess oil.

When buffing off oil, be prepared to replace or flip over your white pad regularly (based on your finish manufacturer’s guidelines) so, unless your job is less than 100sqft, you should have more than one.

And if you plan to flip your pad to use both sides, we urge you to put a grippy thin maroon buffer pad against your buffer plate before you start to protect it from getting permanently coated with oil. Looking for pad to use for hardwax oil application? That’s the red buffer pad.

Always buy your buffer pad to match your machine diameter.  Available in 13″ and 16″ sizes.