I had to wipe the excess off with alcohol and a q-tip (turning the q-tip in a circular motion). It only removed the very top layer that hadn't stuck to the pad. It is almost impossible to remove the graphite once you rub it onto the pad. The alcohol only removed the extra flakes that weren't stuck to the pad...

I originally cleaned the pads a few days ago with alcohol but that had no effect. It wasnt until that nice new top coat of graphite that it worked like new again