My brakes aren't biting properly, they're Hayes HFX9s. The lever & caliper set-up feels fine, so I assume the pads and/or discs are contaminated with brake fluid or some such. Apparently it's possible to put pads in the oven to burn off any contamination, but the only time I tried this the pad material fell off the backing plate, melted glue presumably. Also I have sprayed the discs with disc cleaner, but someone said that while this was fine for motorbike and car discs, it doesn't work well for bike discs.

Any suggestions for cleaning the discs, or reviving the pads?