Which snow foam..?

[Martyn]

My lance gve up after about 8 or more years of use... so bought a pack of caustic soda stripped it and let it soak overnight and built up again... good as new

Curse of a job to strip though was pretty seized up

How did it pack up? Did it stop lifting the soap?

I have a snow foam lance that no longer lifts the soap and I'm wondering if that's what is wrong with it - the mesh is dirty.

 

[weeloaney]

How did it pack up? Did it stop lifting the soap?

I have a snow foam lance that no longer lifts the soap and I'm wondering if that's what is wrong with it - the mesh is dirty.

Mine just dribbled soapy water, no pressure and no real foam

 

[Cro]

You can get a new gauze for them, pro car do them, had one posted out to me

You remember the price @weeloaney mine isn't as foamy as it used to be but spares on the likes of eBay range from 3 quid to 19quid. Couldn't be that much difference in quality surely I'm thinking

 

[m00k]

How did it pack up? Did it stop lifting the soap?

I have a snow foam lance that no longer lifts the soap and I'm wondering if that's what is wrong with it - the mesh is dirty.

Yup

Was pretty much just spitting out the foam as a detergent bottle would... soapy water rather than nice thick white active foam

 

[weeloaney]

You remember the price @weeloaney mine isn't as foamy as it used to be but spares on the likes of eBay range from 3 quid to 19quid. Couldn't be that much difference in quality surely I'm thinking

Like £5 or something, was a right while ago and can barely remember last week lol

 

[greyfloppyhat]

Yup

Was pretty much just spitting out the foam as a detergent bottle would... soapy water rather than nice thick white active foam

Yes that sounds not dissimilar to mine, off to get my spanners..

 

[_James_]

Tell me this, is this Snow Foam Just a form of car cleaning snake oil?

I got myself one recently and can’t say I’m impress tbh. It looks great going on and glopping off the car but I can’t say that I’ve noticed it “pulling” any dirt off the car and certainly no dirt is visible on the foam as it drops to the ground.

I bought it in the hope of being able to do contactless quick washes over winter but having tried this, the car actually looked worse afterwards. I am willing to accept i may have expected too much or I’m just not using it right.

 

[Terry]

Tell me this, is this Snow Foam Just a form of car cleaning snake oil?

I got myself one recently and can’t say I’m impress tbh. It looks great going on and glopping off the car but I can’t say that I’ve noticed it “pulling” any dirt off the car and certainly no dirt is visible on the foam as it drops to the ground.

I bought it in the hope of being able to do contactless quick washes over winter but having tried this, the car actually looked worse afterwards. I am willing to accept i may have expected too much or I’m just not using it right.

You'd probably be best served using a good TFR product before you put the snowfoam on. @Big Pimp has a product called Articulate for very humble money, especially for the dilution ratios & how long it lasts.

If I've got a very dirty car that I want to try to contactless wash then I'll spray on Articulate & wait 5 mins before a power wash rinse (being careful not to let it dry in). Then put on a bit more Articulate with snowfoam over the top of it for 5-10 mins, powerwash rinse again and that's usually the job done.

 

[_James_]

You'd probably be best served using a good TFR product before you put the snowfoam on. @Big Pimp has a product called Articulate for very humble money, especially for the dilution ratios & how long it lasts.

If I've got a very dirty car that I want to try to contactless wash then I'll spray on Articulate & wait 5 mins before a power wash rinse (being careful not to let it dry in). Then put on a bit more Articulate with snowfoam over the top of it for 5-10 mins, powerwash rinse again and that's usually the job done.

Mmmm I’m currently using both @Big Pimp ’s articulate and Snow Foam. I have to be doing something wrong or it’s just a fact that black cars are pissing annoying to clean!

 

[Big Pimp]

Mmmm I’m currently using both @Big Pimp ’s articulate and Snow Foam. I have to be doing something wrong or it’s just a fact that black cars are pissing annoying to clean!

My method at this time of year is:

Spray articulate into a dry car. Allow a few minutes to dwell.

Foam car. Allow a few minutes to dwell.

Wash with powerhose one panel at a time working from bottom to top.

This should get rid of most of the dirt, but black cars are a pain in the hoop!

 

[Terry]

Mmmm I’m currently using both @Big Pimp ’s articulate and Snow Foam. I have to be doing something wrong or it’s just a fact that black cars are pissing annoying to clean!

I'd seen it mentioned on here a couple of times before about it not really working out for a couple of people and streaks etc being left. I always assumed that the car was maybe just a bit too dirty for a contactless wash at that stage (I could be wrong!).

I've had it happen to me where the dirt almost looks like it's just absorbed extra mass from the cleaning products, but it's still there looking like I've tried to wash it in the dark. I usually up the ratio on the Articulate in that case (a lot), and then give in to doing a hand wash too. I find if I'm washing the car properly at least once a week, then the contactless washes work 90%+ of the time.

 

[euge07]

What protection have you currently got on your paint?
I also think too many people think snowfoam is designed to leave a car completely clean, it is a prewash designed to lift the heavier dirt off and soften up whats left before you do a proper wash. It also helps massively if the paintwork is coated , waxed or sealed.

 

[_James_]

My method at this time of year is:

Spray articulate into a dry car. Allow a few minutes to dwell.
!

This may be my downfall, i powerhose the car first...then bang the articulate on. Maybe I’m diluting it too much doing this?

 

[Big Pimp]

This may be my downfall, i powerhose the car first...then bang the articulate on. Maybe I’m diluting it too much doing this?

As the other guys have said, it works better on protected cars, or ones which are given contactless washes a couple of times a week.

If it’s bogging - like my van (which has never had any waxes, polished or sealants from it was painted last year) was this week, then contactless didn’t really work, or rather, when it dried I found a couple of dirt stripes where I missed when hosing off. The rest of it was nice and clean though.

Foams, as Euge says, are designed to help, or rather UltraFoam is.

I’ve also made up a couple of different foams for haulage customers who need them to clean in one step so I’ve made up a powerful foam which has a very slight caustic cleaner and he uses it for his fleet of lorries and it cleans really really well with touchless washes.

I’ve also made up a new degreaser based foam for a new customer who lifts bins etc. and first results are very promising. But as it’s a degreaser it wouldn’t be wax safe.

I’ve another foam for a customer to sanitise the inside of fish lorries and it’s great for what he needs it for.

UltraFoam was designed to be pH neutral with some cleaning action, but I made it to work in conjunction with articulate as it does the cleaning and foam offers additional dwell times.

Spray articulate on dry next time mate and follow my instructions above and see does that improve.

I’ll also maybe think about adding a blog onto my site with cleaning advice and maybe even videos if I can get the right videographer to make it quick and effective.

 

[Deleted member 23441]

Haven't read the thread but is there anywhere I can get autobrite stuff in NI?


It's £14 postage on 5l online.

I'm looking 5l of the blue magifoam.

a&r autoparts in larne stock it

 

[lennyd]

I've recently started using articulate first then putting valentines shampoo into my snow lance (about 3 to 1 with water) spraying over the top after a few mins and does a brilliant job on a white car.

Now you can see where dirt is still on the car once you go over it with a wash mitt but it would do for a quick wash

 

[Paddy_R]

I'm using what can only be described as a concoction of stuff. I put about 1 inch of Auto Finesse Avalanche into my foam gun bottle then I have also put in 10ml or so of Anachem Articulate, about 20ml of Gtechniqs GWash shampoo and around 150ml of Auto Finesse citrus Power (basically the ends of stuff I had and then the Articulate thrown in for good measure) then filled with water. I'd say the Foam Gun is on the middle in terms of water flow but it gives a good coating of foam without being too thick and once hit with the power washer leaves the car surprisingly clean (though this may have more to do with the Gtechniq Crystal Serum Black coating that's on it).

 

[MarkP]

I've yet to try snowfoam but am struggling to see what it does if i would still need to use a wash mitt. It looks the part and might loosen up dirt but so will a quick blast of the powerwasher.

 

[EP82JM]

It does this. Its not a miracle cleaner, but with the right protection or pre clean it will help run the dirt off the car before you set a wash mitt etc near it.. Hence less chance of rubbing scratches into the paint with grit. Thats it. My picture shows exactly what it does. And i dont even think mine is foaming right and it still does that lol.

And no, that isnt paint running off it ha

 

[Jordy]

a&r autoparts in larne stock it

@Woodcutter stocks it

 

[Carson]

Articulate then cover in AF Avalanche.

 

[mightymetro]

My method at this time of year is:

Spray articulate into a dry car. Allow a few minutes to dwell.

Foam car. Allow a few minutes to dwell.

Wash with powerhose one panel at a time working from bottom to top.

This should get rid of most of the dirt, but black cars are a pain in the hoop!

I was going to start a "what am I doing wrong" thread but is exactly what I'm doing (including these products) and tbh am becoming a bit disillusioned. Cars were all detailed previously with hard wax finishes so should be easily enough cleaned. Washes are generally weekly, though I'd expect to see a greater effect on a dirtier car as there's more for it to remove in the first place?

Would lime-rich water affect performance? Or the quality of the snow foam lance - mines from procar so am of the impression that it's decent kit. Or how much of the process relies on the pressure on the washer (I've a Karcher k2). I use the fan - type pressure washer fitting rather than the circular blaster type fitting - the circular fitting definitely lifts dirt better but I'm wary as I've seen it lift paint when it gets in round paint chips etc.

Basically - my experience of the "no mitt pre wash" is that it's just pissing in the wind, and even when going in with the mitt I'm not seeing dirt as loosened as id expect - talking salt, road grime, bird and cow crap here, rather than expecting it to take care of hard baked stuff. I look at videos showing TFR and snow foam and it lifting most things with a power hose rinse, especially on wheels, and I just can't replicate it or get anywhere near. This includes using far neater dilution to test the effect.

The TFR is the biggest mystery to me - on my cars it seems to be doing absolutely nothing. I don't understand how others are saying they're able to use articulate as a wheel cleaner.

Not having a go at anachem products BTW, I was equally bemused by the ineffectiveness of glimmermann stuff I was using before. Though I'd be lost without the GM wheel cleaner.

Am about to give up on the snow foam fad and going back to a bucket of suds, 20 minute prewash and having to get the elbow stuck into scrubbing with a second wash while the weather is freezing is just wasting my time and getting me unnecessarily cold at this time of year!

 

[euge07]

Look at the snowfoam barely able to cling to the paint on my car, quick powerhose after that and the dirt is completely gone

 

[300trophy]

What Snow foam lance is everyone using? After only just buying a new pressure washer I’m binning the Karcher snow foam lance.

I was thinking of the Autobrite HD Lance but would like to see what everyone else is using...

 

[Paddy_R]

@Eddie_ I have one I bought from @Davey@Procar years ago (must be 6 or 7) and it's great. Can't fault it at all.