Foam gun for very dirty vehicle.

[Zedhead07]

While my wife's car gets treated well detail wise, my Jeep Wrangler does not so much. I off road it as much as I can. I try to stay away from mud most of the time, but I live in an away where that is unavoidable. If I get it really muddy I'll typically pressure wash the chunky stuff off, but was wondering if following that up with a good foamy bath would make things easier? I read Mike's article on foam guns, and it looks like it could make the washing process a little less mundane, and do a better job cleaning the remaining nastiness from the rig. I also think it might make washing my RV a little easier too? Guess I'm just trying to convince myself the added cost of getting the equipment.

[Bill D]

I *always* wash with a foam gun regardless of how dirty the vehicle is. I wash with the extreme method using multiple mitts. It is possible to virtually eliminate wash induced marring by doing it this way with a high lubricity wash.

I must note that foam guns don’t last forever. They can simply quit foaming. I’m on my third or fourth one. Last year I was able to get a free replacement

[UncleDavy]

A foam gun is a relatively inexpensive investment and it is a lot of fun to use. A foam cannon is much more fun because you also get to use a power washer but for me the foam gun eliminates the need for a wash bucket. I still use a rinse bucket but with multiple wash mitts. You can also experiment with different soaps and different ratios. I use good old Meguiars Gold Class with Blackfire foam boost with great results.

[Bill D]

I use 3D Pink Soap with excellent results. I switched from Griots which is good, but more expensive.

[Paul A.]

Whenever I get an absolutely filthy vehicle I rinse it first then foam gun the heck out of it then rinse again i.e. without agitating the grime with my mitt (yet!). I then foam it up again section by section and use my mitt with very light pressure.

Works for me.

[Bill D]

That’s more or less what I do. I foam section by section and while I am foaming I whisk gently with the mitt making multiple passes.


The constant flow of soapy water from the foam gun over the spot I am contacting with the mitt acts as a safety barrier from swirling the paint. The mitt gently lifts the dirt away that is dislodged by the flowing soapy water

On a really filthy vehicle, you’ll have to make many passes. Be prepared to use A LOT of soap.

[FUNX650]

Foaming, IMO, is such a big waste
of time, money, and effort.


Bob

[Bill D]

Wash in a way that eliminates swirls and prevents the need to have to polish

[VISITOR]

i would invest in a pressure washer (electric) and a foam cannon if you want to pre-soak and blast off dirt. IMO, the foam gun is more of a washing aid (how i use it) than using it as a pre-soak. YMMV...

[PaulMys]

Foaming, IMO, is such a big waste
of time, money, and effort.


Bob
But...To the many fans, It is either therapeutic, euphqorical, or an orgasmic combination of both that compels them.

Let them revel in the elation of such, Buzz Killington........:awesome:

[Paul A.]

"Buzz Killington". You crack me up Paulie Knuckles!

[custmsprty]

It's a jeep, drive it, blast it with a hose and drive it again, it ain't a show car. LOL.

[SWETM]

I can only describe my findings with the use of a PW and foamcannon. What's the goal with this for me is when I after the prewash do the touching wash is to have as little of dirt left on the paint and that the dirt left is released easier. On the kind of dirt you have with mud is a benefit to use an alkaline based prewash foam and PW clean rinsing it off. And my findings is also that a car soap for the prewash foam is not going to be doing much. A car soap is made for being aggitated with to clean the car with. A dedicated prewash product is made for being as effective as possible to release the dirt. The big downside to this is it's often a much higher price on the prewash foam and there are some that is priced okey.

This is how I do it. And it's not a big secret or my own methods. Here in Sweden this is what is recommended when prewash.

1. If you have a lot of bugs on the front I start by spray on a stronger bug remover on this part and let it dwell for just before the recommended time. But if your environment don't allows as high heat or so. The most important thing to have in mind is not to let any chemicals dry on the paint. Try to wash in the shade always or early mornings or late evening. When the pretreatment is dwelled enough.

2. Foam your prewash foam over the whole car starting from the bottom and work your way around and up. I foam over a dry car with no pre-rinse and over the dwelled pretreatment. This is so the foam is able to cling the best possible and don't get diluted with the water left after a pre-rinse. If you have a lot of mud and I mean a lot of caked on mud you can blast this of first. But foam has an exceptionall ability to get through this mud and release it easy. When doing a RV I would do it in sections so you don't get trouble with the foam chemical dries up on you. Start at the bottom with this too. Dirt runs off easier on a cleaner paint and minimize the runs you can get. When it's dwelled enough.

3. Use the water pressure from the PW to clean with as it would be a wash mitt. Every surface need to be hit by the water pressure from the PW. Here I also start at the bottom and on the least dirty parts and work my way up. As noted before the dirty rinse off water runs off better on a clean surface. And sometimes this dirt can be stuck to the no rinsed parts if unlucky. You also see much easier where you have been cleaning with the water pressure from the PW too. When reached the top I rinse fast down if any noticeble dirt is left.

4. Now you will have the most effective prewash I know of at least. If it would be any noticeble dirt not cleaned off. You can do a foam on these parts and clean rinsing it off. I deal with very winter dirty cars where I have not washed them for a while. The dirt left is very little and it's easy to clean off with 1-3 wipes over with the wash mitts. And the rinse bucket after a wash is much more cleaner than if I not do this prewash. The more thorough you are at clean with the water pressure from the PW the less dirt and easier to wash you get.

If you have a leafblower or a car blowdryer. Use that before foaming the car if you pre-rinse to just get the most of the water off. And no need to be super dry just less water amount before foaming.

Here are some products that would work on muddy vehicals.

CarPro MultiX All Purpose Cleaner Concentrate (https://www.autogeek.net/carpro-multix-cleaner.html)

3D Orange 88 Citrus Degreaser 128 oz. (https://www.autogeek.net/3d-orange-88-refill.html)

3D Super Pre-Soak (https://www.autogeek.net/3d-presoak.html)

3D Super Citrus APC (https://www.autogeek.net/3d-super-citrus-apc.html)

GYEON Q2M Foam - 1000 ml (https://www.autogeek.net/gyeon-foam.html)

https://www.autogeek.net/gtechniq-citrus-foam.html

https://www.autogeek.net/griots-garage-surface-wash.html

Even if not a prewash foam most degreasers works to foam with. And for Carpro MultiX where recommended dilution is 1:100. That's is the dilution out from the foamcannon and not the dilution in the foamcannon bottle. So start with a mix of 1:4 in the foamcannon bottle and test to foam and adjust the foam mix setting to get the wanted foam. It's not so good with a shaving cream thick foam and not so good with a thin foam either. It's a sweet spot you will have to test your way through. The should be desolving and run off in a slow rate during the dwell time.

Which foamcannon to get. I think it's worth to put in the money on the MTM PF22 foamcannon. On MTM website you have a calculator that you put in the values of your PW to see if you need to be use the smaller orifice in the foamcannon. If you have a PW that has less than 1.8gpm it would be needed to have one generally speaking. They also have a calculator for the nozzle tip orifice too.
Here are some links to the foamcannon.

https://www.autogeek.net/hydro-pf22-foam-cannon.html

https://www.autogeek.net/mtm-hydro-1mm-orifice.html

https://www.autogeek.net/foam-cannon-how-to.html

You can also foam on your car soap with the foamcannon. But I think it's useing to much of car soap this way. Get a quality car soap with great lubrication and cleaning ability. Carpro Reset car soap and the gtechnic g-wash and Gyeon Bathe and maybe the new Blackfire Pro Ceramic Coating Wash is great car soaps.

/ Tony

[briarpatch]

But...To the many fans, It is either therapeutic, euphqorical, or an orgasmic combination of both that compels them.

Let them revel in the elation of such, Buzz Killington........:awesome:

well said, sir...my feelings exactly