How to wash a car with a foam gun

[Mike Phillips]

How to wash a car with a foam gun (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/74349-how-wash-car-foam-gun.html)


Autogeek carries and sells both foam guns and foam cannons and the soaps that go with them, so this method of washing a car isn't new to this online detailing community.

I'm a fan of foaming a car, in fact for the most part I foam every car I wash. The idea behind foam is that unlike water foam offers,

Dwell Time


That is the foam or suds will cling to car body panels longer than soapy water and by dwelling on the surface this gives the cleaning agents time to loosen and dissolve any road film or dirt on the finish.

For this step I'm using the Detailer's Half Gallon Foammaster Foam Gun (http://www.autogeek.net/dp-foam-gun-64oz.html) with Detailer's Xtreme Foam Formula Auto Shampoo (http://www.autogeek.net/foam-gun-soap.html).


Start at the top just like you would wash normally by spraying the roof down with foam.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_025.jpg


Move down the windshield...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_026.jpg


And then down the hood...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_027.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_028.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_029.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_030.jpg


Foam down one side and work around to the back of the car...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_031.jpg


Then foam down the back of the car...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_032.jpg


Foam dwells on paint allowing the soap solution to go to work loosening road film and dirt...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_033.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_034.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_035.jpg



Loosen dirt with wash mitt...

Or in this case the new Lake Country Wash Wedge (http://www.autogeek.net/gold-wash-wedge.html)...

The most important thing about using a wash mitt, sponge or brush is to NOT scrub the paint more than what's needed to loosen the bond of any surface dirt so that it can be rinsed off. I cover this in my how-to book also.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_036.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_037.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_038.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_039.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_040.jpg



And here's the Mercedes-Benz after rinsing and drying using a single Ultimate Guzzler (http://www.autogeek.net/waffle-weave-drying-towel.html)

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_008.jpg



http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/images/smilies/xyxthumbs.gif

[AaronC]

great write up mike! thanks, its on my cart right now but for pressure washer.

[b0b]

I love my foam cannon! I use it every wash to make sure the soft black paint has the least amount of chance of getting harmed.

Thanks for the excellent write-up. This would have been great to have when I first got my foam cannon!

[Toxix]

Looks good Mike!
Was a pressure washer used for this?
I use a Gilmour Foamaster II every now and then without a pressure washer.
Sure there are suds, but not quite as nice as that...even if I put more than recommended amount of soap. Is a pressure washer + foam cannon my only option if I want to get a very sudsy outcome?

Also on a side note, that Lake Country Wash Wedge is looking more tempting. How do you like it?

[Dogfather]

Mike, do you have an opinion, one way or the other, on an initial pre-foam rinse?

[Mike Phillips]

Looks good Mike!
Was a pressure washer used for this?



Nope... simple garden hose and local city water pressure (and city water).





Is a pressure washer + foam cannon my only option if I want to get a very sudsy outcome?



Pressurizing the system helps but so does using extra soap. :D






Also on a side note, that Lake Country Wash Wedge is looking more tempting. How do you like it?




I like it better than most foam sponges. I like the tabbed fingers which open and flex for various shapes of components on the car like I show in the pictures.

When you place an open cell foam wash sponge in a bucket and squeeze it the water coming out of the cells acts to force and flush out collected dirt. That's a benefit in my book and some Pros I know swear by this feature.

Last Saturday I rewashed the same car and used a Boar's Hair Brush on an extendable handle using the "Gentle Approach" in share in my how-to books and find this the fastest way to do a great job of washing a car.


:)

[Mike Phillips]

Mike, do you have an opinion, one way or the other, on an initial pre-foam rinse?


I think it's a great idea in theory. In practice you'll use more product. It would be a good option also for a car with visible dirt on the sides of the car especially if you're using a product targeted at oily road film.

I keep reading that the UK is way ahead of us on Traffic Film Removers, I don't know about this but maybe it's true. Kind of makes me think their cars leak more oil?

See my article on Road Film to understand why...


Road Film - If you drive your car in the rain your car has road film (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/72159-road-film-if-you-drive-your-car-rain-your-car-has-road-film.html)


The oil stain line that runs down the middle of the road...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2118/Road_Film_004.JPG



:D

[Pureshine]

Mike nice to see you use a sponge to wash the car. So many people here say that you should use them. I've never had a problem using them ever.

[firecorgi]

I Love my foam gun and can't imagine never having it. With that my buddy used his twice and he did not care for it. He said it used too much product. I tried to talk with him about it more but he ended up giving it to another friend of ours.
I did bring it to work one day to wash the fire engine and the guys got a kick out of how much "foam" was put out.
I ' m contemplating a foam cannon this year.

[FrankS]

Mike, do you normally rinse the car first with water before you apply the foam or do you apply the foam to the dry car first?

[BrianMcLeod]

Do you still use the 2 bucket method and some in one of the buckets?

[Extreme Radiance]

Mike
How much soap did you use to generate that much foam?
BTW which soap product was used?

Sent from my SPH-L710 using AG Online

[custmsprty]

Looks good Mike!
Was a pressure washer used for this?
I use a Gilmour Foamaster II every now and then without a pressure washer.
Sure there are suds, but not quite as nice as that...even if I put more than recommended amount of soap. Is a pressure washer + foam cannon my only option if I want to get a very sudsy outcome?

Also on a side note, that Lake Country Wash Wedge is looking more tempting. How do you like it?


Get some CG Honey Dew Snow Foam if you want some foam!

[spence]

Do you still use the 2 bucket method and some in one of the buckets?

I do not know about Mike, but I use both sides of 4 Megs Wash mitts, working from the top down changing to a new mitt once both sides are showing dirt. Basically a zero bucket method. Car is very clean. I Ordered a boar's hear brush with telescoping pole during the sale here and I will compare it against Megs Mitts after I get a chance to use it. I did try foaming and rinsing and that removes some but not all dirt.

[custmsprty]

Mike
How much soap did you use to generate that much foam?
BTW which soap product was used?

Sent from my SPH-L710 using AG Online


it's all posted at the beginning of his write up with links to the products too. :props: