Car wash soaps will not make suds

[AllenK]

My wife had a minor fender bender in her 2009 Pontiac G8. We got it back from the body shop at the end of August. I went back to bucket washing instead of using a rinseless. I didn't want to take any chance of putting any wax or anything on the fresh paint even in a small amount.

I had been using Meguiars Gold Class which I received for Christmas in a gift set. I placed an order from another company recently,and I asked for a free random car wash sample. I also purchased another random sample.

The first sample was Chemical Guys Honeydew snow foam. It was a 2 oz sample,and I used about half of it to a 5 gallon bucket. It foamed very nicely both times I used it. The Gold Class sudsed up very well also.

The other sample was from Gyeon. The sample leaked a little so I could not read the full name of the product. I assumed it might be Bathe. I washed with the Gyeon after I used up the Honeydew foam,and it would hardly make any suds at all. I wound up pouring the whole sample in the bucket trying to make suds,but it wouldn't make many at all. I got disgusted and poured out the Gyeon.

I got out the Gold Class wash again,and the same thing happened. Normally with the Gold Class there would be suds foaming out the top of the bucket before you finished spraying. No dice though.

I washed the car again this week with the Gold Class and got the same results. I just let the bottle glug over in the bucket,but I still got very little suds even at that.

What is going on? This obviously has to be some sort of water supply issue. Something has changed in the last few weeks. Any ideas? I haven't noticed any issues with our shower,dishwasher,or washing machine water.

I have a few more weeks to go before the 90 day no wax period is up. I will be going back to rinseless,but I'm still curious about this issue.

[JMak97008]

I use 5-gallon buckets for my hand washes. I've noticed that sometimes with both Megs Gold Class and Megs Ultimate Wash & Wax that I get very little suds. Plenty of suds in the bucket, but not on the mitt when it hits the car. I don't measure my soap carefully, but I do notice that when I use too much soap I get tons of suds on the mitt and car, but when I don't put in too much I get very little on the mitt and car. Try carefully measuring the recommended amount and see it if does it again.

[SWETM]

It can be that you got gyeon bathe + and that has sio2 in it. This soap doesnt suds as normal car soap but you get the lubrication to wash safely anyways. Test a other bucket to determind that the sio2 doesnt play a trick on you in the old bucket. Does it not suds for you even in a different bucket with your megs gold class then something has happens to your water. And don't have your mitt in the the new bucket when you test it just bucket and water and soap. Test it and see what happens.

[VISITOR]

i've added ONR to a rinse bucket (don't do it anymore) when doing a traditional wash and noticed when dipping into the wash bucket (which has a lot of suds) the suds are dead when washing the panel. i wonder if your wash mitt and/or bucket has the rinseless wash residue left in it which is causing this...

[FUNX650]

•Some car-wash shampoos are sudsy
(foamy); some not so much.

•Chemists have the ability to manipulate
car-care products’ characteristics in a
sundry of fashion—usually in the fashion
that the companies/bosses, that they work
for, have so requested. {With “invaluable”
input from the marketers, no doubt!}

•Does foam/suds perform any actual clean-
ing duties? Or, is it just to their visual cues
that we have become so accustomed?



Bob

[Eldorado2k]

•Some car-wash shampoos are sudsy
(foamy); some not so much.

Yea but how does this explain his recent experience with Meguiars Gold Class?

i've added ONR to a rinse bucket (don't do it anymore) when doing a traditional wash and noticed when dipping into the wash bucket (which has a lot of suds) the suds are dead when washing the panel. i wonder if your wash mitt and/or bucket has the rinseless wash residue left in it which is causing this...

I think this makes the most sense.

[KirkH]

Sounds like you need some Foam Booster.

[SonOfOC]

Suds and bubbles look nice, but that does not equate to a good soap or one that cleans well.

[PaulMys]

i've added ONR to a rinse bucket (don't do it anymore) when doing a traditional wash and noticed when dipping into the wash bucket (which has a lot of suds) the suds are dead when washing the panel. i wonder if your wash mitt and/or bucket has the rinseless wash residue left in it which is causing this...

I always add a little ONR for every bucket wash, and it does knock down the suds quite a bit. Zero effect on the cleaning power though, IMO.

But I'm addicted to this method now because of the water-softening effect the ONR has.

I'll trade a few suds for not having to chase water spots any day.

[VISITOR]

I always add a little ONR for every bucket wash, and it does knock down the suds quite a bit. Zero effect on the cleaning power though, IMO.

But I'm addicted to this method now because of the water-softening effect the ONR has.

I'll trade a few suds for not having to chase water spots any day.

these days i only really use one bucket which is the rinse bucket because i use the foam gun. if i notice the mitt is really dirty, i'll blast it with the hose nozzle and rub it against the grit guard in the rinse bucket and continue on...