Using snow foam to wash car

[cheekyage]

Hi guys

I’ve been watching a stack of YouTube videos on car washing techniques and so far the majority if not all are doing the following method:

1. Rinse car
2. Foam car with snow cannon (MTM/MJJC or similar)
3. Use foam on car with microfibre wash mitt and wash car with two bucket method
4. Rinse car
5. Dry car

My question is - is the snow foam that is on the car safe to use?
I would have thought you are still moving around dirt and debris if the snow foam is left on the car?

I understand leaving the snow foam on the car would act as extra lubricity, but I’m worried that I would still be causing marring or swirls.

Thanks


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[Bill D]

For me, using a foam gun in the way you described is the safest, most fool proof way to wash. I’ve had absolutely no swirls because the soap and the mitts flush and whisk it away.

[briarpatch]

Hi guys

I’ve been watching a stack of YouTube videos on car washing techniques and so far the majority if not all are doing the following method:

1. Rinse car
2. Foam car with snow cannon (MTM/MJJC or similar)
3. Use foam on car with microfibre wash mitt and wash car with two bucket method
4. Rinse car
5. Dry car

My question is - is the snow foam that is on the car safe to use?
I would have thought you are still moving around dirt and debris if the snow foam is left on the car?

I understand leaving the snow foam on the car would act as extra lubricity, but I’m worried that I would still be causing marring or swirls.

Thanks


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Regardless of your method, there is always the potential to induce some type of marring during the wash phase. As Bill D indicated, his method is one of many that will reduce the chances of that occurring. I prefer to use a pre-wash foam (Bilt Hamber Touchless for me) first, to do the heavy lifting and carry the bulk of the dirt away. After rinsing that off, I will then wash with multiple mitts....but that's just me.

[Honda Fan]

1. Rinse car
2. Foam car with snow cannon (MTM/MJJC or similar)
3. Use foam on car with microfiber wash mitt and wash car with two bucket method
4. Rinse car
5. Dry car

^^Exactly what I do. I do use 3 mitts, 1 for the horizontal sections, 1 for the vertical sections and another for the lower sections that get hit with the most dirt.

[Paul A.]

^ yup, me too. I rinse, foam, rinse, foam then contact wash.

[evo77]

Hi guys

I’ve been watching a stack of YouTube videos on car washing techniques and so far the majority if not all are doing the following method:

1. Rinse car
2. Foam car with snow cannon (MTM/MJJC or similar)
3. Use foam on car with microfibre wash mitt and wash car with two bucket method
4. Rinse car
5. Dry car

My question is - is the snow foam that is on the car safe to use?
I would have thought you are still moving around dirt and debris if the snow foam is left on the car?

I understand leaving the snow foam on the car would act as extra lubricity, but I’m worried that I would still be causing marring or swirls.

Thanks


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

If you RINSE first (presumably with a pressure washer), you are basically removing most of the loose surface contaminants which contributes to marring. As soon as it is rinsed away, the layer of snow foam adds another lubrication barrier so that the contact from your wash media against the paint further reduces/eliminates marring from the wash.

But honestly, the biggest factor to any potential marring doesn't come from the wash stage, it comes from the DRYING stage. Aggressive drying methods such as applying too much pressure to the towel when wiping (which is easy to do on vertical panels because you have to put more force forward to keep the towel against the surface) or dry wiping panels that have little water. There are MANY preferred drying techniques that people utilize to avoid marring so you'll want to research all of them and use the one that works best for you. (ie. blow dry, blot dry, pull dry, drying aids, etc.)

[BadgerRivFan]

I’ll play devils advocate here and suggest that you should FOAM first, and then RINSE.

Why?

Because water is not a lubricant. If you power wash all the dirt and grit first you run a greater risk of marring the paint by blasting it with your pressure washer.

Better to foam first, allowing the foam to dwell and begin to break down the contaminants while providing lubrication to then power rinse as much away as possible before beginning to do a contact wash.

If you don’t want to foam first you could alternatively use a rinseless wash to pretreat all the panels before pressure rinsing, again with the idea of encapsulating the surface dirt and providing lubrication.

Not convinced? I’m just repeating what I’ve heard from Yvan Lacroix in the past.

You do you however .

[craigdt]

I’ll play devils advocate here and suggest that you should FOAM first, and then RINSE.

Why?

Because water is not a lubricant. If you power wash all the dirt and grit first you run a greater risk of marring the paint by blasting it with your pressure washer.

Better to foam first, allowing the foam to dwell and begin to break down the contaminants while providing lubrication to then power rinse as much away as possible before beginning to do a contact wash.

If you don’t want to foam first you could alternatively use a rinseless wash to pretreat all the panels before pressure rinsing, again with the idea of encapsulating the surface dirt and providing lubrication.

Not convinced? I’m just repeating what I’ve heard from Yvan Lacroix in the past.

You do you however .

That's an interesting point. I bet the foam sticks better too.

Just feels weird to me. Like brushing my teeth without first wetting the toothbrush or putting handsoap onto dry hands.

*shivers*

[Big Dave]

I haven't foamed much, usually only when the vehicle is very dirty, but I've always sprayed it on to a dry vehicle. I can't remember if that's what the original instructions said, but it makes sense that the foam wouldn't dwell on a wet surface.

I don't think I could use the foam to do a contact wash, unless it was the second foaming with a rinse in between.

Does anyone else get "dirty" looks from neighbours when the foam runs down the driveway onto the footpath, I think they don't like walking through, or having to step over the rinsed off foam.

I am planning on using foam more, I might try it one day when it's raining outside, just for fun.

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[Tasmania]

I haven't foamed much, usually only when the vehicle is very dirty, but I've always sprayed it on to a dry vehicle. I can't remember if that's what the original instructions said, but it makes sense that the foam wouldn't dwell on a wet surface.

I don't think I could use the foam to do a contact wash, unless it was the second foaming with a rinse in between.

Does anyone else get "dirty" looks from neighbours when the foam runs down the driveway onto the footpath, I think they don't like walking through, or having to step over the rinsed off foam.

I am planning on using foam more, I might try it one day when it's raining outside, just for fun.

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I get looks from people driving by while i'm foaming, but that could also be the "Micro Bikini" that i wear.