Snow foam lance used itself ??
 

Using an autobrite HD foam lance here which I have owned for a few months now, also purchased there super snow foam at the same time, so okay have used this particular set up a good few times now always spraying the car with the foam lance until the whole car is completely covered in what I can only describe as a snow blanket !!

so okay after covering the car with the foam I then rinse it all off and then start the hand washing using the two bucket method and must admitt that at the end of it all the car really does come up nice and clean.

yesterday I decided it was time for a QUICK clean off the car as it was looking particularly dirty ( black coloured car ) so topped up the 1 ltr bottle with about an inch and a half off super snow foam and also added in some car shampoo and then topped the lot up with warm water, turned the dial right up on the lance and gave the car its usual snow foam coatting, left the car for a good five minutes to let the snow foam / shampoo set in and very slowly you could see the dirty soap bubbles sliding off the cars bodywork, then gave the car a complete rinse with the power washer and left it at that as time had run out and the wife was calling for the usual friday shopping routine !!

anyway went out to the car this morning and can honestly say the car still needs another bloody good clean !! there is still a heck off a lot off areas where it is still completely filthy, so okay am I expecting too much for this snow foam / shampoo used in conjunction with the foam lance itself to clean the car to a satisfactory standard or do most users off this lance still give there car a good hand wash after the snow foam treatment??

very pleased with the snow foam produced from theses guns - there is almost too much produced at times ( ask my next door neighbour !! ) but am beginning to wonder if they are infact worth buying if a hand wash is still required after using them ??

appreciatte that with my car being black in colour then even the slightest dirt will show up on the bodywork and that any other colour off car would have probably not shown this remaining dirt nearly half as bad but again in my view the car was still flilthy so honestly feel the foam / shampoo needs to be worked in by sponge to get satisfactory results.

I know from reading the many posts within the dedicated car cleaning forums that most serious car cleaning guys use the snow foam gun but then follow it up by the two bucket cleaning method , what actual purpose does the foam lance itself so if it does not clean the car satisfactory in itself ??

any advice ??

hi mate, i know wot you mean i use super snow foam myself. i use it to get as much dirt etc off before using the 2 bucket method. this to me reduces swirl marks. the less muck and grime on before rubbing the paint work with the mitt the better. hope this gives you some idea.

mark

Ive been using the Autobrite lance and Snowfoam combanation for a while now,

one week the car gets:

foamed (5 pumps of Snow Foam + 1 pump Megs shampoo)
5-10 mins to dwell
rinsed off with the pressure washer

next week it gets the same but followed by a 2 bucket wash
dried
waxed

On the week when its just the foam and rinse I have never been left feeling it needed more attention, mind you it is blue so doesnt show the dirt as much as my black cars did.
Cheers
AC

Okay cheers for that so you say its best treated as a pre wash sytmn only ??

Hi mate,
really the snow foam etc is used as a prewash to loosen the grime etc then you ideally should use the two bucket method with lambswool mit to hand wash.
I start by jet washing the car, cover in foam mixed with megs hyper wash, leave for 5-10 mins to work in, then jetwash again, 2 bucket method jetwash and then dry with a microfibre cloth.
takes about 30 mins
Thats the quick wash

Yep again appreciatte the info, to be honest personally now think it works out a kinda expensive pre wash treatment then !! especially since the two bucket method is good in itself, but okay suppose if it loosens the grime then it could prevent you dragging dirt around the cars bodywork in saying that I think the two bucket method helps to prevent this itself does it not ??!!

have raised this subject before and it was fully explained to me but I still think thse car cleaning companies that use hot foam cleaning systmn can get your car cleaner than using the foam lance / snow foam at home by yourself, after all they dont use the foam as a pre- wash systmn ie its a cover your car, rinse off and drive out job !!

again do appreciatte that owning a black coloured car is going to show up every spec off dirt, to spend hours on your car only to have it back to square one within just a few days can be a total nightmare at times but in saying that the few days that it does look clean it is personally one off the best colours out there !!

the car wash places use chemicals that do clean your car however they strip of the wax and any protection on the paint and can also damage the paintwork.... I would seriously avoid.
The two bucket method helps to prevent putting muck back on the car and scratching it, by foaming the car first you are removing and loosening more dirt which in turn help to protect your paint from scratching.
Black does show up dirt but if you do a full detail then every week just giove a basic wash and top up of wax you will see the difference.

As said above, a lot of valeters use aggressive foaming agents (Traffic Film Removers - TFR's) that will indeed remove all of the dirt and raod film without needing a hand wash, but at the same time these chemicals will remove all traces of protection on your paint. So, from a bufty boy point of view, best avoided!

The purpose of the foaming stage in detailing circles is to help to loosen any surface dirt before hand washing - in many cases the foam will remove a fair bit of muck before you lay a mitt on the car, which as said above, helps to prevent the infliction of marring and fine scratches that will ultimately lead to the appearance of swirls.

An important thing to remember though is the level of protection of the car; if the paint is super slick from multiple layers of wax or sealant protection, then the foam will work better. All of the PB team now have multiple layers of good quality waxes on their cars, and in all honesty we find that foaming is able to get them ~90% clean, with a degree of bonded road film persisting along the lower sides and on the rear ends. Foaming 2-3 times gets an even better result, and this is our usual routine through the winter. Regular foam applications followed by the leaf blower with no hand washing for weeks on end keeps the cars looking okay (but not perfect), but minimises the risk of putting in defects through the mucky winter months.

Of course, none of this works on poorly protected paint (in terms of either low quality products or too few coats) - if the dirt has the chance to bond to the paint and bake hard in situ on a sunny day, then foam isn't going to help much. The same occurs when too long is left between foaming washes. At the height of winter, using our above foam only routine requires the cars to be foamed 2-3 times every 2-3 days - any longer and the road film persists and careful hand washing is then needed.

:)

I'm with you matey, my foam only works fine for me nowadays as the car is well waxed and rarely used one week then 150 miles or so the next so not really getting dirty or covered in road grime as much as it did when i did 300 miles a week and cleaned it twice a week.
Cheers
AC:)

Okay can only say thanks so much for your long and as always very informative reply, I totally understand what you are saying now and will certainly try giving it a couple off foam washes all within the one session and see how I get on with that.

thanks again guys really do appreciatte all your advice.

I have layered my pickup with Jetseal and Dodo, the thing was minging today, mud and sand everywhere from an off road session.

Got back today, snow foamed it twice and left to dwell for 10 minutes and then blasted with the jetwash and I would say 95% of the muck just slid off.

It made a right old mess on the drive though, looked like Brighton beach. :lol1:

:D

Nice one matey, it amazes me how much foam is still left on our gravel drive well after the car is finished and safely back in the garage
Cheers
AC:)