This is a (longer than planned) video explaining what exactly Snow Foam is and why you may want to use it. Please let me know if you found this helpful.
I enjoyed this. I bought a 7 meter extension hose for our pressure washer from B&Q a few years ago when they were on sale for £15. makes such a difference to how easy using a pressure washer is,not having to move it every few minutes.
+Graham Reid (Grizzle) You are correct, sir, I do indeed subscribe to AMDetails, very well spotted. I'm going to test out their Snow Foam soon. Thanks for the comment 😀
Great video, I have just got some CarPlan snow foam (with free application gun for the hose) and that was awful, now I have seen this video I know what gear I need to apply it correctly and how it should be done. Until I get the gear though I will apply with the hose and rinse off as you suggest. Very useful video, as I have only just moved to this stuff and previously only used the 2 bucket method and lots of prep/after care to detail the cars. Thanks!
Thanks for informative video, also thanks for recommending that foam shampoo; the cost of the 'official' karcher foam from halfords is ridiculous (like £5 for 0.5L, and you only get about 2 washes out of it!)
Have you tried Demon foam? I've seen it cheap in Morrisons wondering if it was any good, as at the moment I use Autoglym Polar Blast/Polar Wash combination.
Check out my video before this one, I used Demon foam as my first ever snowfoam. It foams well but doesn't clean much, Polar Blast is better in my opinion.
Hey what is the PSI on the electric pressure washer that you are using? Trying to figure out if I should spend the money on the gas or go with the electric. I heard that the foam isn't as thick with the electric, yet yours looked pretty thick.
I honestly don't know what the pressure is, this is just a very basic electric pressure washer. Keep in mind that it's not just the pressure that dictates the thickness. Not all snow foams are thick, my new favourite is actually quite thin.
I washed my car today. Pre wash did not clean the bottom 1/2 of the car. A film of salt/traffic film was left behind. Probably pre wash softened it. Given the fact that panel was not clean for contact wash, I am wondering if ONR is the way to go to save water & time?
At this time of year with all the salt on the roads I'd use a stronger pre-wash like a traffic film remover. Pre-wash products aren't going to remove everything but they can soften dirt to make it safer and easier to remove. You certainly can use ONR if you're trying to save water but I'd prefer a high alkaline shampoo for the contact wash to tackle winter grime.
@@SpeckyMcSporran will TFR not remove waxes? I mentioned ONR because if you are going to make contact on a dirty panel then why bother wasting time & water on prewash. Having said that I soaked the car with 10% diluted BH Surfex with a spray bottle followed by pre wash with BH auto foam. 4% is recommended but with foam lance I find it difficult to know the exact dilution . With my manual pump it is easy. This seems to have stripped off wax because there was absolutely no beading or sheeting. After that I sprayed iron fallout remover followed by clay bar treatment. Finally applied Collinite 845 insulator wax - pleased with the result. Hopefully it will offer good protection in this weather. Can you recommend a TFR & an alkaline shampoo pl. Also can I use Sonax BSD over insulator wax? Thanks :-)
@@SK-1689 You already have some, though you may not know it. Surfex HD is an excellent product, I use it as a pre-wash on particularly dirty cars at around 1-2% dilution. BH Auto Foam is slightly alkaline and really has good cleaning ability for a snowfoam. Iron fallout removers and clay have killed what was left of your wax so the 845 will have a good clean surface to bond with. If you want a dedicated high alkaline shampoo then I recommend Garage Therapy Zero Decon shampoo. Sonax BSD should be absolutely fine over 845, it's highly water repellent and lasts a good amount of time. 👍
@@SpeckyMcSporran Thanks for the reply :-). For maintenance wash usually I use auto foam at 4% followed by 5 ml of BH auto wash for bucket wash. Is auto wash alkaline? today I used around 10 ml intentionally to strip off whatever was there. Which clay bar do you use? The clear coat/paint on my Nissan is quite soft and tends to scratch easily. I should be receiving BSD sometime next week, will definitely use it next week end.
If you dont' want to use a "Snow Foam" soap, you can just lay down some NO Rinse Product on the car first (Like say ONR), and let that sit for a moment ant then hose it down with the Pressure washer. Sure it won't look "pretty like the soap, and psychologically you'll tell yourself its not working". However guess what, It works exactly the same, as the No Rinse solution also lifts up the dirt from the surface to help it be removed....Just like soap.
Quick tip(s) m8 Before foaming it, spray it down lightly with water to lubricate it at first. Also, ALWAYS go from top to bottom. Gravity pulls dirt down, so cleaning the bottom, then the top just dirties the bottom again. Lastly, make sure you always have distance between you and the car, as the high pressure from the washer can damage the paint HOPE THIS HELPS!
+Mason Clark I don't want to lubricate the car, I want the foam to cling for longer to work on the dirt. Going from bottom to top allows me to see where I've blasted already. I'm not just rinsing the foam, I'm using the pressure of the water to remove the softened dirt. And it would take a lot of pressure to damage print, check out Car Cleaning Guru's video about it.
+Patrick Julian some foams dry quicker than others. I guess there are many factors to consider like how hot it is and how thick your foam is. Generally you should only have the foam sitting for around five minutes and it'll be blasted off after that.
+hakman239 Demon Snow Foam. For this particular snow foam thicker is definitely better as it isn't very strong so more foam will have a better chance to soak the dirt. I've got others which are stronger and therefore don't need to be as thick.
Stupid question.. I bought a Karcher power washer with snow foam attachments etc.. not used it yet. But, when you fill the bottle with snow foam solution and water.....do you disconnect the mains water from the power washer?? Edit: Always watch video to the end before commenting.. so the answer is yes, the mains water stays on.
Hi I have a snow foam bottle that connect to a normal garden hose will I get the same affect I have a karcha power washer but it's inconvenient cos the hose very short, so connecting to a hose will I get same affect silly question I'm sure but had to ask
+Gordon Bone it's not a silly question. The short answer is no, you won't get the same effect. The longer answer is that the foam will be wetter and wont cling as long but it'll serve a similar purpose. They're not as efficient as pressure washer types so you'll likely use more product but buying a cheaper snow foam may help to offset that. Hope that helps.
+design 2014 I didn't use warm water as we have very soft water here and I've found no difference in the foam. I mentioned using ordinary car soap, many don't foam up enough.
+Adam Russell Snow foam is a pre-wash so it'll do a bit of softening in the wheel arches too, just don't expect miracles. If you need something stronger then try a traffic film remover. I personally use Valet Pro Citrus Pre-Wash on the lower half of the car (including arches) before coating the whole car in snow foam. The foam keeps the Pre-Wash from drying out. Hope that helps.
+Amateur Cricket League Dodal about five minutes, depending on the weather. If you do it on a hot and sunny day then just make sure it doesn't dry onto the paint.
Better with 10 wash mitts and one bucket, use a mitt chuck it and repeat, its way cheaper than buckets and scratch guards and it's safer than 2 bucket method, check out forensic detailer one bucket method...Snow foam is a prewash, not a shampoo and it shouldn't be used as a shampoo ether.. and for those who do use it as a shampoo must be tight shampoo is cheap and if your not doing it or using things as directed or in the correct stages don't do it :)
im no expert.. far from it, but id say, foam, leave 7 mins then rinse, then soap up with normal car shampoo and brush, mit , sponge whatever, then rinse.
I just use a little bit of regular car shampoo and mix it with water. Doesn't get such thick foam, but does the job. I think thick foams are just wasting of money. Ofcourse it looks cool and "very effective" to have such thick foam.
+Alter not all snow foams are made equal. My favourite is actually quite runny but the detergent is very effective. Everyone has their own favourite method/product.
i think the idea is, the foam "lifts" off the dirt, then falls from the car, removing larger bits that could scratch the paint, AFAIK thats the point of a foam pre-wash.
I enjoyed this.
I bought a 7 meter extension hose for our pressure washer from B&Q a few years ago when they were on sale for £15.
makes such a difference to how easy using a pressure washer is,not having to move it every few minutes.
+A Fool With A Tool if I can get one as cheap as that then I'll definitely get one!
This was a very good explanation and has answered a few questions I had. Nice video cheers for sharing. Steve.
+Steven Watson Thanks, Steven. Glad you enjoyed it. 😀
i guess you are an AMcDetails subscriber lol, excellent videos explaining the foam gun, i've had one about 11yrs now fantastic piece of kit.
+Graham Reid (Grizzle) You are correct, sir, I do indeed subscribe to AMDetails, very well spotted. I'm going to test out their Snow Foam soon. Thanks for the comment 😀
Great video, I have just got some CarPlan snow foam (with free application gun for the hose) and that was awful, now I have seen this video I know what gear I need to apply it correctly and how it should be done. Until I get the gear though I will apply with the hose and rinse off as you suggest. Very useful video, as I have only just moved to this stuff and previously only used the 2 bucket method and lots of prep/after care to detail the cars. Thanks!
+Andrew Norris thanks man, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Thanks for informative video, also thanks for recommending that foam shampoo; the cost of the 'official' karcher foam from halfords is ridiculous (like £5 for 0.5L, and you only get about 2 washes out of it!)
+ChayD Glad you liked it! 😀
Have you tried Demon foam? I've seen it cheap in Morrisons wondering if it was any good, as at the moment I use Autoglym Polar Blast/Polar Wash combination.
Check out my video before this one, I used Demon foam as my first ever snowfoam. It foams well but doesn't clean much, Polar Blast is better in my opinion.
Its amazing how many people think that Snow Foam is some magic solution that cleans your car without touching it.
That's one of the reasons I wanted to make this video.
Hey what is the PSI on the electric pressure washer that you are using? Trying to figure out if I should spend the money on the gas or go with the electric. I heard that the foam isn't as thick with the electric, yet yours looked pretty thick.
I honestly don't know what the pressure is, this is just a very basic electric pressure washer. Keep in mind that it's not just the pressure that dictates the thickness. Not all snow foams are thick, my new favourite is actually quite thin.
Hello , very nice video you have. Can you tell me what kind of video camera do you use to record?
In this video I used a GoPro Hero 4 Silver. For static video I use a Nikon D5100 and sometimes my Samsung Galaxy S8.
@@SpeckyMcSporran Really nice video you got there. Good job👍
Thank you, glad you liked it 😊
I washed my car today. Pre wash did not clean the bottom 1/2 of the car. A film of salt/traffic film was left behind. Probably pre wash softened it. Given the fact that panel was not clean for contact wash, I am wondering if ONR is the way to go to save water & time?
At this time of year with all the salt on the roads I'd use a stronger pre-wash like a traffic film remover. Pre-wash products aren't going to remove everything but they can soften dirt to make it safer and easier to remove. You certainly can use ONR if you're trying to save water but I'd prefer a high alkaline shampoo for the contact wash to tackle winter grime.
@@SpeckyMcSporran will TFR not remove waxes? I mentioned ONR because if you are going to make contact on a dirty panel then why bother wasting time & water on prewash.
Having said that I soaked the car with 10% diluted BH Surfex with a spray bottle followed by pre wash with BH auto foam. 4% is recommended but with foam lance I find it difficult to know the exact dilution . With my manual pump it is easy.
This seems to have stripped off wax because there was absolutely no beading or sheeting. After that I sprayed iron fallout remover followed by clay bar treatment. Finally applied Collinite 845 insulator wax - pleased with the result. Hopefully it will offer good protection in this weather.
Can you recommend a TFR & an alkaline shampoo pl. Also can I use Sonax BSD over insulator wax?
Thanks :-)
@@SK-1689 You already have some, though you may not know it. Surfex HD is an excellent product, I use it as a pre-wash on particularly dirty cars at around 1-2% dilution. BH Auto Foam is slightly alkaline and really has good cleaning ability for a snowfoam.
Iron fallout removers and clay have killed what was left of your wax so the 845 will have a good clean surface to bond with.
If you want a dedicated high alkaline shampoo then I recommend Garage Therapy Zero Decon shampoo.
Sonax BSD should be absolutely fine over 845, it's highly water repellent and lasts a good amount of time. 👍
@@SpeckyMcSporran Thanks for the reply :-).
For maintenance wash usually I use auto foam at 4% followed by 5 ml of BH auto wash for bucket wash. Is auto wash alkaline? today I used around 10 ml intentionally to strip off whatever was there.
Which clay bar do you use? The clear coat/paint on my Nissan is quite soft and tends to scratch easily.
I should be receiving BSD sometime next week, will definitely use it next week end.
@@SK-1689 I think Auto Wash is slightly alkaline.
I use Meguiars and AutoGlym clay bars and a G3 Pro clay mitt.
If you dont' want to use a "Snow Foam" soap, you can just lay down some NO Rinse Product on the car first (Like say ONR), and let that sit for a moment ant then hose it down with the Pressure washer. Sure it won't look "pretty like the soap, and psychologically you'll tell yourself its not working". However guess what, It works exactly the same, as the No Rinse solution also lifts up the dirt from the surface to help it be removed....Just like soap.
+Gotallofthem1 why did you edit your comment? The original was more aggressive but I didn't mind. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion.
Thanks for your reply
Quick tip(s) m8
Before foaming it, spray it down lightly with water to lubricate it at first.
Also, ALWAYS go from top to bottom. Gravity pulls dirt down, so cleaning the bottom, then the top just dirties the bottom again.
Lastly, make sure you always have distance between you and the car, as the high pressure from the washer can damage the paint
HOPE THIS HELPS!
+Mason Clark I don't want to lubricate the car, I want the foam to cling for longer to work on the dirt.
Going from bottom to top allows me to see where I've blasted already. I'm not just rinsing the foam, I'm using the pressure of the water to remove the softened dirt.
And it would take a lot of pressure to damage print, check out Car Cleaning Guru's video about it.
how do the sun play a part in the foaming, does it start drying like when you are washing?
+Patrick Julian some foams dry quicker than others. I guess there are many factors to consider like how hot it is and how thick your foam is. Generally you should only have the foam sitting for around five minutes and it'll be blasted off after that.
What snowfoam did you use and thicker isn't always better
+hakman239 Demon Snow Foam. For this particular snow foam thicker is definitely better as it isn't very strong so more foam will have a better chance to soak the dirt.
I've got others which are stronger and therefore don't need to be as thick.
Stupid question.. I bought a Karcher power washer with snow foam attachments etc.. not used it yet. But, when you fill the bottle with snow foam solution and water.....do you disconnect the mains water from the power washer??
Edit: Always watch video to the end before commenting.. so the answer is yes, the mains water stays on.
+waynester71 Yeah, keep it on as the flow of water picks up the snow foam and sprays the mixture onto the car. Have fun.
Thanks man, for quick reply. Will try it for the first time tomorrow
waynester71 Great stuff, let me know how you get on.
Specky McSporran Will do..
Hi I have a snow foam bottle that connect to a normal garden hose will I get the same affect I have a karcha power washer but it's inconvenient cos the hose very short, so connecting to a hose will I get same affect silly question I'm sure but had to ask
+Gordon Bone it's not a silly question. The short answer is no, you won't get the same effect. The longer answer is that the foam will be wetter and wont cling as long but it'll serve a similar purpose. They're not as efficient as pressure washer types so you'll likely use more product but buying a cheaper snow foam may help to offset that.
Hope that helps.
The foam nozzle without mixing warm water? just putting car soap and foam the car?
+design 2014 I didn't use warm water as we have very soft water here and I've found no difference in the foam. I mentioned using ordinary car soap, many don't foam up enough.
Specky McSporran i see，you putting how many car soap into foam nozzle?
design 2014 in this video I put 200ml snow foam and 800ml water in the bottle.
but in this video i saw half of car soap inside foam nozzle only
+design 2014 I used half of the bottle to wash a car the day before. A whole bottle usually does 2-3 cars for me.
what brand of pressure washer do you use?
+roni roa Nilfisk
Would you snow foam in the wheel arches?
+Adam Russell Snow foam is a pre-wash so it'll do a bit of softening in the wheel arches too, just don't expect miracles. If you need something stronger then try a traffic film remover. I personally use Valet Pro Citrus Pre-Wash on the lower half of the car (including arches) before coating the whole car in snow foam. The foam keeps the Pre-Wash from drying out. Hope that helps.
How long do you keep the foam on and should do this job under a covered shed or so????
+Amateur Cricket League Dodal about five minutes, depending on the weather. If you do it on a hot and sunny day then just make sure it doesn't dry onto the paint.
Better with 10 wash mitts and one bucket, use a mitt chuck it and repeat, its way cheaper than buckets and scratch guards and it's safer than 2 bucket method, check out forensic detailer one bucket method...Snow foam is a prewash, not a shampoo and it shouldn't be used as a shampoo ether.. and for those who do use it as a shampoo must be tight shampoo is cheap and if your not doing it or using things as directed or in the correct stages don't do it :)
I think that is a good idea although I'd probably wash the mits for future use rather than chuck em
+slicedpage can you wash the microfiber cloths to a point that all dirt is taken off though?
What snow foam are you using
+hakman239 CarPlan high foam wash, basically a trade branding of Demon Foam by the same company.
im no expert.. far from it, but id say, foam, leave 7 mins then rinse, then soap up with normal car shampoo and brush, mit , sponge whatever, then rinse.
You always park so far away lol. Surely you wouldnt need a longer hose/extension if you parked a few metres closer to the garage/tap?
+Tom Hammond My hose is very long but I park away so the foam flows towards the garden rather than the front of the house.
I just use a little bit of regular car shampoo and mix it with water. Doesn't get such thick foam, but does the job. I think thick foams are just wasting of money. Ofcourse it looks cool and "very effective" to have such thick foam.
+Alter not all snow foams are made equal. My favourite is actually quite runny but the detergent is very effective. Everyone has their own favourite method/product.
i think the idea is, the foam "lifts" off the dirt, then falls from the car, removing larger bits that could scratch the paint, AFAIK thats the point of a foam pre-wash.
Use a dedicated snow foam like valet pro ph nutral
coolwHip...
Top first and work down.....anyway enough about the girlfriend it's a car. 😂
Craig Heslop Iol