New toy - snow foamer

[mayevora]

Quite impressed with ease of use and shine after. 

 

[Bibs]

I love mine, does a great job emulsifying the dirt without a sponge rubbing it all against the paint! 

[mayevora]

Only complaint is the Kärcher lead that comes with it is only 5 meters long. Needs to be double that.

[Barrykearley]

The cheap  snow foam from Halfords is amazing in the karcher foam gun. It’s only about a tenner for 5l and it foams up much better than the more expensive stuff.

[eeyoreish]

Never used snow foam. Is it really any good? Do you still need to sponge the car to get all the dirt off or is it as simple as foam and power wash off?

[mayevora]

Today (my first time) Foam, leave, gentle power wash off and dry. Looks the best it’s ever looked. Im guessing if it’s really bad/months worth it may need a sponge but not today.

[MPx]

Well it does need more really but obvs depends how bad it is !  My usual routine:

1. Pressure wash - blasts off the obvious crud

2. Snow Foam - loosens all of the dried on stuff

3. Pressure wash - rinses all that rubbish off

4. Two bucket hand wash with sponge/mitt - removes the "traffic film" that pressure washing alone doesn't touch.

5. Pressure wash - rinse

6. Microfibre dry

That's what I do on the Rangie that was detailed/coated 3 years ago and it still looks good. The idea is you don't use any cloth or wiping action if there's any dirt/dust/crud around as that is what scatches and swirls.    But nothing else will remove the film you get so eventually you have to wipe it over.  It takes half a day and is hard work so doesn't get done as often as it should!

 

[exeterjeep]

wow....

[eeyoreish]

Hmm... might have to drag myself into the 21st century and give it a go. I recently mopped and polished my 'other' car (Jag XJ) so I'd like to try and keep it scratch free for a while.

[C8RKH]

For step 4 @MPx I basically put four-six clean wash mitts in the first bucket, with the shampoo and hot water and let them soak. I then take a wash mitt and wash a couple of panels (going from top of the car to the bottom of the car), then throw the wash mitt into the second empty bucket. Take out a new wet wash mitt from the first bucket and wash a couple of panels, and.... repeat until the every panel has been washed.

Even when you use a wash mitt, then try to clean it off in the second bucket (with the obligatory grit cards) there is still a chance grit stays, hence I use a new one every 2/3 panels.

I follow the rest of your steps the same, and yes, it takes a good couple of hours which I hate, as I'd rather be driving or looking at the damn thing.

Oh I forgot two things:

(1) I always get the wheels washed and cleaned first, before doing anything else. The last you want is to get wheel dust and wheel cleaner anywhere but on the wheels when washing the car.

(2) After I have done the wheels, I use @Greg | ValetPro's Citrus Degreaser in a pump action bottle (like you use to spray flowers etc) to cover the car wing mirrors (bugs!), and everything below the window line all around the car. It really helps top penetrate the greasy road shit on the car. Once left on to penetrate, I power wash off then do your steps @MPx.

(3) My last step after I have power washed the car at the end, is to use another pump bottle sprayer to spray Adams Detailer all over the car whilst it is still wet. It really shifts the water and beads it up, and as you dry off the car it leaves a micro layer that beads rain water and helps to prevent dirt "sticking" between washes. It also smells great lol.

[drdoom]

One mate who dotes on his Mercs uses a cordless leaf blower rather than cloth to dry off after washing. Clears the channels and grooves where a rag would not.

[MPx]

3 hours ago, C8RKH said:

I use @Greg | ValetPro's Citrus Degreaser in a pump action bottle (like you use to spray flowers etc) to cover the car wing mirrors (bugs!),

I use Sansom products (sorry Greg!).  They do a spray called Bugsy.   Particularly summertime when its insect dense I also do a spray around first with that - typically all the frontal area, mirror backs, leading arches, etc.  Its also perfect on bird muck so any of that gets a squirt too.  All pressure washes off easily in the first round then.

Interesting thought on the wheels Andy - I just do them with everything else, but obvs a separate brush for them when the body is being hand washed.  Not had a prob but can see some merit....hmmm!

[C8RKH]

Re the wheels @MPx it was advice I was given by a detailer. You don't want to risk contaminating anything from the wheels with anything else on the car as apparently the brake dust can be full of wee iron particles and wheel cleaner it self can be quite harsh.

It made sense to me so I adopted the practice as when you rinse them clean you the immediately carry on to the body, by which your degreaser is well and truly soaked in.

[eeyoreish]

OK, I'm in.

I got a £30 shopping voucher with the last pair of tyres I bought so I've just invested it in a Karcher foam gun and some own brand snow foam from Halfords. Oh, and a tin mug because I was a quid short of £30...

Looking forward to foaming the Jag this week then sitting back with a brew in my new tin mug 😃

[slewthy]

When we had the new BMW detailed and protected (far better than BMW could do) the guy gave us some top tips.

One is not to use a pressure washer as the final rinse before dry. This is because it will produce water beads that persist until they dry, leaving marks or until you dry them. Instead, use an open hose and the water will run away in sheets, leaving far less to be dried. I hate the drying part and this tip is a game changer.

[eeyoreish]

Top tip 👍 

For the Jag I usually just leave it to drip dry and avoid washing it in the sun. Lotus is different, which I'll usually dry off on the garage.