Foam Wash...... Pretty much Useless?

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BobWhite

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OK, I’m old school and wanted to try out the “latest and greatest” thing called foam cannon wash.

Griots foam cannon using Chem Guys Melon also have tried the bubble gum (?) stuff. Honda powered gas pressure washer with plenty of psi, and using general tip for initial hose off and final hose off.

This is about the 3rd or 4th time I’ve used the cannon.

Previously, on my Black 911, it left a sort of film substance, and the car was definitely not “dirty” by any means when I started. Certainly not a clean wash. Had to hand wash after.

Used it today on a 2021 Graphite color Palisade. Wasn’t all that dirty, just general Southern wet road stuff. Not only did I have to use a mitt on the body, but had to go back and hand clean the dirt off all 4 wheels.

What is the point of using the new and improved “no touch” cleaning method if it doesn’t actually clean anything?
 
BobWhite said:
OK, I’m old school and wanted to try out the “latest and greatest” thing called foam cannon wash.

Griots foam cannon using Chem Guys Melon also have tried the bubble gum (?) stuff. Honda powered gas pressure washer with plenty of psi, and using general tip for initial hose off and final hose off.

This is about the 3rd or 4th time I’ve used the cannon.

Previously, on my Black 911, it left a sort of film substance, and the car was definitely not “dirty” by any means when I started. Certainly not a clean wash. Had to hand wash after.

Used it today on a 2021 Graphite color Palisade. Wasn’t all that dirty, just general Southern wet road stuff. Not only did I have to use a mitt on the body, but had to go back and hand clean the dirt off all 4 wheels.

What is the point of using the new and improved “no touch” cleaning method if it doesn’t actually clean anything?
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Who said that using a foam cannon is "no touch"? The idea of using a foam foam cannon is to presoak before washing. There are many ways to use foam for washing.
 
To many people foaming is just one step of a car washing process involving many and varied steps depending on a lot of factors

Expecting any 1 step to get a dirty car clean is unrealistic and probably results in paint damage

I take off dirt in layers and steps, just like I correct paint in layers and steps and apply sealants/waxes/LSPs in layers and steps

Foaming definitely has a place in my cleaning arsenal and bag o tricks
 
It left a film because it was CG's, try a good pre-wash product

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The only pre-/foam wash worth it seems to be Bilt Hamber Auto Foam. The others seem to be a joke.
 
NJNinja said:
The only pre-/foam wash worth it seems to be Bilt Hamber Auto Foam. The others seem to be a joke.
Click to expand...
I can honestly say that Bilt-Hamber Touchless and Auto-foam are going to be my pre-washes going forward, Koch Chem Gsf too because it recently impressed me as well and this is in the cold

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A foam wash is meant to remove some contaminants and encapsulate them. But it has been tested numerous times that a mechanical washing will need to be done to get a car clean. So why do a foam wash? Well, as mentioned, it can get rid of some dirt and encapsulate it and take it away so at least some dirt is removed before the mechanical wash.

And some use a hose foamer to lubricate the sponge/mitt while washing; foaming and washing in one incredibly lubricated step.
 
BobWhite said:
OK, I’m old school and wanted to try out the “latest and greatest” thing called foam cannon wash.

Griots foam cannon using Chem Guys Melon also have tried the bubble gum (?) stuff. Honda powered gas pressure washer with plenty of psi, and using general tip for initial hose off and final hose off.

This is about the 3rd or 4th time I’ve used the cannon.

Previously, on my Black 911, it left a sort of film substance, and the car was definitely not “dirty” by any means when I started. Certainly not a clean wash. Had to hand wash after.

Used it today on a 2021 Graphite color Palisade. Wasn’t all that dirty, just general Southern wet road stuff. Not only did I have to use a mitt on the body, but had to go back and hand clean the dirt off all 4 wheels.

What is the point of using the new and improved “no touch” cleaning method if it doesn’t actually clean anything?
Click to expand...
Yeah the foam cannon/gun is for pre-wash only I mean if the car is 2 days dusty you might be able to get away with a pre-wash only, on a coated car and even here you need to make sure there's nothing left before you dry...or else

I tried Bilt-Hamber Touchless on 3 weeks of Chicagoland salt and muck a while ago and couldn't believe how it melted away just about everything. I say "just about" because I rinsed it away with my Worx hydroshot, which I really don't like to use to rinse down an entire car, let alone one as bad as mine but I did and was STILL impressed. Then I did it again at the quarter wash with a proper rinse...blown away!

Not sure where the "no touch" came from with a foam gun but atleast you started a thread and got straightened out on all of this, "Have fun in your Garage"

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You can only successfully do a no touch wash with a foam gun if the car is only dusty or very lightly dirty. I've done it but for the most part you have to foam while whisking with mitts. This is the extreme wash method. I do it and enjoy marring free results.
 
...and there you have it^^^^^

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dgage said:
A foam wash is meant to remove some contaminants and encapsulate them. But it has been tested numerous times that a mechanical washing will need to be done to get a car clean. So why do a foam wash? Well, as mentioned, it can get rid of some dirt and encapsulate it and take it away so at least some dirt is removed before the mechanical wash.

And some use a hose foamer to lubricate the sponge/mitt while washing; foaming and washing in one incredibly lubricated step.
Click to expand...

I can't add much beyond what others have said.
I never bought into using a standard soap as a pre-foam step or foam wash; I figure your normal soap was designed with a wash mitt in mind, and most car washes are gentle enough to not harm the LSP. That makes it tough to break down road grime/etc.

I've also felt that spraying the car with a foam cannon prior to bucket washing it feels like it's more for show; my brain doesn't get how a little bit of foam on the car can add that much lubrication to your soap/water laden mitt as you start washing. (And that's where the foam hasn't broken down by the time you got to it.

BUT , While I haven't delved into as all the different pre-wash offerings like our other valued members have, I will say that I do see the benefit of doing the foam cannon approach with a purpose made pre-wash before starting your regular bucket wash.

I've only used the Griot's Foaming Surface Wash (the milder of their 2 offerings), but have absolutely noticed a difference. When doing the foam step first, if only using a single bucket method you can totally tell there's less dirt in the bucket when you're done.

For best results, you start with your car dry (don't pre-rinse). Foam cannon from the bottom up and allow to dwell. Don't let the soap dry on the surface, but give it time to work. Then pressure wash rinse from the bottom up then top down. Now you can do your wash method of choice.

By starting with the foam step, I feel it's now safe to do a rinseless wash even if it had been iffy before. (I like to do rinseless in the garage if I can so I'm not fighting the sun).
Last time I washed my avant, it had gone 2 months of winter driving (I know, I know, I'm gonna lose my AutoGeek card...). I'm planning on doing a round of paint correction in the spring, so I was ok going single bucket. Did the Foaming Surface Wash first, and was surprised how clear the bucket was when I was done.

Worth mentioning is that I've also tried just plain water pressure washing first, and do feel the Surface Wash does a more thorough job - it's not just the blast of water doing the job.
 
That is the reality of touch free washing.

Over the winter mom uses a touch free wash, and I have to do a contact wash to remove the film when she comes over for a visit.

Consider that even with the powerful presoak and soaps that they use, do nothing to remove that film.

Using the foam cannon at work was a crash course in how little value it has to me personally. Some are really triggered when I use a rinseless over there.
 
I don’t use a foam cannon, I use a foam gun. Bucket washes aren’t safe enough for my tastes. Therefore I use the foam gun to wash with while whisking with the mitts. This gets me the clean, marring free results I desire every time. No need for a foam cannon nor buckets.
 
Bill D said:
I don’t use a foam cannon, I use a foam gun. Bucket washes aren’t safe enough for my tastes. Therefore I use the foam gun to wash with while whisking with the mitts. This gets me the clean, marring free results I desire every time. No need for a foam cannon nor buckets.
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I meant to add an edit on the end of my post (ran out of lunch break. :laughing: ) - While my post covered my thoughts on (pressure washer) Foam Cannon use for myself, I 100% see where your Foam Gun method is the way to go for the utmost in paint safety.
 
So many valid points here and one of the most valid is what YOU need vs what I need

It’s February in Hawaii

I have the same things I contend with in August in Hawaii

Gecko crap and red dirt

My current plan is a pressure prerinse, foam cannon with a “strip wash” (lol), rinse again, foam with my bucket soap, and on to my 8-10 mitt one bucket wash

For me, where I am, it works

Would I do this in Alaska in February?

Nope, whole different scenario, even with a heated garage

As dlc95 pointed out the caustic chemicals they use at the touch less wash won’t begin to work on road film so foam from bucket soap isn’t going to do it either

When I still lived in Alaska a rinseless wash in my garage after going to the wand wash was the best thing in the winter

As far as pressure rinsing prior to foaming, I have been switching it up and trying just foam right off the bat and I think I prefer the prerinse just because so much of my contamination is thick surface dust and critter crap and I just feel better knocking it off first

The jury is still out but I’m leaning that way

I really need to try the Bilt Hamber for foaming soap
 
Klasse Act said:
I can honestly say that Bilt-Hamber Touchless and Auto-foam are going to be my pre-washes going forward, Koch Chem Gsf too because it recently impressed me as well and this is in the cold

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I just got Autoglym Polar Blast after a long wait from an online sale. Weather might just allow me to use it this weekend. I keep finding that it might be comparable to Bilt Hamber via reviews. Since my vehicles aren't seeing much snow these days, I have high expectations.

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Uncbrs said:
I just got Autoglym Polar Blast after a long wait from an online sale. Weather might just allow me to use it this weekend. I keep finding that it might be comparable to Bilt Hamber via reviews. Since my vehicles aren't seeing much snow these days, I have high expectations.

Sent from my SM-N986U1 using Tapatalk
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Jon from Forensic Detailing reviewed that one and I know he liked it but when he reviewed the Bilt-Hamber pre-washes he gets this little twinkle in his eyes! FWIW I can't say enough about these 2 products and can't wait for spring to use them on a weekly basis

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Jon goes on about how Bilt-Hamber is generally the most economical product in a given class

I guess that's relative because EVERYTHING in the UK seems outrageous to me, especially with all the VAT, etc

I was just looking at the USA site and man, they are proud of that stuff

I know it is economical in the sense that a little goes a long way but still pretty pricey in my world

Plus shipping to me is a deal breaker

Oh well...

Carry on
 
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