Foam cannon / foam in general
- Thread starter luckydawg
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chilly
Well-known member
- May 13, 2006
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I doubt you are the only one, as I said, we all take different routes to the same goal
After I foam I immediately put my spray tip back in my pressure gun and it doesn't matter if it's foam or soap from a contact wash I stop every couple of panels and look and if anything is in danger of drying I just mist the area down without actually rinsing it off to give the foam or soap maximum dwell time
I apologize if I was too aggressive in my replies, your beliefs and opinions are worth every bit as much as mine or anyone else on this forum
Have a great evening
briarpatch
Active member
- Sep 9, 2015
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Agree with Chilly....doubtful you are the only one. I do not even drag out the foam cannon very often, because that involves the pressure washer and I do not have one of those fancy wall mounted setups. I'm one of those weirdos who seems to accumulate car soap, and always have such a surplus that the line between using it and wasting it is pretty blurry. Everyone has their own method, and if yours works for you and you're happy with the results...then who is anyone else to question it.
Klasse Act
Well-known member
- Feb 21, 2012
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Do you like your new Griot's Foam Sprayer? I started looking for reviews on YouTube and stopped when the first guy put about half of his pink Griot's soap bottle into the sprayer with the quote "it doesn't say how much but I think this will do"... and then went on to complain that it sure requires a lot of soap...and the therapy
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I've been using my cheapo one from Amazon and wonder if I missed out by trying to save $10.
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Klasse Act
Well-known member
- Feb 21, 2012
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I use one oz of built hamburger touchless in it with 32 oz and wasn't expecting a snow show but I'm going to try another product in there because tothen they're because to me it doesn't work quite as well as the chemical guy is won that Derek 0609 gave me, stay "tuned"Do you like your new Griot's Foam Sprayer? I started looking for reviews on YouTube and stopped when the first guy put about half of his pink Griot's soap bottle into the sprayer with the quote "it doesn't say how much but I think this will do"... and then went on to complain that it sure requires a lot of soap
I've been using my cheapo one from Amazon and wonder if I missed out by trying to save $10.
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Jacob Harrod AUTOCLEAN
New member
- Mar 5, 2020
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For what its worth, I've used the GTechniq W4 Citrus Foam in my MTM PF 22.2 foam cannon for a couple of washes now and I've been happy with the results.
I e-mailed Kris Wheeler from GTechniq and he says he uses about 1 inch of W4 in the foam gun. I've been doing the same, and I think it's a 1,000 ML reservoir so I believe it works out to a 1:4 ratio.
With the MTM PF 22.2 you just have to be sure to set it up correctly, but mine came set up properly for the PSI, and GPM's of my pressure washer.
To get the best foam be sure to turn the foam all the way up. So theres a plus and minus dial on the top, and youll want to be sure to turn it all the way to the right I believe.
The foam really seems to cling to the vehicle and break the dirt up really well, making it easier to wash. After I foam the car down I let it dwell and then pressure wash the vehicle off. This seems to get a large majority of the dirt off.
After this if you wanted you could take a foam gun like the foam master that connects to your garden hose and foam each panel individually with some soap like the BF Foam soap, before washing with your wash mitt to create more lubricity if your really wanting to wash the car extremely carefully, and you could also use a multi towel wash method if you'd like.
The key is just keeping the car wet while you wash it, so depending on the weather conditions you may have to go back and wet the car down after every panel, or every couple of panels. There's been times when I was able to wash a whole side of the car before having to go back and wet the car down again, because the weather was fair enough.
I also haven't seen any issues, as far as I can see, with just heading straight into the wash process with a single wash mitt, and the two bucket method after the pre foam and power washing process.
In my experience so far, I'm really happy I chose to purchase a foam cannon, and its made the overall quality of my washes better, easier, and I've noticed my wash mitt rinse bucket is much cleaner at the end of the wash process.
I e-mailed Kris Wheeler from GTechniq and he says he uses about 1 inch of W4 in the foam gun. I've been doing the same, and I think it's a 1,000 ML reservoir so I believe it works out to a 1:4 ratio.
With the MTM PF 22.2 you just have to be sure to set it up correctly, but mine came set up properly for the PSI, and GPM's of my pressure washer.
To get the best foam be sure to turn the foam all the way up. So theres a plus and minus dial on the top, and youll want to be sure to turn it all the way to the right I believe.
The foam really seems to cling to the vehicle and break the dirt up really well, making it easier to wash. After I foam the car down I let it dwell and then pressure wash the vehicle off. This seems to get a large majority of the dirt off.
After this if you wanted you could take a foam gun like the foam master that connects to your garden hose and foam each panel individually with some soap like the BF Foam soap, before washing with your wash mitt to create more lubricity if your really wanting to wash the car extremely carefully, and you could also use a multi towel wash method if you'd like.
The key is just keeping the car wet while you wash it, so depending on the weather conditions you may have to go back and wet the car down after every panel, or every couple of panels. There's been times when I was able to wash a whole side of the car before having to go back and wet the car down again, because the weather was fair enough.
I also haven't seen any issues, as far as I can see, with just heading straight into the wash process with a single wash mitt, and the two bucket method after the pre foam and power washing process.
In my experience so far, I'm really happy I chose to purchase a foam cannon, and its made the overall quality of my washes better, easier, and I've noticed my wash mitt rinse bucket is much cleaner at the end of the wash process.
Coatingsarecrack
Well-known member
- Dec 9, 2018
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Bilt Hamber Autofoam sprayed on with an IK foam pro 12 and rinsed with my Ryobi PW.
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
Stuff works. But it’s an Alkaline soap that is imported from UK. Most stuff from US is PH neutral. Won’t remove film like this.
Will aid in (my belief not science) softening it up though and removing solid particles. Weather it helps 2 or 20 percent, my paint is worth it.
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Klasse Act
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- Feb 21, 2012
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I coated my car back in June 2020 (TAC system Power Plus) and keep it clean, even during winter. I've topped it MANY times since then with sprays and waxes but this current winter I've done 4 pre-washes with Bilt-Hamber Touchless and Auto-foam and with my most recent use I can tell you upon rinsing it off the water was beading VERY well still
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Klasse Act
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- Feb 21, 2012
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Does SNOW FOAM do ANYTHING? | Touchless V Autofoam V PH Neutral V Water - YouTube
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Just watched this video an hour ago!
Interesting re your experience with using it on a coating. I wonder if over time it would start to degrade a coating, then again maybe for people like us who regularly coat and use toppers and what not, something that cleans is beneficial.
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Coatingsarecrack
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- Dec 9, 2018
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I used it (BHAF) maybe once a month for 6ish months on my past CqUk3 coated mustang and noticed no notable degradation.
I think it depends on your coatings as AF has a ph13 and Touchless ph12.
CqUk3 works up to ph13. The new Gyeon line up says to 11 so maybe they would be affected.
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Klasse Act
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- Feb 21, 2012
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I haven't used it very strong yet but even so, it's done an amazing job. Right now I've got 1.5 gallons of distilled w/6 oz of Bilt-Hamber Touchless in my IK Foam Pro 12, loaded and ready to go
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I’ve been using CarPro lift once a month for about 4 months on both our cars that are coated in CarPro Lite. I haven’t noticed any degradation with this Shampoo.
I think BHAF might be a bit stronger than Lift though. Can’t remember it’s ph.
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briarpatch
Active member
- Sep 9, 2015
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I haven't used it very strong yet but even so, it's done an amazing job. Right now I've got 1.5 gallons of distilled w/6 oz of Bilt-Hamber Touchless in my IK Foam Pro 12, loaded and ready to go
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I'm curious what the Ph is at your 32:1 dilution?
Klasse Act
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- Feb 21, 2012
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I'm not sure but in previous uses it was less than that even and still worked, left puddles of brown all around my car.
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briarpatch
Active member
- Sep 9, 2015
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I haven't used it very strong yet but even so, it's done an amazing job. Right now I've got 1.5 gallons of distilled w/6 oz of Bilt-Hamber Touchless in my IK Foam Pro 12, loaded and ready to go
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I also wonder if mixing it with distilled water vs tap water makes a difference in how effective it is.
Klasse Act
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- Feb 21, 2012
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I just use distilled water because I fill up my folder and use it down the road and it's ready.
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Coatingsarecrack
Well-known member
- Dec 9, 2018
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This was not easy to find so my numbers may not be exact.
Lift is ph12 out of the bottle and mixed 1:10 has a ph of about 10. Most good coatings will handle a ph of 10 but a ph of 10 will not clean as well of a ph12.
Bilt Hamber talks alot about Panel impact ratios (PIR) because if you mix 1:10 and then you use in a foam cannon it becomes further diluted when applying bacause a foam cannon/gun mixes it with water.
Lift at 1:10 then shot out of a foam cannon is from ph7 (ph neutral) to about ph8.5. Again from internet I have not tested. I believe this to be why most Lift reviews aren’t good
If you watch video’s or do research most foam cannons will have a 50/50 mix (or more) of Product to water in reservoir. This to get the ph to 12 when it “impacts panel”. This is alot more than were use to using.
The “PIR” is a formula to factor in additional water. If your interested on PIR I pulled this of internets.
Calculating PIR (Panel Impact Ratio) for Foam Lance use - YouTube
The simple way around this and why I recommended a IK foam 12 to [mention]Klasse Act [/mention] is if you use a pump sprayer you only have to figure PIR for what’s in reservoir as your not diluting it through cannon.
To get 4% which will give you a ph of 12 of BHAF you only need to mix 4oz to 100oz of water.
You have to calculate because different pressure washers and cannons will affect pir.
After telling you all this to be fully transparent i’ve never figured PIR for my set up and just bought a foam pro 12.
And to actually answer your statement. Due to a low alkaline PH lift isn’t hurting your coating or at least not noticeably.
You also are getting better results than something like Griots Surface wash (my fave ph neutral one) but no where the results of a BH pre wash at proper PH level.
Sorry just confused myself
. Hoped this helps you or someone in future.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk