How do you use your foam gun?

Shane731

Shane731

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How do you use your foam gun? I have one coming from Auto Detailing Solutions (I had some in-store credit), and I just wondered how you use yours? Pre-soak, rinse, follow with 2 bucket method? Foam as you go and just use a rinse bucket? Pre-soak and follow with 2 bucket wash with a different soap without rinsing the pre-soak? Also, what kind of soap do you use in the foam gun? Does it come with directions? Thanks for answering my questions!

:autowash:
 
I use mine for pre-rinse with every wash. I use Citrus Guys Wash and Gloss. I also use the two bucket method to fully wash. I feel this is the safest for my black car.

After researching ratios, I put in about 3-4 oz of CG CW&G in the 64 ounce Foam Gun and use setting C. This provides me with great lubricant and a ratio that does not strip the LSP.

During pollen season (now!) for a quick rinse off, I will use this, hose it, and leaf blow dry. I am not crazy about the idea of applying usual drying technique of plush microfiber towel after foam gun rinse only, since the first time I did it I noticed pollen still on the towel even after the foam gun rinse.
 
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I use my hose with a spray nosel attachment. Then soak the car with the foam gun. Bugs in the front get hit with spray Auto Detailer. Then as I wash with my wash mit I also keep spraying with the foam gun. I also have a rinse bucket of clear water for the mit.
I rinse with just plain water without a nosel. Then leaf blow and blot any water left with a microfiber towel. My Synergry Green Camaro looks way cool when finished!
 
I use my foam gun to presoak the vehicle and remove as much dirt as possible. While the soap is soaking, I go ahead and wash the wheels/tires. After that then I rinse the soap off and wash it using the standard 2 bucket method.
 
I have a foam gun from AG that should arrive today or tomorrow so I'm also curious to know how you guys use yours.
 
I pre-soak my cars using DP extreme and Megs Gold class mix. using one of the two highest settings. After the dwell I rinse it off. I then turn down the mixture down and coat the sections I'm about to wash using 2BM. I then rise the sections off as I go. A little over the top but for my own cars only the best right??

I have also tried doing a final Soak on the lowest setting after washing and then rinsing everything off. Total overkill; but I have fun with my foam gun.
 
Marc08EX said:
I use my foam gun to presoak the vehicle and remove as much dirt as possible. While the soap is soaking, I go ahead and wash the wheels/tires. After that then I rinse the soap off and wash it using the standard 2 bucket method.
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Good idea...........that's how I'm going to start doing my ride.
 
Any soap will work in the foam gun, some better than others. DP has one formulated for the foam gun and it really makes a lot of suds. Looks like snow blowing on the car!
 
Well, I recently got a Foam Cannon. In the few times I've used it, I've found that if my car isn't very dirty (borderline rinse-less wash kind of dirty) I can foam the car and immediately do a one bucket wash feeling comfortable that I'm not inducing swirls. If it is any worse I'll pre-soak foam, pressure wash rinse, foam, 2 bucket wash then final rinse and dry.

For soap, I've tried DP Extreme Foam, DP Auto Bath, Megs gold class and Kit Carnauba, all of which foamed very well, just depends on the dilution ratio. As always since I found ONR, I like to add about 1/2 an ounce to both the wash and rinse buckets for added safety.
 
If I had one, I would use it to wash off "rain dirt" spots and brake dust from my car. That seems to be the only thing accumulating on my car lately (it's garaged at night).
 
I've had my foam gun a little over a year now, and have tried all of the method's listed above, with many different auto shampoo's. I recently bought and used the Finish Kare Paint Decontamination System, auto paint cleaning system, de-contamination solution that came with FK 118 shampoo, and i must say it is the most foamy shampoo I have used with the foam gun, even more than the DP shampoo that came with the gun.
On my daily driver, I rinse with a strong blast first, then I pre-soak with the foam gun, cleaning the wheel's and wheel wells while the foam dwells. Rinse the whole thing, then continue with 2 bucket method. I usually just use the foam gun to pre-soak. If the vehicle in question is VERY dirty, I use it on every panel.
Just my .02 cent's!:cheers:
 
A4 1.8tqm said:
Well, I recently got a Foam Cannon. In the few times I've used it, I've found that if my car isn't very dirty (borderline rinse-less wash kind of dirty) I can foam the car and immediately do a one bucket wash feeling comfortable that I'm not inducing swirls. If it is any worse I'll pre-soak foam, pressure wash rinse, foam, 2 bucket wash then final rinse and dry.

For soap, I've tried DP Extreme Foam, DP Auto Bath, Megs gold class and Kit Carnauba, all of which foamed very well, just depends on the dilution ratio. As always since I found ONR, I like to add about 1/2 an ounce to both the wash and rinse buckets for added safety.
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How many ounce of the Megs gold Class soap do you use with the foam gun and at which setting ?
 
TheGLL said:
How many ounce of the Megs gold Class soap do you use with the foam gun and at which setting ?
Click to expand...

To be clear, I'm referring to the Foam Cannon, not the Foam Gun. I apologize if I derailed your thread Shane.

IIRC I put 3 oz of Megs Gold Class in 7-8 oz of water and I don't know the setting, every time so far I will start with all water then bump up the setting until I like the foam. I found that I like to have the soap dilution a little stronger than recommended and the foam setting down a little from max. That way it's not guzzling all my soap solution. As the instructions say, shaking it so suds fill up the bottle helps to create more foam.

Not sure if any of this applies to the Foam Gun. Maybe try more soap and a lower setting if your not happy with the foam your getting or the "working time" of one batch of soap :dunno:
 
I like to pre-soak a foam spray and then rinse before an ONR wash in the garage. I usually wash the wheels outside with water before taking in the garage. Lately I use ONR more often. I use DP Xtreme Foam in my gun always. I got two gallons on BOGO a few BOGO's ago.
 
A4 1.8tqm said:
To be clear, I'm referring to the Foam Cannon, not the Foam Gun. I apologize if I derailed your thread Shane.

IIRC I put 3 oz of Megs Gold Class in 7-8 oz of water and I don't know the setting, every time so far I will start with all water then bump up the setting until I like the foam. I found that I like to have the soap dilution a little stronger than recommended and the foam setting down a little from max. That way it's not guzzling all my soap solution. As the instructions say, shaking it so suds fill up the bottle helps to create more foam.

Not sure if any of this applies to the Foam Gun. Maybe try more soap and a lower setting if your not happy with the foam your getting or the "working time" of one batch of soap :dunno:
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info!
 
Are there any good videos on how to use the foam gun? Like how to measure your ratio, how to siphon the soap and all that good jazz. Just got mine today, read the directions and I'm still confused. Somebody wanna walk me through?
 
I agree, it is very confusing at first. The math alone could make you crazy. From what I have read, a lot really depends on the soap/wash that you use. Once you settle on a product, you will find yourself gravitating toward the settings that satisfy what you are looking at when your car is foamed.

For me, I use Chemical Guys Citrus Wash and Gloss. I spent a lot of time on boards looking for the right ratio as I did not want to strip my LSP. With this product, I use about a 20:1 ratio water to CGW&G 3-4 ounces to 64 ounces of water. This lasts me a long time, does not strip my wax and sealant, and pre-rinses and lubricates the car to my satisfaction.

I have the Gilmour Foam Master II, so I use setting C. That is the middle setting. I have tried other washes, but the ratio of product to water changes and quantity of foaming changes drastically. My suggestion is to find a product that others have mentioned along with their suggested ratios and if you like it, stick with it.

Here is a video link.

[video=youtube_share;ZEOw1HFN1J0]- Gilmour Foamaster II Foam Gun - Auto Detailing[/video]
 
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