How to use a foam gun by Mike Phillips

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

And you did a great job or I probably wouldn't have bothered reading it. :xyxthumbs:

Thank you. Writing, like polishing paint is kind of an art form. I like to keep my writing simple so it's easy to read. The last thing I want to do is make people struggle to read what I write.

"Sold" seems to have struck a nerve! Mike, I'm new here, but I've read a lot of your posts and one of your books. You're clearly not the Professor Harold Hill of Detailing, and I don't think you'd ever push a product on anyone.

My apologies.

No need to apologize.... I was just trying to make sure that even though I work for Autogeek and "yes" we sell stuff (and lots of it), my sales approach is about solving problems first and then selling products. There's different styles to selling and as long as everything is above the board, it's all good.

Ha ha... I had to look up who Professor Harold Hill is... I remember the movie but don't remember watching it. Being a fan of classic movies next time it's on I'll record it.

"Convinced" would've been a more appropriate word.

The words convinced and sold both work.

I completely agree with everything you said about a person figuring out if a product or process is right for them. I was just walking through my decision process in the thread, seeing if a foam gun would help meet my needs any better than what I currently use.

Some of my questions were borne out of a desire to find more ways to use one. From what you and others have said, it's a tool that will be in my cart soon.

If I were to make a list of my Top 10 Favorite Tools the Foam gun would make the top ten list. But again... that's because I like and I use it. I'll be using it again today as well as tomorrow.

This picture here with the tools on the Griot's Cart I reviewed recently, I always have this cart with me when I wash cars. I'll take a picture of it next time I use it and show all the tools I have on hand when I wash a vehicle.

Review and how-to: Griot's Garage Detailing Cart at Autogeek.com

Thanks for all of your articles, tips, and stewardship of the forum.

Thank you. I work very hard at providing the top notch customer service for all our customers and actually anyone that joins or lurks here on AGO.

PBMG made a wise move in bringing you on board.

Hard to believe it's almost 7 years since I left Meguiar's and joined Autogeek but it's been a GREAT experience. And I have to thank Bob McKee for providing me with all the resources I need to do my job as well as the team he's assembled here at Autogeek. Bob always says,

"We're all spokes in a wheel and every spoke is just as important as the other spoke"

And he's right.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Wow, that's certainly the definitive article on foam guns, and the link we'll be giving to anyone/everyone who has questions!

 

[scuff]

No need to apologize.... I was just trying to make sure that even though I work for Autogeek and "yes" we sell stuff (and lots of it), my sales approach is about solving problems first and then selling products. There's different styles to selling and as long as everything is above the board, it's all good.

That reminds me of the best car sales experience I've ever had. I was trying to find a car that was fairly rare at the time, and I discussed the purchase with the salesman before making a long drive to pick it up. The entire process was smooth and efficient, with none of the usual sale tactics employed. I asked the salesman about his approach to the job, since it was so unique in my experience. He said believed in his products or he wouldn't be associated with them. He always presented options to customers, and let them find their ideal car, even going so far as pointing them toward another brand - the Miracle of 34th Street approach. Showing that level of respect for his customers helped him become a sales leader for years. Quality products at fair prices sell themselves; no pressure required. From what I've seen, the same approach has served you and Autogeek well.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Sweet! Do they sell replacement parts for the foam gun?

I lost the brass screw on the top of the mixing head which you said is prone to being lost

Hi Eric,

I think the only replacement parts we carry are extra foam wands. Believe it or not, I've broken a wand before when I dropped the foam gun so - it happens.


Foam Wand Replacement

All foam guns and accessories on Autogeek.com

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

***Update***


If you re-read the article you'll see I've added about a dozen more pictures to go with all the information shared.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Great write up Mike. I love foam guns!

Thank you sir!

And you're correct, the foam deflector is for use in food processing applications.

They use products like foaming chlorinated de-greasers etc and the deflector lets you direct foam up under and behind the machines in the manufacturing areas.

I figured as much. I went ahead and took some pictures of the Deflector in action for anyone curious....


I've removed the foam wand and installed the deflector

And it doesn't create foam just sprayed out a very flat spray pattern. It will drain our soap solution fast... real fast

:xyxthumbs:

 

[Pats300zx]

Fantastic write up Mike. Very in depth and informative !!!!

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Fantastic write up Mike. Very in depth and informative !!!!

Thanks Pat.

I'm going to share it on my Facebook page but due to how Facebook displays information about all I can do is share some pictures and the link to this thread.


I understand why FB is popular - everyone has a phone and a thumb - but it will never be better for sharing in-depth how-to information like shared in this article.

 

[scuff]

Mike, I wonder if the foam gun manufacturer would develop a small QR shower head for use when the foaming head is detached? I think that would complement the foam gun nicely, as I find a shower pattern works well to flush a surface clean, yet still has a little force behind it to get into tighter spaces on wheels. If they kept the design small, it'd be easy to slip the QR head into a pocket when not in use. Just a thought.

 

[david b]

Yet another excellent "how-to" article with a ton of helpful pictures. Makes me want to grab the foam gun and wash my already clean, detailed garage queen!

10 oz of soap - WOW! Sure glad I purchased the gallon jug. Does AG offer a 55 gal drum?

 

[HondaMan]

Mike,

I bought one of the foam guns recently (3 weeks ago). What do you do with the soap mixture between washes? Is there any concern about soap drying & clogging the orifices? I wash my car every other week.

I just store it in the bottle attached to the foam head, and haven't run plain water through the unit to clean it.

FWIW, I rinse the car with water, do the foam gun and let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse the car again. I am hoping this gets rid of a lot of the loose dirt on the car. My water is surprisingly clean when I am done washing the car. Better than the old days.

I like the foam gun, recommend it to anyone thinking about buying one.

JD

 

[custmsprty]

No doubt, it seriously uses up the solution fast!!!

 

[jeepngli]

Great Write up. I love mine. I noticed the dilution you used is significantly more soap than I use when I use Mr. Pink yet I get as much foam. While Mr. Pink is very gentle, its awesome at sudds and foam. Am I not using enough or do you think Mr. Pink is a little more concentrated?

 

[scuff]

For anyone waiting for a sale, AG has the Pinnacle version marked down at the moment, with 2 oz. of Bodywork Shampoo added for free. I'm looking forward to using mine. Thanks again to Mike and the rest of you foamers.

Foamaster foam car wash gun

 

[silverfox]

Great write up but if I read correctly, @10oz of product per wash...it had better be more fun than a lonely, wild 29 yo Italian girl who just inherited $6 billion. With my rinseless I can get 10 washes with 10oz of product. How many washes does that 32oz mixture provide assuming one is not washing an 18 wheeler?

 

[ski2]

FWIW, I rinse the car with water, do the foam gun and let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse the car again. I am hoping this gets rid of a lot of the loose dirt on the car. My water is surprisingly clean when I am done washing the car. Better than the old days.
JD

I get the same results by giving the car a quick pressure wash before doing a traditional wash--the wash water stays almost perfectly clean and most certainly has no gritty type dirt in it after the wash.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Great write up but if I read correctly,

Thank you but "no" you didn't read correctly. Here's a quote from my original article.

Note the portion I made BOLD

The big picture is I want lots of suds.


In order to completely fill the 1 quart bottle with a uniform mixture of soap and water solution at the 2 ounces of soap to 6 ounces of water dilution level I fudged the math to make it EASY to mix a strong dilution of soap and suds.

If you want a weaker solution then simply add more water than I show below and less soap.

I didn't invent the foam gun nor do I make soap formulas. What I wrote explains how to make the foam gun MAKE a thick frothy layer of soap on your car.


So silverfox - mix your soap and water dilution to whatever level makes you happy. Whether that's to please your pocketbook or your taste. That's your personal preference.

With my rinseless I can get 10 washes with 10oz of product.

How much foam do you get with your rinseless?

I think... and I could be wrong.... but I think you're comparing apples to oranges.


I don't like rinseless washes myself, never use them. . I use tons of waterless washes because I work on a lot of cool cars that I don't wash classics, muscle cars and streetrods with a traditioinal wash. The rinseless method is too messy for my taste as I end up with water on the floor. Now I have to clean the floor. With a waterless wash I get the car clean and no water on the floor.

rops:

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Great Write up. I love mine.

Thank you.

I searched the blogshere for an in-depth article on how to use the foam gun and couldn't find one that covered every base. So I wrote my own.

I noticed the dilution you used is significantly more soap than I use when I use Mr. Pink yet I get as much foam.

While Mr. Pink is very gentle, its awesome at sudds and foam. Am I not using enough or do you think Mr. Pink is a little more concentrated?

It could be the Mr. Pink is more concentrated? I don't know - I've never used it.


I have a saying that I've been posting to the forum world since the early 1990's - goes like this,

"Find something you like and use it often"


There's actually an article by that name on this forum and if you do a Google search with that title and add my name you can pull it up. In a nutshell, find a product you like and use it. If you like Mr. Pink then go for it.

 

[4u2nvinmtl]

Amazingly thorough write-up Mike, as always. I actually never knew what those screws were for on the foam gun.

Q: In your opinion, is there any advantage for using a foam gun over a foam cannon/lance?

I personally prefer my foam cannon/lance over the foam gun because it uses less soap, less water, and produces thicker clinger foam.

I also find it more effective to foam the paint when it's dry rather than starting with a rinse. That way the foam clings longer and has more of a chance to loosen dirt and grime, then I rinse the foam and dirt off and proceed with my two bucket wash. While the foam is dwelling it gives me a chance to prep my buckets and finish washing the wheels.

- Thanks (John Rogers from Facebook)

 

[4u2nvinmtl]

Great Write up. I love mine. I noticed the dilution you used is significantly more soap than I use when I use Mr. Pink yet I get as much foam. While Mr. Pink is very gentle, its awesome at sudds and foam. Am I not using enough or do you think Mr. Pink is a little more concentrated?

Interesting I had orignally used my foam gun with Mr. Pink and wasnt that impressed. I ended up using around 8-10oz per wash in my foam gun and went trough the gallon in no time. Personally I find Meg's Hyper Wash foams much more and cleans better than Mr. Pink (if your looking for another soap to try out after Mr. Pink that is).