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FloridaNative

FloridaNative

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new DP soap being released I decided to start this thread about the foamgun.

What are your favorite ways to use the foam gun?? You can answer about any usage (not just automotive), but just keep it PG-13 okay? :p
 
wytstang said:
I live in an apartment so thanks for rubbing it in :(
Click to expand...

They don't have a designated place to wash cars?? I live in a townhouse and we have a "community" hose and I just hook my foam gun up to that and play. :) It's the only snow I've ever played in in my life. :p
 
We have a "community hose" as well it's just been broken since Dec of 05 according to my neighbor. I dought the local wash places would like me to start taking appart there equipment so I can use a foam gun.
 
Foam gun only has two uses at my house, the beast aka SUV and for the waverunner. Neothin washed beast Friday with new foam gun soap and yesterday after a beautiful day at the beach I washed the Wave Runner with the new soap!!!
 
I use it to pre-soak and wash the car, to wash my windows (yes Meghan it worked!) and to water the grass ehehhehhe Wystang, can't you buy your own hose??? You can hook it up to the spigot and then take it with you when you go.
 
I could but with no running water it does me no good lol.
 
that's an issue...

my favorite use would probably be for engine detailing. The foam gun lets me get cleaner into each and every corner and crevice making cleaning a breeze :D
 
i'd like to know more about the best way to use the foam gun. Do you pre-rinse the car with water first? do you soap the entire car, go over with mitt and then rinse, or do it in sections?
 
Reddwarf said:
i'd like to know more about the best way to use the foam gun. Do you pre-rinse the car with water first? do you soap the entire car, go over with mitt and then rinse, or do it in sections?
Click to expand...
I think I will let Neothin answer this one first! LOL;)
 
Foam gun uses for me:

1. car
2. washed the trashcans
3. play with snow in sunny san diego

I water the car down, then soap it with foam gun and let it sit for a little. Then I wash normally.
 
Reddwarf said:
i'd like to know more about the best way to use the foam gun. Do you pre-rinse the car with water first? do you soap the entire car, go over with mitt and then rinse, or do it in sections?
Click to expand...
Even before I had a foamgun, I gave the car a full pre-wash rinse. This is with a light but high pressure mist to break all the large stuff off. Then it gets a thorough "sheeting" rinse to make sure all the loose stuff has completely slid off of the car. My prewash rinse is a good 5 minutes.

Next is a complete foam cover of the car on all sides. I then start working it one panel at a time:
  • Spray foam on working panel, spray a small amount on sponge or mitt.
  • Clean panel, rinse sponge/mitt, repeat for next section.
I definitely go thru more soap than a normal two bucket wash but I get Meg's Gold Class for 1.25 gallons @ $8 at Costco. It doesn't get any cheaper than that for a good soap. It's worth it in the end if I prevent swirls.

For my minivan's roof, I use a mf chenille patterned wash pad on a pool. I only push the pad around. I don't put downward force of any kind...I just let the weight of the wash pad do it's work. I put the foamgun to it's middle setting and really lay it on thick. This is to ensure I get good gliding of the wash pad but also so it doesn't dry before I'm done (no shade at my house so I have to work in sun often.)

It was so hot this past weekend that I found that I had to constantly re-wet the car and van. I used the quick "foam shutoff" lever on the foam gun to switch between foam and water only.
 
I haven't done it yet but plan on getting a second quart container and using it to store APC. I'll be using that to wash patio furniture, siding, bbq, anything and everything around the house.

I'd use it to spray down APC in my shower if it was a self siphoning foamgun.
 
emaxx - what kind of ratio of soap/water do you use with Meg's gold class? I have some lying around, and wouldn't mind using it to save a few bucks.:p
 
Besides washing the car, I also use it for cleaning the windows of my house...Diluted PB's Bug Squash works great at breaking down the dirt film and kamikaze bugs that have implanted themselves into my house.
 
abrcrombe said:
emaxx - what kind of ratio of soap/water do you use with Meg's gold class? I have some lying around, and wouldn't mind using it to save a few bucks.:p
Click to expand...

I'm still experimenting but I found that approximately 1 part GC, 1.5 parts water gives a good thick foam on the second setting (1 hole visible on the left). It clings to sides fairly well. By spraying a small amount onto the wash sponge or mitt before touching the car, they just glide over the paint finish.

I washed both my Accord and Odyssey (beast of a minivan) this past weekend with a quart container about 2/3's full. I still had some solution.

I really like the Gold Class. It's a very good quality soap at a very good economical price. I may try NXT wash but that comes out to be almost twice the price of GC. I'm sure there are much higher end soaps out there (Pinnacle, Poorboys, DP). I like the GC because I can get it easily locally.
 
Neothin said:
that's an issue...

my favorite use would probably be for engine detailing. The foam gun lets me get cleaner into each and every corner and crevice making cleaning a breeze :D
Click to expand...

OOOOOOH great suggestion Neo. I hadn't thought of that. I learn something new everyday. :D
 
Awesome write up emaxxman. Very thorough. :) I too always pre-rinse my car before the pre-soak with the foam. Out of habit though mostly because I would always pre-rinse before taking the mitt to it with the bucket, so when I got my foam gun the habit was already ingrained. I'm curious to know if the soap would work more effectively without the pre-rinse?? Has anybody done this??

emaxxman said:
Even before I had a foamgun, I gave the car a full pre-wash rinse. This is with a light but high pressure mist to break all the large stuff off. Then it gets a thorough "sheeting" rinse to make sure all the loose stuff has completely slid off of the car. My prewash rinse is a good 5 minutes.

Next is a complete foam cover of the car on all sides. I then start working it one panel at a time:
  • Spray foam on working panel, spray a small amount on sponge or mitt.
  • Clean panel, rinse sponge/mitt, repeat for next section.
I definitely go thru more soap than a normal two bucket wash but I get Meg's Gold Class for 1.25 gallons @ $8 at Costco. It doesn't get any cheaper than that for a good soap. It's worth it in the end if I prevent swirls.

For my minivan's roof, I use a mf chenille patterned wash pad on a pool. I only push the pad around. I don't put downward force of any kind...I just let the weight of the wash pad do it's work. I put the foamgun to it's middle setting and really lay it on thick. This is to ensure I get good gliding of the wash pad but also so it doesn't dry before I'm done (no shade at my house so I have to work in sun often.)

It was so hot this past weekend that I found that I had to constantly re-wet the car and van. I used the quick "foam shutoff" lever on the foam gun to switch between foam and water only.
Click to expand...
 
I would think, the ssoap bubbles would soak and start lifting the dirt and be easier on the paint than a first rinse.
 
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