Is snow foam worth it?

[Deleted member 6183]

Managed to get some pics today after I applied snowfoam, this is before any water or anything physical touching the car... but apparently snowfoam is snake oil to some

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It’s done a great job of cleaning your drive.

 

[Ohmz52]

I have used a few main brands of snow foam but haven’t been impressed.

I believe snow foam is more of a finisher after the car has had a hand wash with decent soap.
The snow foam didn’t act as a soap or shine, other than a lot of effort there’s not much else it generates...

 

[AltonAnt]

I believe snow foam is more of a finisher after the car has had a hand wash with decent soap.

Quite the opposite in fact. It is used as a prewash to remove as much dirt as possible so you don't spread the grit all over your paintwork when you do handwash it.
If you are able to get your paintwork upto a good standard of polish and wax, a quick snowfoam is all it should need to keep it clean.

 

[SeasidePete]

Snowfoam, for me, is the product I use to dissolve road salts, grease and grime of the surface of the paint before any other kind of wash. It also removes grit partials while soaking off the car and then power washed. Then and only then would I hand wash. If you hand-wash first you are pressing the dirt particles in to the clear coat and then scratching clear coat as you move your wash mit (hopefully a mit is used and not a sponge which is even worse)

It takes me 30-45mins to clean the wheels (split rims), 45 to 1hr to wash the paint "properly" then another 30mins to apply wax to the glass (amazing for water repulsion)

Wife doesn't appreciate or understand this

 

[Ohmz52]

Quite the opposite in fact. It is used as a prewash to remove as much dirt as possible so you don't spread the grit all over your paintwork when you do handwash it.
If you are able to get your paintwork upto a good standard of polish and wax, a quick snowfoam is all it should need to keep it clean.

Ahhh okay..
I just never really saw any cleaning benefit of using, maybe it’s the brand? I currently use ProKleen

 

[Merc220cls]

Hese a sight you don't often see, a New Holland covered in the stuff!! View attachment 85416

Nice ! But do you use the two bucket method

 

[AltonAnt]

Ahhh okay..
I just never really saw any cleaning benefit of using, maybe it’s the brand? I currently use ProKleen

I like the Autoglym one and Bilt Hamber if you are looking to try something else.

 

[LeeJV]

Snow foam is a Must IMO. there are many products that don't actually do much, as most of the product is wasted to create the foam and doesn't actually penetrate the dirt. BH Auto foam is the single best product that I have tried when used at 4% PIR, this usually removes the majority of the soiling, then rinse the car off, then I use Gyeon Bathe, 15ml in a foam cannon and spray a light coat over the car as a pre wash for extra lubrication, then add 15ml in to a 15L bucket of water and wash the car down, rinse the mitt in a second bucket after every panel. once finished the water in the rinse bucket is almost clear. In no way would this be possible without the use a good snow foam.

 

[stephenmercedes]

Crikey, I'm wrecked just reading your thread, never mind emulating your routine! LOL

 

[LeeJV]

haha, and i have to do that on my transit van, Gle and the C63 every week

 

[V6GBJ]

My twopence worth folks - I used Autoglym Polar Blast yesterday, my first experience of snow foam. I was quite amazed at the result, the major dirt collected from our muddy lanes fell off with amazing ease with the later pressure wash. This was much better than pressure wash first which has been my usual practice.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Nice ! But do you use the two bucket method

@LeeJV
I don't understand the need for two wash buckets if snowfoam is as good as the "pro snowfoam" lobby say it is.

I've tried using snowfoam in a multitude of ways (dilution ratios in the bottle, warm water in the bottlet mix, cold mix, mixer on the lance etc etc ) and honestly cannot see what the snowfoam is adding (over a good pressure washer rinse). I'd like an expert to do a car in-front of me and show me the difference because I'm not seeing it and I keep getting told I'm doing it wrong.

 

[Merc220cls]

My comment on the two bucket method was just poking some fun at the attachment in the post.

Been washing cars for 50 years and never used two buckets.
If your car has a nice polish, simple power washing removes the dirt.

My snow foam lance is currently out of use and to be honest I don’t see any difference

 

[MrRight]

I used autoglym polar blast after my recent 1.9k mile trip up north which changed the colour of my car from blue to Matt brown / black. Upon snow foam application and resulting 2 washes , the car has never looked cleaner other than when brand new, even rims etc where gleaming .
The important thing is that it is better than just a jet was with water but how much better, I'm not entirely sure

 

[Graveworm]

@LeeJV
I don't understand the need for two wash buckets if snowfoam is as good as the "pro snowfoam" lobby say it is.

I've tried using snowfoam in a multitude of ways (dilution ratios in the bottle, warm water in the bottlet mix, cold mix, mixer on the lance etc etc ) and honestly cannot see what the snowfoam is adding (over a good pressure washer rinse). I'd like an expert to do a car in-front of me and show me the difference because I'm not seeing it and I keep getting told I'm doing it wrong.

For me it's not about extra cleaning. It's not about making it easier either as it's an additional stage so harder work. It's avoiding swirls etc. Pressure washing a dirty car you are pushing grit and grime across the paintwork. The snow foam helps by lifting that dirt first at low pressure and providing a suspension and lubrication for the grit and grime. Also it can get to where the jet can't.
That's the same as 2 bucket which if you just look at the state of the rinse bucket you know all that would have been in the water you were dragging across the car. Every car has some swirls etc but doing it this way I am pretty sure that it makes a difference. I used to run several cars but only one or 2 got snow foam and 2 buckets. Differences after a couple of years were obvious.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

For me it's not about extra cleaning. It's not about making it easier either as it's an additional stage so harder work. It's avoiding swirls etc. Pressure washing a dirty car you are pushing grit and grime across the paintwork. The snow foam helps by lifting that dirt first at low pressure and providing a suspension and lubrication for the grit and grime. Also it can get to where the jet can't.
That's the same as 2 bucket which if you just look at the state of the rinse bucket you know all that would have been in the water you were dragging across the car. Every car has some swirls etc but doing it this way I am pretty sure that it makes a difference. I used to run several cars but only one or 2 got snow foam and 2 buckets. Differences after a couple of years were obvious.

If we consider how some of the dirt gets onto the sides of a car there must be quite a lot of impact at higher speeds and I've never noticed longitudinal scratching down the sides of the car so, I cannot see how dirt getting pushed by a pressure washer is going to scratch the car.

I had a Landcruiser 200 that was my daily drive and offroad ride. Did 10s of 1000s of km in the outback and the car got covered in mud and dirt - always stopped at the local car wash to get the mud off with a pressure washer and hand washed at home (1 bucket) no scratching. Traded the Landcruiser for a SLK which I hand washed, 1 bucket no snowfoam. Good rinse with the jet wash, good shampoo (Dodo Juice Born to be Mild) and dried with Duragloss Aquawax -it always looked fabulous & no scratches.

I'm becoming convinced that snowfoam is a great placebo well marketed by the car beauty product companies.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

My comment on the two bucket method was just poking some fun at the attachment in the post.

Been washing cars for 50 years and never used two buckets.
If your car has a nice polish, simple power washing removes the dirt.

My snow foam lance is currently out of use and to be honest I don’t see any difference

I still have 2.5L of foam so will continue my fruitless experiments - next step is to change the jet in my lance. Probably throwing good money after bad but I'm sure I'll find a buyer for my lance when I sell it as they seem to be so popular.

 

[Graveworm]

If we consider how some of the dirt gets onto the sides of a car there must be quite a lot of impact at higher speeds and I've never noticed longitudinal scratching down the sides of the car so, I cannot see how dirt getting pushed by a pressure washer is going to scratch the car.

I had a Landcruiser 200 that was my daily drive and offroad ride. Did 10s of 1000s of km in the outback and the car got covered in mud and dirt - always stopped at the local car wash to get the mud off with a pressure washer and hand washed at home (1 bucket) no scratching. Traded the Landcruiser for a SLK which I hand washed, 1 bucket no snowfoam. Good rinse with the jet wash, good shampoo (Dodo Juice Born to be Mild) and dried with Duragloss Aquawax -it always looked fabulous & no scratches.

I'm becoming convinced that snowfoam is a great placebo well marketed by the car beauty product companies.

I have never seen a car without swirl marks even (especially) brand new. Not scratches as you would call them but visible close up and definitely affect the shine. I find using snow foam reduces them and so how often it "Needs" machine polishing. I don't worry about it that much definitely not on every car but my experience side by side the cars that I used snow foam on showed fewer swirl marks.

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

 

[stephenmercedes]

The most amazing thing about all this is, it has now run to 8 pages with 158 posts!! It's bl**dy snow foam folks, get a grip LOL

 

[Will]

The trouble with the detailing bug and OCD is where do you stop?

Why two buckets and not three?

Why not snowfoam twice? First rinse with gentle pressure then second one with high pressure etc.

One wash or two? How many drying cloths, what type? Filtered water for final rinse, now how about a blow drier for the crevices. You did clean those with a special brush of course?

What’s the best time of day to wash, should you put a special mat out first. In fact is washing outside a good idea after all - what about the wind blowing dust and dirt onto the paint as you’re cleaning it?

IMHO the only thing that matters is that you’re happy with your car and no one else is likely to care.

Obviously worth doing the best job you can with the time/facilities available to you but as I’ve said before I find nowadays my cars are generally not as clean as they used to be as I only wash them when I have a couple of hours spare.

They have less swirls now but spend more time covered in dirt - pointless when you think of it really!