Is snow foam worth it?

[248cmr]

Depends what you're looking for from a wash really.

For me, I try to be as gentle as possible and not scratch the car as it's quite well polished, that means the less dirt on the car when I start the hand wash, the better. For that purpose snow foam or some other pre rinse is essential, snow foam trends to be popular as it clings to the car well and looks cool! This is the same reason I have a tank of filtered water so I can leave the car to dry and not have to worry about water spots.

If your car is already covered in swirl marks then there's absolutely no point.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

But it is that easy

Mine is topped with fusso light, then king of gloss. Wheels and calipers treated with gtechniq c5. So for maintenance washes it’s a case of foaming the car with BH, clean wheels and fill buckets in the few minutes while it dwells, then rinse everything off and dry the car

If more areas are soiled beforehand it’s a simple spray of citrus before the SF, then a two bucket wash after and a spritz of something like Gyeon wetcoat or the like

I’ve done all the backbreaking work prepping the car, so for six months or so after SF makes the process light work a majority of the time. Less bending over and less elbow grease, for £40ish quid. It’s hardly a marketing scam as some state, it makes it a whole lot easier!

The only item that will have any impact in keeping your car cleaner is the final product you used on it (KoG or the WetCoat) the last time you cleaned it.

If
1) the stuff we put on our cars was that good &
2) the SF was as effective as touted,

we would not need to 'two bucket' wash our cars.

Pressure washer gets rid of all the larger crud and you still have to hand wash after the SF - so what does the SF do?

Mine car is first treated with Carlack68 (aka Klasse and also Werkstatt non abrasive polish and sealer) and then finished with Carlack Long Life and maintained with their detailing spray (the 3 products are designed to be used together). It is an acrylic sealer that also only needs retreating every 6 to 9 months. I prefer to use products that are actually chemically designed to work together rather that a mishmash of products from different manufacturers.

My car is White and I can see exactly what the snow foam does (nothing). My wife's car is light silver with a coating of CarPro Hydro2 which very similar to WetCoat - (because I cannot be ar$$ed to Carlack it) and the SF has exactly the same impact (none). So either my particular SF is crap (Auto Finesse Avalanche) or it does nothing.

What I have noticed is that the Carlack does noticeably help keep the car cleaner. The Hydro2 on my wife's car also seems to help keep it cleaner.

IMO good quality 'last stage products' offer more benefit than the SF.

I'm not convinced that Hydro2 or WetCoat add any real benefit on top of anything other than the actual paintwork - all the literature says how this stuff chemically bonds with the car's factory paint (and the car should be spotless before applying) so, I ask myself how can it be effective on top of a resin, acrylic or wax product?

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

To those who are dead set against such a product, have you even used it?

 

[alzieboy]

Bought it, used it, .
All it done was make the drive look like winter wonderland.

 

[Oldbarrack]

Bought it, used it, .
All it done was make the drive look like winter wonderland.

Yes, having used many brands I tend to agree it's use as a pre-wash are often highly exaggerated and I've currently given up on it.

After a good blast with a pressure washer, if heavily soiled, once dry spraying bad areas with a good TFR from a pressured container yields much the same end result/s IMO.

 

[Riva811]

There's a lot to the brand and washing conditions that make it successful. I rarely get my car very dirty and I find the foam a faster process for the same results.
If it dries up too quickly it means you are doing it in very dry weather or direct sunlight

Sent from my H8116 using Tapatalk

 

[Deleted member 126251]

To those who are dead set against such a product, have you even used it?

for the last 2 years ...........

 

[SlimJim]

To those who are dead set against such a product, have you even used it?

I wasn't, nor am I, dead set against it. I fell in line with the thinking it was a must do. Buying the lance and the 5l snow foam from Autobrite or Auto finesse. I have used it for a few years trying to convince myself it made a difference. It doesn't. So I will not be buying any more when the small drop I have is finished, if I even use.

If people think it helps, good on them, but it's a waste of money.

 

[Jimbo123]

Reminds me, the decking needs a wash.

Lol

 

[Deleted member 126251]

I wasn't, nor am I, dead set against it. I fell in line with the thinking it was a must do. Buying the lance and the 5l snow foam from Autobrite or Auto finesse. I have used it for a few years trying to convince myself it made a difference. It doesn't. So I will not be buying any more when the small drop I have is finished, if I even use.

If people think it helps, good on them, but it's a waste of money.

I'm with you on this. I got drawn into the hype. I can clearly see the (same) dirt still sitting on my car after foam - so what does it do (in the few minutes it is in place) that a pressure washer has not done (2x - initial rinse and then rinsing the foam off)?

It is human nature for people to feel the need to prove to themselves that they spent their money wisely and they way to do so, is to convince others to do the same.

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

I can clearly see the (same) dirt still sitting on my car after foam

Result of user error, technique and crap SF

I would suggest playing with dilution ratios, if maths is a tall ask there are charts or online calculators on google

 

[Deleted member 126251]

Result of user error, technique and crap SF

I would suggest playing with dilution ratios, if maths is a tall ask there are charts or online calculators on google

So I guess Auto Finesse Avalanche is cr@p. There is no rocket science to detailing. It is 2% brains and 98% physical labour. Not exactly an engineering degree needed.

& there you go again resorting to insults.

Are you are unable to debate in an intelligent and articulate way without using insults?

 

[ash59fifty-uk]

So I guess Auto Finesse...

Just those five words right there speak volumes, that’s all I needed to see! Good luck...

 

[Alex225]

In short, no from my own experience.

I used to use a pressure washer and two buckets etc. Kind of fancied the look of the snow foam products so got myself some Valet Pro Snow Foam and a lance.

Now from images you see online, you'd think this thick layer of foam will sit on your car, eating away into the dirt and taking a percentage of the dirt away with it. Well I just never ever experienced that. It did no more than simply soaking the car with water and then using the pressure washer to rinse it off so I gave up.

I was eventually recommended Citrus Pre-Wash which actually did make a difference so I've used that ever since.

I don't blame anyone for wanting to use Snow Foam, it's a bit of fun but as a pre-wash I don't think it's very effective.

 

[Graveworm]

I use it because it's no big deal and seems to work. As for it's no better than just a jet wash, the linked test above where they did just that for 3 different products showed some did much better. I am unsure how an anecdote is more valuable than a controlled test.

 

[AltonAnt]

For another perspective, I only ever use snow foam as my car is seldom used and never gets that dirty.
So snowfoam, jetwash off, dry using AG synthetic chamois and AG SRP/BH double speed every 2-3 months with Sonax BSD in between.

 

[TwoDogs80]

Yes it's worth it.

 

[Riva811]

In all fairness my car doesn't get that dirty and I also have autoglym life shine as well and it cleans up just fine with foam.

Sent from my H8116 using Tapatalk

 

[AndrewOl]

I use cheap stuff as the black GL has so many swirl marks it makes you dizzy if you look at too hard. Kids think the snow foam is ace though.

 

[JDL60]

Where I live & work we get a lot of sand fall out, the SF works well in softening it off the surface- no it won’t then fall off with the foam, but it has loosened it and it’s visible. So for my situation it works, for others I get that it’s probably a step they don’t need.
For the record, I use the Bilt Hammer version and now a cheap small Karcher foam lance. I’ve had 2 x more expensive ones and despite flushing through etc they didn’t last a year each. The cheapo has worked for 2 years so far and I don’t even bother flushing it (not sure there’s any filter in there anyway!)