Snow foam

[A6lns]

Hi all sorry if this is been discussed before but give my merc a quick clean so I thought I would use my snow foam Lance with polar blast mixed up with a inch in the bottom of bottle rest water my car was quite dirty left it on the car about 5 to 8 mins pressured it off but it was still quite dirty I was very surprised at the result


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[AltonAnt]

What is the condition of your paintwork like? Has it been well prepped previously, clayed, waxed and polished?
I find once the paintwork is well kept, snowfoam is all that is needed to keep it clean otherwise it is just another step in a full cleaning process.

 

[A6lns]

Yes quite good been clayed I’ve got sealant on it normally washed on a regular basis


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Lennox]

My car is ceramic coated and I always have to wash it down with snow.

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

 

[LTD]

Snow foam works to lift off the loose particles to minimise swirling.

It isn’t a miracle product to eliminate washing

 

[Deleted member 126251]

@A6ins

Try the link below - 13 pages and 241 posts and the discussion is still not settled. Many fanboys that swear by it & others that do not see the value.

Is snow foam worth it?

 

[AltonAnt]

Yes quite good been clayed I’ve got sealant on it normally washed on a regular basis


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Do you use anything after it has been washed such as Sonax BSD?

 

[Dazsw]

I ran a detailing company for a few years and used to answer this question almost every day.

To me snow foam is only useful as a pre-wash, it removes the worst of the grit and dirt.

You then need to clean as normal with the 2 bucket method or similar.

If the car is super clean or has a freshly applied ceramic coating, it will do a better job, but I would still always wash after snow foam.

 

[A6lns]

Yes I use a detailing spray after it’s been washed but I was disappointed with the snow foam before you wash it


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Teego]

I use SF as the second stage after a spray down. After SF detailed 2 bucket wash. Apart from getting the car clean this is an opportunity to see and feel minor blemishes.

 

[Will]

I get the impression that snow foam performance varies significantly - some use harsh chemicals and strip dirt off more easily, others maybe milder but don’t perform as well.

No such thing as a free lunch, Bilt Hamber auto foam gets rave reviews but has a pH of 13.

Auto Glym’s Polar Blast has a pH of 7.35.

I love the idea of a spray on, pressure wash off product but I can’t help but wonder long term the effects on stuff like rubber/plastic seals, alloy trims, alloy wheels/calipers etc.

Maybe it’s fine but when you see those cars with cracked up rubber seals and dulled alloy finished trims it does make you wonder!

(flameproof suit on...! )

 

[Coalacre]

I ran a detailing company for a few years and used to answer this question almost every day.

To me snow foam is only useful as a pre-wash, it removes the worst of the grit and dirt.

You then need to clean as normal with the 2 bucket method or similar.

If the car is super clean or has a freshly applied ceramic coating, it will do a better job, but I would still always wash after snow foam.

What are your thoughts on Gardx please, been to a couple of showrooms promoting it over the last few weeks, would like you professional opinion if you have an opportunity - I know nothing about detailing and things have moved in since my days of working in a car spares shop selling Simoniz :~)

 

[chrisk2010]

I hate to say but because I do not like using them but if anyone isn't getting what they expect from a Snow Foam maybe consider a Traffic Film Remover.

I don't like them because they very caustic and will strip the car of any protection, will also damage the paint if left on too long, shouldn't be used for every wash but ...... (dramatic pause) ...... they will clean.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

I get the impression that snow foam performance varies significantly - some use harsh chemicals and strip dirt off more easily, others maybe milder but don’t perform as well.

No such thing as a free lunch, Bilt Hamber auto foam gets rave reviews but has a pH of 13.

Auto Glym’s Polar Blast has a pH of 7.35.

I love the idea of a spray on, pressure wash off product but I can’t help but wonder long term the effects on stuff like rubber/plastic seals, alloy trims, alloy wheels/calipers etc.

Maybe it’s fine but when you see those cars with cracked up rubber seals and dulled alloy finished trims it does make you wonder!

(flameproof suit on...! )

I think that BH are Ph neutral... look at item 9.1 in the link below.

https://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/documents/MSDS/Auto-Wheel_pH_Adjusted_Wheel_Cleaner.pdf

 

[Dazsw]

What are your thoughts on Gardx please, been to a couple of showrooms promoting it over the last few weeks, would like you professional opinion if you have an opportunity - I know nothing about detailing and things have moved in since my days of working in a car spares shop selling Simoniz :~)

I personally wouldn't let a dealership apply any coatings or similar.

To properly prepare a car for a ceramic coating or any kind of coating takes many hours.

The coating application should be performed in a clean dust free environment, with low humidity as higher humidities effect the application and coating performance negatively.

Dealers don't have the time and in most cases the skills to properly apply coatings.

 

[Coalacre]

Thanks Dax for taking the time to reply, some sound advice here...

We have the dreaded Mars Red and I wanted to do all we could as a prevention rather than cure... I wouldn't let the dealership do it either, but like some others I actually enjoy the labour of love.

 

[Will]

I think that BH are Ph neutral... look at item 9.1 in the link below.

https://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/documents/MSDS/Auto-Wheel_pH_Adjusted_Wheel_Cleaner.pdf

That’s not the correct link for the Bilt Hamber Auto Foam.

Here is the MSDS for Auto Foam, pH 13 as shown on page 4:

https://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/documents/MSDS/Auto_Foam.pdf

 

[Coalacre]

thanks for

That’s not the correct link for the Bilt Hamber Auto Foam.

Here is the MSDS for Auto Foam, pH 13 as shown on page 4:

https://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/documents/MSDS/Auto_Foam.pdf

Thanks for sharing..

 

[Deleted member 126251]

That’s not the correct link for the Bilt Hamber Auto Foam.

Here is the MSDS for Auto Foam, pH 13 as shown on page 4:

https://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/documents/MSDS/Auto_Foam.pdf

My mistake - my link was for wheel cleaner.

 

[chrisk2010]

@A6ins

Try the link below - 13 pages and 241 posts and the discussion is still not settled. Many fanboys that swear by it & others that do not see the value.

Is snow foam worth it?

Skip straight to page 9 and read Lee's posts he pretty much covers it all.

Try not to be too blinded by PH levels of neat products, yes BH snow foam does have a high ph but properly diluted and correctly used it doesn't strip the wax straight of my car which I can see from one clean to another but that's my experience.

I'm far more likely to strip the wax off my car (and this is just me) by using a lower ph neutral snow foam or pre-wash and getting to close with the pressure washer in an effort to remove the road grime i.e. bugs, greases, oil and various organics which lower ph snow foams don't seem to remove.

If used with a higher dilution it will act like a TFR and strip the sacrificial layer (wax) and a new layer will need to be applied.

Personally I go for a lighter dilution leave it to dwell longer and prefer to go over the car a couple of times as it gives me peace of mind that I'm less likely to miss areas.

I tend to re-apply wax every 3-4 times I clean the car as a rule of thumb, now in the winter the intervals are longer because I'm not cleaning as much (to cold) and using something like polar seal to save me from spending more time outside.

In the warmer seasons I clean weekly which will of course degrade the sacrificial layer of my choice much faster (whether I use snow foam or not) as I'm touching , pressure washing and generally faffing around with the car a lot more than I normally would which in turn triggers me to apply more frequently.

I'm not writing this to make anyone a believer I only know what works for me through research and trial and error.

The ONLY reason I use snow foam is because I stupidly purchased a black car and I can see every single error it ruthlessly shows me and approach it with great care. If I would have bought a silver one I'd still be pre-washing with Halfords shampoo blissfully unaware of all the fine scratches I'd still be creating until that's summers day the sun illuminates the intricate spiders web of fine scratches.