Have you ever seen pictures of cars covered in thick white foam that feel exactly like a winter wonderland? Snow foam is an effective pre-wash and has been gaining popularity over the past few years.
But you might wonder what the purpose of snow foam is.
Car detailers often use snow foam, and it’s super-efficient in minimizing micro scratches and swirl marks to ensure you ride a squeaky clean car. When sprayed on the surface, the snow foam breaks down the stubborn road film, baked grime, and debris to facilitate the cleaning process.
But to enjoy that snow foaming experience, you do not necessarily have to go to the detailer as you can enjoy that even at home using a few simple gears and the best snow foam for a car wash. But if you don’t know how to use snow foam, this article is for you.
What Is Snow Foam?
Snow foam is the most efficient pre-wash liquid used for contactless cleaning before cleaning with shampoo or mitt. Its name, snow foam, is derived from the white snow-like suds that cover the car surface and dwells all the dirt particles from the surface to ensure easy cleaning.
The snow foam lances or cannons are used to agitate the snow foam solution and produce thick clingy foam that sticks to the surface to dwell all the dirt. This pre-wash makes the later cleaning with car wash soap or the car wash mitt easier. While it also eliminates any chances of swirl marks or scratches on the car’s surface.
How Does Snow Foam Work?
If your goal is to make your car paint look new, take advantage of the car snow-foaming part, as it’s ideal for keeping your paint free from scratches and swirls. The clingy snow foam sticks to the dirt on the car’s surface, and the contact time of the snow foam with dirt is longer than the water and shampoo solution.
It dissolves all the grime and road tar baked on the surface so that you do not have difficulty scrubbing with a car wash mitt. While it also saves your car paint, as cleaning with a car wash mitt without a good pre-wash will drag the dirt across the surface. And it will leave your car paint with numerous micro-scratches and no shine.
How To Use Snow Foam?
Suppose you are convinced of the importance of foam cleaner for cars but still need to figure out how to use snow foam. Though it does not involve rocket science, it can be tricky. By reading further, you can easily use the snow foam at home without professional guidance and follow the snow foam manual.
We have mentioned the easiest and most efficient way of using snow foam to get nice thick foam for fantastic cleaning. The steps to use snow foam are as follows:
Step 1: Get The Right Gears
Having the right gear at your disposal is vital for desired cleaning and results. A pressure washer is suggested to achieve that thick consistency of the foam. When the water and snow foam solution passes through the nozzle with high pressure, the mesh agitates the foaming agents of the solution, creating a thick foam.
Though there are foam cannons available on the market that can be connected to your garden hose, the pressure of the water is directly related to the thickness of the snow foam.
Also, having the snow foam solution of the right brand makes a difference. So make sure you read the formula of the snow foam as well as the delusional ratio and choose the right one. Go for a snow foam that is PH neutral and does not contain any harsh chemicals.
Step 2: Get The Right Mix
The consistency and chemistry of the snow foam matter for effective pre-wash, and getting the proper delusional ratio is vital. Read the instructions given on the snow foam bottle and mix the snow foam with warm water inside the foam cannon bottle.
For most snow foam, the delusional ratio is 1:10, but it varies from brand to brand. The consistency of the foam all depends on this mixing ratio, and if you do not get it, the proper cleaning will be a mess.
You can also spray a little onto the car surface to check if the foam thickness is right and manage it accordingly. But if your snow foam is too runny on the car surface, try adding more snow foam solution.
Step 3: Put It Together & Adjust Flow
Now you have nicely mixed the snow foam with water, put it all together, join the snow foam lance or foam cannon with the pressure washer, and tighten it. Most snow foam cannons come with various adjustments to adjust the thickness of the snow foam and the snow pattern.
With the knob on the foam cannon, you can adjust the pressure of the water, and you can try different nozzles too. But as per our experience with the snow foam nozzles, you should not go for the jet nozzle attachment as it will take so long to cover the car. Go for a nozzle with broad spray patterns to cover the whole car surface effectively.
You can experiment with different nozzles and handle adjustments to get the one that suits your requirements. Once your apparatus is all set, get ready to spray your car.
Step 4: Snow The Surface
It’s time to cover the surface of your car with thick, dreamy snow foam. Use the sweeping motion from left to right or from top to bottom. Start spraying from the bottom of the vehicle as that area is often the dirtiest, and it will give snow foam more time to dwell in the dirt of the lower parts.
Step 5: Let It Dwell
Once your car is covered in snow foam, let it dwell on the surface for a few minutes. Ideally, you can leave it on the surface for 10 to 15 minutes to break the dirt nicely on the surface. But it depends on the condition of your car and how dirty it is.
Now rinse your car with clean water to check out the results, but if you are not satisfied, you can always go for a second layer for better results. Once you are done, your car is ready for a regular cleaning session with the car wash shampoo or the car wash mitt.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If you still need clarification regarding the proper use of snow foam or if you are using the right strategy to snow foam your car. We have answered a few more queries about how to snow foam your vehicle to get the best results without damaging your paint.
Q.1. Can you wet your car before snow foams?
You should only wet your car after snow foams. Some think cleaning their car once before snow foam will bring better results, but that is different. The purpose of the snow foam is to lose baked dirt on the surface, and when you wet the surface before snow foam, the foam gets further diluted because of the water on the car surface and does not cling to the surface. Hence the snow foam fails to cut the dirt on the surface effectively. Read More.
Q.2 Do I have to add water to the snow foam?
Yes, it is the most crucial step, as the dilutional ratio of snow foam with water affects the consistency of the foam. And mostly snow foam available on the market is highly concentrated, so it’s vital to mix them with warm water in a ratio of 1:10 to activate the solution’s content and get that thick clingy foam.
Q.3. How long should my snow foam sit on the surface?
After you have covered the surface of your car in that thick blanket of snow foam, let it sit for a few minutes. Let the chemicals of the snow foam dwell on the surface and break all the dirt and grime. Mostly 4 to 5 minutes are enough for the snow foam, but it’s better to leave it on the surface for 10 to 15 minutes.
Q.4. Do I have to shampoo my car after snow foam?
Snow foam is known as pre-wash, and it breaks down the dirt on the surface, but you will have to go for a thorough cleaning session with the car wash soap to get the best results. The snow foam will make the job easier by breaking down the dirt, and you will be done with car cleaning in no time.
Q.5. How often should you snow foam your car?
Well, how often you should snow foam your car depends on the usage of your car and how dirty it gets. You can snow foam your vehicle every time you wash your car without worrying about any damage to the car paint. But it is suggested to snow foam your car twice a month for fascinating results.
Final Words
This guide on using snow foam will help you efficiently snow foam your car to get a squeaky clean car. At the same time, we have briefly explained all the aspects of snow foaming your vehicle and what gears you will need to carry out the task effectively. I hope this article helps you master the art of snow foaming and to get the most out of it.
