jetwash

[rs2k2008]

Just brought what of those karcher jet wash. What do people do to get the snow foam look? The reason i ask is my fiesta has been sat on axel stands while the box was being swaped over. Now the paint has become flat and i want to be able to bring it back to its former glory?

[rodney,.]

snow foam? , if you wanna get it looking good then clean it and give it a polish,.

[rs2k2008]

yeah i know that, but i have seen it when they foam the car up and it cuts through the dirt and the grime...

[jamesgti]

you need one of these mate

 

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-...s/prod_371.html

 

thats the one ive got its a good bit of kit and it helps take the bulk of the dirt off before you wash it.

[rs2k2008]

oh right cheers mate, i have a container built in what i think would do it, if i brought the soap would that work or do i need that?

[Trig]

To get snow foam, you need a foam lance. The soap dispensers that come with the jetwash machines are only dispensers, they suck up the liquid and fire it out. A foam lance introduces air through a kind of vortex, mixing it with the solution in the bottle, kind of whisking the solution (which would be a part water/part shampoo or snowfoam). The only way to really get a thick, clingy layer of foam is through a foam lance.

[rs2k2008]

thanks for that trig, is there any cheaper about then the one above? Or has anyone on here got one for sale?

[PeeWee]

Moved to the correct section.

[rs2k2008]

just brought one of those foam things and suds, i take it you just pour the suds in the snow lance? or do you add water. Want a really snowy effect.

[Hezz]

To get snow foam, you need a foam lance. The soap dispensers that come with the jetwash machines are only dispensers, they suck up the liquid and fire it out. A foam lance introduces air through a kind of vortex, mixing it with the solution in the bottle, kind of whisking the solution (which would be a part water/part shampoo or snowfoam). The only way to really get a thick, clingy layer of foam is through a foam lance.

ah didnt know that

[Trig]

just brought one of those foam things and suds, i take it you just pour the suds in the snow lance? or do you add water. Want a really snowy effect.

 

Get a bottle of snowfoam from somewhere like cleanyourcar.co.uk or one of the other detailing supplies resellers. I used cleanyourcar's own, but valetpro's is better. You mix up the snowfoam with some water to get a decent dilution ratio (I used a third foam, third water) and then you adjust the thickness of the foam with the foam lance (usually the knob on the top), makes the foam thicker or thinner which affects the length of time that it clings for and how much solution you use.

 

Dont be thinking that the snowfoam looks like suds you pour into the foam lance bottle, it looks just like water, it only foams when its used.

[rs2k2008]

ok mate, thanks for that. Just waitng for it to arrive now, after all this can u see it make a diffrence?

[Trig]

It makes it possible to do a touchless wash on a well prepped and maintained paintwork (if it is only very lightly soiled/dusty), and on well soiled cars it does help to drag some of the dirt off (which you can see, where the foam runs off it gets dirty and grey), but kind of inbetween a light dusting and heavy soiling, I dont find its that great. I only use foam on heavily soiled cars now.

[rs2k2008]

ok mate thanks for the help so far, what order would you do things in the acheive best results? Bear in mind i want to try out the snow lance.

[Trig]

If the car is uber filthy:

 

Snowfoam (start out with a third foam, 2 thirds water, with a splash of all purpose cleaner for extra cleaning power)

leave to dwell for 10 mins

rinse

Shampoo wash (use a good shampoo, megs gold class, Dodo Juice born to be mild/supernatural, Duragloss 901)

rinse

clay (Megs quick clay is a good kit)

shampoo wash again to remove all the claying residue

dry

polish (Autoglym Super Resin Polish would be good for hand application)

wax (Megs #16, Natty's, loads of choice here)

 

After claying, polishing and waxing, the paint should be well prepped and protected, so you would be able to get away with a light foaming and a quick shampoo wash from then on.