Wet Foamed or Dry Foamed?

[Evolvd]

What is everyone's favorite foam?
Griot's is about all I can find off the shelf.
I've been doing it wrong too. After thinking about it, foaming first gives the soap time to soak in and loosen the grip of the dirt before rinsing it off.

There’s too many to choose from and a lot of it depends on what your base protection is. Do you have ceramic coating or are you a wax or topper kind of detailer? Amazon has a lot of the “pro-sumer” soaps like CarPro Reset for ceramic coated vehicles or CarPro HydroFoam for non-coated. There’s tons of other brands.

My recommendation is to check out @DFB5.0 post “what’s in DFB’s garage” and “DFB’s little black book of detailing”. He’s very thorough and has a lot of experience with most of the popular choices.

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[Bikeman315]

Thanks for the thread KB. Looks like I’ll be changing my procedures going forward.

 

[MAGS1]

What is everyone's favorite foam?
Griot's is about all I can find off the shelf.
I've been doing it wrong too. After thinking about it, foaming first gives the soap time to soak in and loosen the grip of the dirt before rinsing it off.

There’s some good ones out there but as Brian said, too many to choose from. I’m a big fan of Adam’s (Car Shampoo and Mega Foam) and I also use Ethos Cleanse (I’m ceramic coated with Ethos so I chose to stick in the same family). Carpro Reset is really good also. Carpro Lift is good to use a few times per year for a little deeper clean, it is a little runnier out of a foam cannon but that is by design. I wouldn’t recommend using Lift for every wash though as it is not pH neutral.

 

[dpAtlanta]

How good are the hand pump cannons?

The hand pump ones are not cannons, not really guns, more like squirt guns….. totally different realm.

I had one for wheels and gave it away.

 

[Evolvd]

I use this Solo pump sprayer for foaming my wheels with P&S Brake Buster. It works great and also have bicycle valve so I don’t have to manually pressurize it.

 

[MAGS1]

I use a pump sprayer mostly in the winter time with a rinse less wash. Gotta get the road salt and muck off and I don’t always like going to a touchless DIY car wash. Also works well for cleaning the engine bay

 

[DrZed]

As long as I have had a pw and foam cannon, I have been rinsing first (with the thought of getting the heavier grime off,) and then I foam, dwell, rinse. Odds are I am in the minority here though based on what I saw in multiple places this morning while doing some searching.

After watching a review vid on the IK Foam Pro 12, I checked out the channel. Hadn't seen this fella previously but he does a good job filming and narrating so I sub'd. Perused his vids and saw one on the topic at hand. Watched that clip, thought his testing protocol was solid and perhaps for a bit of showmanship, <grin> he wound up with a weird result.

The dry foamed paint was noticeably cleaner than the wet side but, the glass was just the opposite. Probably splitting hairs with the glass which is NBD to me but if his results are accurate, it seems that the "encapsulating" feature of foam works better on a dry surface.

I know and I can hear y'all saying, "DUH, KB," where you been?" <laughing>

The plan is to try this out the next time a vehicle needs a bath but in the meantime, do any of you also rinse first?

Almost never wash first. Dry foam. It's pretty soapy and wet... using Adams.

 

[kilobravo]

I just recently found out you're NOT supposed to rinse your dishes before you put them into the dishwasher

Yeah, we must have seen or read the same article, Devan. Now that I think about it, foaming first is analagous to "soaking" dishes in soapy water. I'm slow on the uptake these days. <laughing>

Thanks for the thread KB. Looks like I’ll be changing my procedures going forward.

Thanks, Ira..at least I wasn't alone. <smile>

I was out before dawn last weekend setting up my stuff.

Now THAT is dedication, Alex! :=)

You could do the second foam sections at a time but I work fast. I use 4-5 mitts so no dunking and rinsing the mitts for me.

I remember you saying "4-5 mitts" before but it surprised me again Alex. You MUST be "fast." <smile>

I had one for wheels and gave it away.

Picked up one of these a few years back, used it once and it's been on the shelf ever since, Dave. Not a bad idea but the Marolex didn't cut it for wheels.

Now, based on Alex's review, I'm looking seriously at the IK Foam Pro 12.

 

[MAGS1]

Yeah, we must have seen or read the same article, Devan. Now that I think about it, foaming first is analagous to "soaking" dishes in soapy water. I'm slow on the uptake these days. <laughing>


Thanks, Ira..at least I wasn't alone. <smile>


Now THAT is dedication, Alex! :=)

I remember you saying "4-5 mitts" before but it surprised me again Alex. You MUST be "fast." <smile>


Picked up one of these a few years back, used it once and it's been on the shelf ever since, Dave. Not a bad idea but the Marolex didn't cut it for wheels.

Now, based on Alex's review, I'm looking seriously at the IK Foam Pro 12.

I also have an IK pump sprayer. I don’t have the fancy one that Alex has but it does fine for what I use it for (engine bay and some winter cleaning).

https://www.autogeek.net/ik-foam-pro-2-plus.html

 

[SnowFox]

P&S Absolute+2 bucket method. Less hassle, more convenient, better results. (Not as fun as foam though I admit)

I only do a foam/traditional strip wash as part of the prep for reapplying Gyeon Pure.

My foam cannon and power washer mostly collect dust these days.

 

[luca1290]

Rather than start a new thread for this question. How good are the hand pump cannons?

Not good.
Get a Gloria garden pump with battery compressor.
I used to do manually but it's just unmanageable with bigger cars like the Mustang.

 

[kilobravo]

I don’t have the fancy one that Alex has but it does fine for what I use it for (engine bay and some winter cleaning).

Thanks for that Mark. The Foam Pro 12 arrives today.

My foam cannon and power washer mostly collect dust these days.

Damn sorry about that, Grabber but it sounds like you just need to upgrade your "stuff." <smile> I love my electric pressure washer and would hate to go back to a hose.

 

[MAGS1]

Thanks for that Mark. The Foam Pro 12 arrives today.


Damn sorry about that, Grabber but it sounds like you just need to upgrade your "stuff." <smile> I love my electric pressure washer and would hate to go back to a hose.

Let us know how you like the IK!

 

[skinnyb]

Wash bay was open again this morning. Used up the last of my Gyeon Bathe and Bathe+ for the final foam and wipe down. While it's good product, I am thinning the herd ... Wiped down the tires afterward with Carpro Perl 1:1. Forgot how good that product is, I used last week as well, it applies so smooth and looks really good, nice matte finish...

 

[MAGS1]

Wash bay was open again this morning. Used up the last of my Gyeon Bathe and Bathe+ for the final foam and wipe down. While it's good product, I am thinning the herd ... Wiped down the tires afterward with Carpro Perl 1:1. Forgot how good that product is, I used last week as well, it applies so smooth and looks really good, nice matte finish...

Did mine yesterday afternoon. Was overcast and actually not hot for once so took advantage. Also used Perl on the tires afterwards. I love that stuff! Sun is out today so will get some pics later and post up

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