Foam gun and brand of foam questions

Yes, you can use any car shampoo/soap in a foam gun. Some will 'foam' more than others.

For a good gentle/balanced/neutral/won't strip anything soap I have two favorites:

CarPro Reset and AutoFinesse Avalanche Snow Foam.

 

The quality and temperature of the water make a big difference on the foam output too.

I use regular carwash soap now (Mothers or Meguiar's) in a foam cannon, and have tried the extra foam soaps from Autogeek too. The difference between them is negligible. I installed a small inline water softener and that gave me great results.

 

I have a foam gun (can't remember the brand) and agree with the comments that virtually any car shampoo can foam well. I have to say though, that I'm not especially convinced that spraying on foam lifts dirt more effectively than the larger volume of soapy water you get using a sponge or microfiber from a bucket. I use my foam gun only occasionally because I haven't been able to convince myself that it is actually safer to the paint than using a bucket. It would be interesting (to at least me and presumably the OP) to hear others' opinions on the value of using a foam gun.

 

The foam gun and foam cannon allow the thick lather to sit on top of the paint and agitate the dirt on the surface. I've heard opinions going in both directions, but I like letting the foam sit on the paint and loosen whatever is on there. Pre-soaking with water doesn't sit on the paint as effectively and could scratch the paint, and the bucket method doesn't give a thick enough lather to last that long.
If my car is very dirty I pre-soak with the foam, let it sit a good 15 minutes, pressure wash it off and then foam the car again and go at it with a big wooly mit. Blow off most of the water with an electric leaf blower, and give the car a once over with a microfiber towel.

There is no right or wrong way and most "facts" are still sourced by personal opinions, but I'm extremely picky about swirls surface scratches and my cars don't have any under any light source...so I *think* I'm doing something right.

Plus the foam cannon is fun to play with

 

I use this foam gun. Amazon.com: MTM Hydro Professional 2600 PSI Adjustable Foamer: Patio, Lawn & Garden

I use this for suds.
Chemical Guys CWS_101 Maxi-Suds II Super Suds Car Wash Shampoo (1 Gal)

Results:
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Wow, all I did was scavenge the sprayer cap from a lawn chemical bottle like an anti mold or weed treatment. Wash it out and it works fine. Not so thick and rich but foams and pre soaks the surface. Free after cost of lawn chemical. It's adjustable and has an on off valve. Swapping with rinse hose is labor intensive.

 

Amazon.com: Green Earth Technologies 5171 G-CLEAN Foam Blaster Applicator for Pressure Washer: Automotive

I've been using this one for several years with no issues. It does go through a good amount of soap when fully open, so I throttle it down a good amount.

 

I use this one, and am quite happy with it: Amazon.com : Gilmour 95QGFMR Foamaster II Cleaning Sprayer : Lawn And Garden Sprayers : Patio, Lawn & Garden

If you have hard water, which we do here in Arizona, I also recommend this: CRSpotless Water Systems? Spotless Car Wash De-Ionized Spotless Water. With this, I can wash the car in the middle of the day under the sun and not get water spots. I'd made it so much easier to wash the car.

 

I tried this approach -- foaming the entire car, letting the foam sit for several minutes, then rinsing it off. I've had a foam gun for years and didn't see much value in it for the washing process -- but this pre-soak/rinse method is GREAT. It removed most of the dirt so there is no chance of scratching during the wash process with the mitt. Thanks for the advice!

 

have you guys used this guys products ?

check his use of the foam gun.

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Very cool picture.

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/car-wash-nozzle-60773.html

Harbor Freight, $9.99. I've used the same one a couple times a week for several years and it only recently gave up the ghost.

Not quite a foam cannon, but it delivers a lot of suds and you can turn off the soap feed and use the nozzle for rinsing.
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I use this Snow Foam Cannon by CarPro: Snow Foam Cannon - www.CarPro-US.com

CarPro Reset & Ultima Paint Guard Wash are two of my favorites to use in the cannon.
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keep in mind, you dont need 2" thick foam on your car to get it to clean, and you are wasting a lot of soap to get it there.

all you need is a thin layer of soapy water to begin the breakdown process. anymore than that, and its pointless.

spray it on, let it dwell, and pressure wash it off. Then re-soap and wash as normal. Pressure wash soap off, then sheet the car to remove most of the water. Dry with a Quick detail spray and a waffle weave towel.

Ryobi has a great pressure washer I just picked up for 200 bucks. Electric, 2000 PSI, has a soap dispenser that only works with a low pressure tip on the wand which is perfect as i dont have to swap anything but the tip which is on a quick disconnect already. 5 seconds of water flowing throw the pressure tip and there is no more soap coming out!

Ryobi 2000-PSI 1.2-GPM Electric Pressure Washer-RY141900 - The Home Depot

Im just going to get a 50FT hose, and a wall mount for the hose so I dont have to mess with winding it up on the reel that comes with it (have to disconnect the hose from the unit in order to wind)

 

I bought this one off amazon for my new electric pressure washer, foam was THICK. I was pretty impressed.

I previously had one that attached to a garden hose....that one didn't make as much foam.

Amazon.com : AR North America PWFL803BC Foamer Cannon Lance Bottle with Bayonet Adapter : Patio, Lawn & Garden

 

Just go to AutoGeek.net and check them out...
For the thickest foam, use a pressure washer. Hose don't cut it IMHO. I also have an inline canister filter from Home D that I use to decrease minerals et. al. in the H20.
Not sure about prices, might find things a bit cheaper elsewhere, but you're washing a Ferrari... I have the Auto Geek Cannon and use DP suds.
I then wash my cars w Optimum, arguably the best products.
I find that the foam cannon washes 95% of the crap off my cars, and the 2 bucket wash thereafter is for me to smile!
Leaf blower to dry, then Optimum Quick Detail to give it the sheen.
Washing an F is nearly as fun as driving it!