Once a vehicle has accumulated a significant amount of film traffic dirt and road grime and you run the risk of inflicting sub-surface paint scratches during the wash process. This is due to the greater number of contaminants present that may inadvertently be moved around as they are removed, and the tendency to use more friction on paint surface to get it clean.
You can mitigate these risks by rinsing off as surface much dirt and grime as possible using a hose or a pressure washer before washing the bodywork by hand. Ten to fifteen minutes spent carefully rinsing off in this way is time well spent, the use of a pre-wash foaming solution can help tremendously.
The idea behind applying thick clinging foam to your car before washing is simple and the benefits are obvious. If you apply a generous coating of suds to a dirty surface and allow it to cling in situ for many minutes at a time, the surfactant cleaning agents have longer to work and therefore dissolve and suspend a lot more dirt and grime. By the time the foam is eventually rinsed off much of the dirt and grime is simply washed away, leaving relatively clean surfaces behind ready for a careful wash using a car wash concentrate solution.
The major benefit is that the bulk of dirt removal is done before a wash mitt is placed on the paint surface, which greatly reduces the risk of inflicting marring and fine scratches during the hand-washing process.
Bilt Hamber Auto Wash is a low suds formula and is quite different to most other pre-wash shampoos. It’s a premium quality, low suds formula pre-wash treatment, designed to soak and saturate soiled vehicle paintwork prior to the application of vehicle shampoo. Auto-Foam is gentle and can be used in conjunction with all pressure washer foam lances (I prefer a pump sprayer as opposed to a lance)
A highly concentrated pH 13.0 pre-wash foaming agent, produces a high foam content which both breaks the bond between the dirt particles and your vehicle’s paintwork and lubricates particles thereby enabling the safest possible removal of traffic film. highly concentrated pH 13.0 pre-wash foaming agent, however once diluted to the correct ratio it will drop to 8-10pH. It produces a high foam content which both breaks the bond between the dirt particles and your vehicle’s paintwork and lubricates particles thereby enabling the safest possible removal of traffic film.
It contains surfactants that will lift dirt, allowing it to be dissolved and carried away, whilst remaining completely touchless. It contains a powerful wetting agent that causes the bubbles in the foam to systematically burst as they move over the paint surface, enabling the surfactants to progressively soak and suspend the accumulated dirt and grime. This formula effectively lifts dirt and grime, making it easy to flush/rinse away
Use on cool surfaces. Dilute product 1:100 for light cleaning (4ml of product with 96ml of water for a total 100ml) and up to 5 parts in one hundred for heavily soiled vehicles. It is important to know the flow rate of your equipment to determine the correct add rate. If in doubt measure the nozzle output and chemical feed rate.
Foam production relies on air being drawn into a foaming solution as it passes through an injector head into the mainstream of water running through either a foam gun or a foam lance. The higher the pressure of the water, the thicker the resulting foam will be.
Application:
Bilt Hamber auto-foam is a suitable pre-wash solution for use in any foam gun or foam lance system, as long as a final dilution ratio of approximately 50:1 can be achieved. With regard to the systems the following advice applies:
(a) for use with a Foam Gun, remove the foam gun body and pour or pump approximately 400 ml of Bilt Hamber auto-foam into the bottle, then fill the bottle to the top with hot water, refit the foam gun body and shake the whole unit gently to mix the solution before finally attaching it to your hose - then squeeze the trigger and adjust the top dial on the foam gun body until you get the desired foam thickness;
(b) for use with a Foam Lance/ Pressure washer -, remove the foam lance body and pour approximately 200 ml of Bilt Hamber auto-foam into the bottle, then fill the bottle to the top with hot water, refit the foam lance body and shake the whole unit gently to mix the solution before finally attaching it to your pressure washer - then fire the washer up, and adjust the top dial on the foam lance body until you get the desired foam thickness.
In both examples given above, you can safely double the amount of Bilt Hamber auto-foam used when tackling particularly dirty cars, or else halve it if only a light clean is needed.
Allow the foam to dwell on the paint for about 5 mins. Then thoroughly wash off all the dirt and grime.
Dilution: 4ml to 96ml (IL) The typical inlet water pressure to a home is about 40 to 45 psi. (3 bar)
Snow Foam
Foam is an aerated chemical mixture that you spray on using a pressure washer, the snow foam mixture itself is a pre-cleaning foam, it sits on your car paintwork and helps to dissolve and lift dirt and grime that is there. If you leave it to do its thing, it makes it easier to wash off the dirt by hand or with the pressure washer, removing all dirt and stains. The mixture you use for your snow foamer will depend on what you buy, however, to use it you will need a snow foam gun which will connect to your pressure washer.
Before beginning it is better to have dry panels, this stops the foaming from sliding off, so if it has rained or you have already washed down the car it may be better to leave it to dry before foaming
Consistency
A common problem is getting the right consistency when foaming. If it is too diluted (too much water), it will just slide off the car, therefore it won’t set and help to dissolve any dirt making it a pointless exercise.
With different formulas used by different snow foaming brands, it isn’t possible to advise on the correct formula to use. Depending on the soap foam brand you buy, ensure to read and follow the specific instructions closely to make sure the foam applies the way it should.
Depending on the instructions for the snow foam you use for the current amount into the bottle and then top up with water and screw onto the snow cannon container. On the container there is will be a small knob which you can turn, this will adjust the amount of foam you get when using the spray gun. If you move the knob towards the (+) you will get more water, and if you move towards the (-) you get less water. When you have less water you will have more foam so you get a stronger mix applied to the car surface. Feel free to experiment with different mixtures until you get a foam consistency that you are happy with.
To get a thick foam you want to use less water, so you do not have to fill the containers completely when mixing. When the bottles are filled completely, you tend to get runnier foam. Personal preferences will, therefore, dictate how much water you choose to use.
You may find topping up the bottle as you go along helps with the consistency of the foam, this may not be needed however if you have a large vehicle and applying a thick layer of foam then it may become thinner as you go on, so topping up will keep a consistent layer.
To get a thick foam you want to use less water, so you do not have to fill the containers completely when mixing. When the bottles are filled completely, you tend to get runnier foam. Personal preferences will, therefore, dictate how much water you choose to use.
To get a thick foam you want to use less water, so you do not have to fill the containers completely when mixing. When the bottles are filled completely, you tend to get runnier foam. Personal preferences will, therefore, dictate how much water you choose to use.
You may find topping up the bottle as you go along helps with the consistency of the foam, this may not be needed however if you have a large vehicle and applying a thick layer of foam then it may become thinner as you go on, so topping up will keep a consistent layer.
Start Foaming
You should use sweeping, unhurried motions moving either up and down or side to side. This will ensure your car gets full and even coverage. If you have an adjustable lance, using the wide spray means you need fewer passes to cover the car. Be careful using the jet spray setting because this can actually remove foam you already had set in place.
Follow up with a suitable post foam wash.
My process differs from most in that instead of using a drying towel for my final wipe, I use a clean Microfibre towel cloth, lightly dampened with ONR from the pre-spray bottle. (About 6 sprays per side) Should there be any dirt remaining, you are at least tackling it in the safest possible way.
The biggest risk of creating swirls is at the drying stage, especially using a dry microfibre towel. Using ONR as a drying aid is definitely the safest way to approach this task. The dampened Microfibre towel / ONR working together bring out the best qualities of each technology.
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