Foam Cannon any good?
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I looked at them for a while and even looked at the similar maintenance wash type product that produces less foam. I came to the decision that a bucket of soapy water is just about as easy for DIY car detailing. If I was a pro, I would get the less suds making "foam gun" for car washes and the canon for wax stripping. They're both very cool products, I just realized I wanted them more than I needed them.
I had one and gave it away.
It makes for really cool pictures, but I found it to be more effort. When I typically wash, I need two buckets, some soap, a mitt, and a hose. With the cannon, I needed a bucket, a mitt, the cannon, a pressure washer, some soap, and a hose.
It makes for really cool pictures, but I found it to be more effort. When I typically wash, I need two buckets, some soap, a mitt, and a hose. With the cannon, I needed a bucket, a mitt, the cannon, a pressure washer, some soap, and a hose.
I use it as a pre rinse but it doesnt do much...i still do a 2 bucket method wash afterwards...
I just use the foam cannon (normal water hose version) to soap up the car (after a strong pre-rinse), the using a microfiber mitt, soap up the mitt as well and wash one section (top to bottom). I then rinse that section with the hose. I use one bucket of rinse water w/grit guard (no soapy wash bucket), wring it out and re-soap it up using the foam cannon for the next soaped up section of the car.
Seems to work fine for me. I like that the foam seems to help penetrate the dirt film and makes cleaning a bit easier to do.
Seems to work fine for me. I like that the foam seems to help penetrate the dirt film and makes cleaning a bit easier to do.
JHZR2
Staff member
Do you mean the kind from a pressure washer or the kind from a hose?
Pressure washer is too much of a hassle to get out for all but the worst soils, so that kind I'd pass.
I use this kind:
https://gilmour.com/products/nozzles-wands/cleaning-nozzles-wands/foamaster-cleaning-sprayer
But still keep a sudsy bucket.
The benefit here is that you can get more soap on a panel than just a sponge alone. It's also easily severable to a regular sprayer.
Foam cannons and foaming a whole car looks neat, and might be ok in some climates, but even in our fairly temperate climate here, the suds will dry out on one end of a car before getting to the other. That's a big problem you don't want. So you're still left messing with a panel at a time.
Pressure washer is too much of a hassle to get out for all but the worst soils, so that kind I'd pass.
I use this kind:
https://gilmour.com/products/nozzles-wands/cleaning-nozzles-wands/foamaster-cleaning-sprayer
But still keep a sudsy bucket.
The benefit here is that you can get more soap on a panel than just a sponge alone. It's also easily severable to a regular sprayer.
Foam cannons and foaming a whole car looks neat, and might be ok in some climates, but even in our fairly temperate climate here, the suds will dry out on one end of a car before getting to the other. That's a big problem you don't want. So you're still left messing with a panel at a time.
I have attachments for both the garden hose and pressure washer. The pressure washer type works best but the garden hose type gets the job done. If I'm washing a car that's not heavily grimed-up, I use garden hose cannon. It doesn't need to be thick foam, you just need soap to loosen-up the dirt. The soap you use is more important that the cannon you use. Presoaking with foam followed by a quick rinse significantly washes away that surface dirt.
Between using foam cannons and separate buckets for wash and rinse, my cars have NO spider scratches. Until recently one of my cars had a solid gloss back finish and it had absolutely no spider scratches.
Ray
Between using foam cannons and separate buckets for wash and rinse, my cars have NO spider scratches. Until recently one of my cars had a solid gloss back finish and it had absolutely no spider scratches.
Ray
They are best used by women in bikinis.
i use mine all the time. i break out my pressure washer , rinse then foam the whole car and then wash mitt. . seems to lube the surface a lot better than just the bucket. also it uses a lot less water than a plain hose
I use mine (the real kind, with a pressure washer) regularly when the car is really dirty (I wouldn't use it if the car just had pollen on it and hadn't driven through rain since the previous wash, for example). I was skeptical; however, there are many times where I visibly see the foam has taken dirt away with it. That's dirt and grit that is being removed without any agitation whatsoever. Is it a magic bullet? No, but I've got a black car and my wife's car is one we expect to have for years so why not do everything possible to protect the finish?
Here's an abridged version of my routine just to show how I use the cannon:
Clean wheels
Foam cannon whole car (2-5 min soak)
Rinse
Two bucket wash
Rinse
Dry
Here's an abridged version of my routine just to show how I use the cannon:
Clean wheels
Foam cannon whole car (2-5 min soak)
Rinse
Two bucket wash
Rinse
Dry
I use my foam cannon. Got a cheapo from Lowe's and drilled the orifice. Hot water makes a nice thick layer.
Looks cool, the kids like it, and it gives me the warm and fuzzies.
Don't need much more for a reason.
Looks cool, the kids like it, and it gives me the warm and fuzzies.
Don't need much more for a reason.
I tried one and gave it to my son to play with. I think its more of a novelty than anything else. I know people say its a great pre-treatment, but didn't notice anything. As far as soaping up the whole car and washing, I prefer the bucket method instead.
Bought one, used it a few times, not sure now what the purpose is. I THOUGHT foaming, followed by a thorough rinse with the pressure washer would be a substitute for using a wash mitt, but I was mistaken. It'll probably be re-purposed for liquid fertilizer or bug killer in the yard.
Originally Posted by WylieCoyote
Bought one, used it a few times, not sure now what the purpose is. I THOUGHT foaming, followed by a thorough rinse with the pressure washer would be a substitute for using a wash mitt, but I was mistaken. It'll probably be re-purposed for liquid fertilizer or bug killer in the yard.
Well then you didn't do any research before getting it.
Bought one, used it a few times, not sure now what the purpose is. I THOUGHT foaming, followed by a thorough rinse with the pressure washer would be a substitute for using a wash mitt, but I was mistaken. It'll probably be re-purposed for liquid fertilizer or bug killer in the yard.
Well then you didn't do any research before getting it.
Originally Posted by gofast182
Originally Posted by WylieCoyote
Bought one, used it a few times, not sure now what the purpose is. I THOUGHT foaming, followed by a thorough rinse with the pressure washer would be a substitute for using a wash mitt, but I was mistaken. It'll probably be re-purposed for liquid fertilizer or bug killer in the yard.
Well then you didn't do any research before getting it.
I don't know what I would do without such astute observations of my posts. But I'd like to find out.
Originally Posted by WylieCoyote
Bought one, used it a few times, not sure now what the purpose is. I THOUGHT foaming, followed by a thorough rinse with the pressure washer would be a substitute for using a wash mitt, but I was mistaken. It'll probably be re-purposed for liquid fertilizer or bug killer in the yard.
Well then you didn't do any research before getting it.
I don't know what I would do without such astute observations of my posts. But I'd like to find out.
I used a regular hose one from the Chemical Guys with Turtle Wax Snow Foam Wash for the first time today and it worked great. Cut the time it takes to wash my travel trailer in half.
Beat routine to absolutely minimise swirl marks.
Rinse car
Spray with foam
Wait 5 minutes
Rinse off with high pressure
Foam car by panel
Wash each panel foamed with mitt and rinse mitt with bucket for each panel
Finish off by rinsing with high pressure
Rinse car
Spray with foam
Wait 5 minutes
Rinse off with high pressure
Foam car by panel
Wash each panel foamed with mitt and rinse mitt with bucket for each panel
Finish off by rinsing with high pressure
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