Does Snow Foam Actually Work? Well it's not what you think...

[@ruttl1]

Great video and very informative about Snow Foam and how to properly use it. Thanks for letting us know that too much alkaline soap can be damaging and too much snow foam can be useless. Have a great day

[@Chris_8270]

99% of snow foams are too weak. The detailing world loves throwing "pH neutral" around like its the be all and end all. Use an alkaline snow foam for actual cleaning power

[@xlitre13]

Could not agree more, I find bilt hamber eats the dirt nicely as it is an alkaline snow foam

[@douglasalexander4348]

I use Bilt auto foam in IK multi pump spray, not foam spray. Works fine. I’m sure making it foam works a fraction better but it uses a lot more product and a more pumping.

[@basementracer]

You do know that the more Alkaline the soap the more it eats into any wax or polish you may have. Jus sayin........................... If you keep using high Alkaline soaps you will simply remove your polish or wax coat.

[@jcruhrskov194]

I've used ph-neutral several times, with a good result. Foam was dripping brown onto the ground. Airolube "Extreme Foam Cleaner" and Auto Glanz "Piste".

[@supersaabclaire]

I find snowfoam helps lift the muck off when my car is absolutely filthy, I use a citrus pre wash, then the snowfoam, then when it comes to the contact wash it's such an effortless process.

[@jezlucas3878]

Do you pre rince before apc stage ? If dirty I get better results rather than going on with apc dry

[@supersaabclaire]

@@jezlucas3878 yes mate

[@steverabbits]

Hi Dave. Some things I've never got my head around. Most people and manufacturers seem to agree snowfoam should go onto a dry surface to work properly, how does that pan out when putting citrus on 1st? Also, how aggressive on paint is a citrus pre-wash? I've always assumed it's paint safe, if so why only put it on the lower third? I know that's the heavy traffic area but crud off the road gets all over the car and if citrus is safe then why not do the whole car with it? Personally I believe PH neutral foams are a gimmick, I use Bilt Hamber Auto Foam and won't change as it works so well that I don't see any point in trialing any others, I think any difference would be so insignificant that the cost involved in finding out just isn't worth it. Great vid ta mate 👍

[@RojohII]

Citrus prewashes are in general safe to use. Citrus' main function is to dissolve/break down oily roadfilm. Citrus prewashes are basically watered down/weaker versions of tar-removers - which also is paint safe when used as prescribed. Foaming on top helps with dwelltime/reduces risk of chemicals drying out on the paint.

[@kennethturner6791]

Is Bilt Hamber not PH neutral ?

[@decker0373]

​@kennethturner6791 no, they're alkaline, Ph 12 or 13, depending on which one you have

[@steverabbits]

@@RojohII thank you, excellent and very useful information!

[@steverabbits]

@@kennethturner6791 as another poster says, it's an alkaline snowfoam and probably the best one I personally have used.

[@abuhamza1970]

The whole idea of a snow foam is to minimise the amount of dirt on the car when you come to do the hand wash. Old days technique was to grab a soapy sponge and start wiping the car with it. This essentially turns the sponge into a scouring pad and dulls the finish. Using snow foam, then hand washing with a microfibre wash mitt using the two bucket method, is by far and away the best method of getting the dirt off a car whilst maintaining the gloss of the clear coat. If you’re not convinced of the two bucket method then try it and check out the amount of dirt at the bottom of the rinse bucket.

[@tbo2120]

Looking at the bottom of the bucket doesn’t show a thing. What’s the finish on your paintwork after using the two bucket method? That’s what matters. We trailed it. 14 cars over 3 months. The difference? Diddly squat when using two buckets. Using one bucket had the same results. Youre wasting time double dipping.

[@Piner5074]

Still loving my AVA snow cannon like the one you used, perfect for getting that 10:1 extremely easily. Best car cleaning product I’ve ever bought. Big enough to cover both our cars comfortably (I do them both at the same time). Followed extremely closely by the large drying towel from Mcrofre that’s absorbent enough to do the same. I find Bilt Hamber is best… while it’s not as foamy as say Autoglym’s Polar blast, it does grab the dirt better.

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Yeah you can't go wrong with that cannon it's brilliant

[@marcusspinks5258]

@@epicautomotivedetailing I’ve never used a snow cannon but am 🤞🏻 getting the AVA one for Xmas after watching your videos. Is the 10:1 mix you speak of the mix that goes in the cannon container ?

[@marcusspinks5258]

Great and informative video 👍🏻 I’m watching many of you videos so I can clean my car properly, thank you.

[@Kyle_Hubbard]

I'll be honest, I've not really learnt anything. This isn't a pop at you specifically, I've spent a couple hours watching different videos and I don't think I've gotten anywhere. One person says one things and another says something completely different. Words get thrown about without actually being explained, so you go from one thing that turns into five things and then into twenty. What the fuck does alkalinity have to do with washing. What the fuck is a "citrus wash". What the fuck is a "Pre-wash". Unfortunately there are retards out there like me who know absolutely nothing and are trying to learn but the subject is complicated and poses more questions than actually gets answered. I'm getting my first car and I have a second hand (given) pressure washer. It's pretty bog standard, a K2, probably lowest of low with a Karcher foamer. I don't have stupid amounts of money to throw around. I just want something that'll wash all the dirt off and make the car nice to look at. I don't mind have to buy several products and do several things to make the car actually clean and nice to look at. It would just be nice to be able to watch a basic video that explains everything that needs to be explained and in a manner that someone who knows nothing about the subject can learn and actually apply that knowledge. It's so frustrating and demoralising trying to learn something but not actually getting anywhere. This is specific to you, but I've been searching the tube and watched videos that are 30 minutes long that cover one thing in-particular and then finding out that they have a 10+ series that you watch a couple videos and don't get anywhere. Unfortunately not everyone can afford these expensive products that the videos supposed to help explain but actually spends more time talking about the product itself rather than what the product is, what it does, why it does it, and what to look for in a product that you could buy at your own price point instead of a £40-60 bottle of one specific thing.

[@caye6923]

Have you found a solution? I’m like you right now🥲 don’t know what to but

[@ru6886]

Try Chris fix, his super clean series is really useful

[@drumtracksdirect]

My am I the same as you. I've been planning out a way to get going and could just buy a load of stuff with which to get started, but I'm trying to foresee and avoid the numerous "great, I paid £x for that and have no use for it now, what a waste of time" fuck's-sakes that beginners double-facepalm at. Consequently I have so many papers/products/processes jotted down that washing a car now looks like a space program-like process, when in our fathers' day it was just a bucket and sponge. "Much of a muchness" certainly springs to mind with alot of car-washing discourse. EDIT - after some mulling, I know how to put all this concisely. The more car washing videos you watch, the more you're told that anything you do *could* wreck the paintwork...which breeds in you, thoughts of "I'm better off not touching it", which in turn makes you feel a teensy weensy bit gaslit (even if the intentions were good).

[@iansinclair6879]

On the subject of snowfoam , today I used car pro lift and I have to say it comes out very watery which was a bit disappointing even with the foam cannon set to maximum. However the foam I love to use is autobrite direct magifoam it has the cosistancy of shaving foam and clings quite well. Luckily I’m out of snowfoam now so will be ordering some more autobrite magifoam in the new year.

[@cebasmb8250]

Yup carpro lift is watery agreed

[@DavidHalfordsLane]

I like snow foam (Autoglym my preferred), and in conjunction with citrus where needed, I’d thoroughly recommend. Softening road grime pre rinse cannot be a bad thing surely.

[@canalboating]

Bilt hamber Auto foam and you won't go wrong in my humble opinion

[@basementracer]

So I use Adama Mega Foam. I cover the panels I want to clean and let it dwell for about 5 minutes or until it looks like it's ready. Then, I put another layer of foam on it and do the contact wash. My black car looks great and I am very happy with the results. The contact wash is super easy and fast as the car it already soapy and the sponge glides all over the place with little effort. My 0.2

[@Cyprus_Property]

Thanks for the informative video on how to use snow foam Dave. I use an alkaline snow foam directly onto the dry car. This removes most of the dirt but still leaves some of the traffic film. After rinsing it off, I snow foam the car again using a pH neutral snow foam. I leave it on as lubrication for the contact wash with using a one bucket method and four microfibre wash mitts before rinsing. I'd like to use a citrus prewash before foaming, but it costs twice as much here as it does in the UK 😞

[@bodgebodge1012]

nice one dave. yet again always informative.

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Thank you 🙏

[@Triggaaar]

Hi David - quick question following you're video: You could spray a citrus wash from a foam canon all over a car, but only if you don't care about the car much, which suggests the citrus is a bit strong (maybe on LSPs etc?) But you'll usually use a citrus pre-wash on the lower third of nice cars, before adding a foam pre-wash. Why is citrus on the lower third considered ok, but over the whole car through a snow canon only suitable for a car you don't care about? Thanks :)

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

so the lower third is where the most of the dirt is. the problem is if you keep covering the whole car in citrus it will show more as it can potentially damage paint long term. like any chemical really. its a fair point though. for my cars id happily just chuck citrus in a foam cannon and be done with it

[@Triggaaar]

Thank you for the reply, much appreciated. I've just put ppf (xpel Ultimate fusion) on a car and they recommended citrus and pH neutral foam/shampoo, but I guess even citrus can degrade things a bit. Putting it through a cannon would be nice and easy though.

[@James_08_07]

Main issue is most snow foam manufacturers don't give guidance on the PIR you're aiming for. Exception being bilt hamber. Koch Chemie is laughable, they tell you to put about 30ml in a snow foam lance... it's almost impossible for that to ever be the right amount because the concentration ON THE CAR will depend on the lance, your pressure washer, the settings etc. More manufacturers need to follow Bilt Hambers lead and give guidance on the Panel Impact Ratio.

[@PaulDoldenDetails]

Actually only use Alkaline ones these days PH neutral are only really used to take dust off and yes I’ve used Bilt Hamber great video David 👍🏻🇬🇧

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Cheers Paul 🙏

[@AntEloftheHouseofEl]

A top quality snow foam, combined with the correct equipment, will give you a good result. For maximum dirt removal, you need an alkaline foam. But the key is wetting. They NEED to wet the panels thoroughly to actually be effective. For me personally, it has to be Garage Therapy (as it contains some of their amazing Zero Decon) or Bilt Hamber Touchless.

[@dalydetailz2120]

Hi Dave. As part of the pre wash process, on some vehicles snow foam has its place, plus, when a customer sees you using snowfoam, they seem to be more confident that the job is being done better than the roadside companies. I have to be very careful with some of the cars I clean, as they have an original Cellulose paint finish, and harsh chemicals is a big no no. Great info as always Dave.

[@dekoeneridder2452]

Any car needs a contact wash (mostly to get the film off). So i pretty much only use the foam to cover the car with soap and then use my one bucket method.this way i have soaking wet towels on a pre-foamed surface. I am not under the illusion foam works on its own.

[@marktrower2267]

Once again another fantastic and informative video Dave

[@paultaylor9652]

Great video, you always say it as it is, no b/s. Merry Christmas 🎄.

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Thank you Paul

[@paulquickmire4140]

Great video Dave, I know there are hundreds of variables to this debate and I've asked a few people the same question. The top and bottom of most of the answers I got were if it's protected with a wax or sealant then Ph neutral is better and safer for the Lsp. Another popular answer was that if it's my own car and I'm enjoying the whole process then who am I hurting or offending by using a Ph neutral snow foam (with or without citrus/tfr) before the contact wash. At the end of the day it's getting dirt off the car layer by layer and that can only be a good thing...right?? Have a great Christmas and I look forward to next year's content 👍

[@decker0373]

Agreed! Take notice of people that have more understanding but, ultimately, if it's your own car, do whatever makes you happy.

[@paulquickmire4140]

​@@decker0373that's why I asked on the forums. Just to see what people's thoughts were. I've come to my own conclusion that I'm not a professional detailer, I enjoy looking after my car so I'll take the best of ALL the info out there and use it as and when I see fit. Ie a very winter dirty car will need citrus or tfr but in summer the snowfoam on its own should suffice 👍👍

[@senonek]

Hi! Amazing VId. What if you don't have access to water? Or just don't have pressure washer? How would you wash the car then? Optimum no rinse ? would really help!

[@aaronalp2639]

I’ve never been one for PH neutral wash stuff except for shampoo but to me, the shampoo should have, yes surfactants to provide a little cleaning poke but mainly for lubrication against the panel. Personally, I think Alkaline foams and citrus prewash are much more beneficial. If you think back to basic science in school, the cleaning power from a soap is because it is an alkaline. That’s just my way of thinking. If anyone prefers ph neutral, go nuts! Enjoying it is far more important than the ph levels lol!

[@slowsteadysteve6565]

Happy Christmas Dave and a brilliant new year

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Happy Christmas Steve

[@Mogsy28uk]

great video Dave, alkaline snow foam all day long, i use IW Citrus & Powerfoam combo on the Outback unless i'm testing other products, it just works up here in baltic Scotland!

[@Caseyfunnell]

I picked up the Maguires snow form and it’s great I’d say that’s a good form

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Yeah it's a fairly decent all-rounder

[@foxxyfox4382]

I personally think that snow foam is a bit like the emperors new clothes story,everyone says it works but in reality it doesn't.

[@kevincross9206]

You don’t sound your usual chipper self Dave, hope you’re okay 👍🏻 I always do the citrus tfr with snow foam over and it works a treat, and then the contact wash. This video has made me think about the mix more though. I usually just regulate the foam from the Karcher cannon, so sounds like I maybe able to get a better result 😊

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Honestly I'm done with it all mate. It's a crap industry to be in right now

[@M3AutoCare]

@@epicautomotivedetailinghead up lad you’ve built a beautiful social channel and buisness better days will come, Love the videos and not drop your shoulders 🙌

[@kevincross9206]

@@epicautomotivedetailing such a shame as your enthusiasm has always shone through, and is what has made your videos both entertaining and informative. I hope you find some way to work through this that is fulfilling for you 🙏🏼 (I know how miserable it can make things doing a job that doesn’t give anything positive in return)

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

@@kevincross9206 thanks mate I'm seriously putting my energy into the new channel as it has better potential for me. Sadly this channel has gone as far as it can go. I don't want to look back in another 4 years time to only be on 100k subs. I did the TV stuff, the products and had a good run on KZbin but the niche is way too small to take it any further.

[@caljohnstone486]

Mate, chin up I don’t know you but what I do know is you are literally inspiring people, like me off the back of your channel I have completely set up a side hustle, which has resulted in a happier life style as I’m not completely burnt out in my 9-5 anymore…your value is more then you know !

[@phillipusmalan8841]

Is alkaline foam wash safe on ceramic coating?

[@peemick]

interesting! I'm of the opinion that taking 145 bar of pleasure and blasting water at large pieces of grit over the paint is probably not a good thing, without lubrication. I always use a snowfoam. in the summer I find that a citrus in a snowfoam is better for taking off pollen and biological soiling in the spring summer, and alkaline in the autumn winter, when its a more greasy traffic film with out without road salt.

[@saikatbarua2958]

Hey dave what do you recommend for removing waxes and coatings?

[@bennevis21]

Try Garage Therapy Decon Shampoo

[@karl3927]

Thank you for the video Dave. So true about PH neutral snow foams having limited cleaning power. Alkaline for the win. 💪👍

[@Yorci62]

I still wash the old fashioned way, using a car wash and shampoo and then protect with Meguiar’s Ultimate Liquid Wax I was watching your presentation on Meguiar's Snow Foam, it looked impressive. I have seen other channels showboating Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo and Conditioner with a cannon. Both being applied with the cannon and in their descriptions both appear to do the same. Is this a case of two labels of the same thing? Are there any differences between the two? Which is best? Your or any other watchers views and comments would be appreciated.

[@MrFatdaz]

I only use snow foam over a the/citrus pre-wash as I find the weight of the foam‘wipes’ the tfr/citrus pre-wash off! That’s my opinion anyway

[@jonathonbrett-qn1ic]

Brilliant video as always Dave Thank you

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Thank you Jonathon

[@jezlucas3878]

​@@epicautomotivedetailing Dave have you tried double snowfoam process before? Do what you just have again for another go? I have dabbled and seems good in some cases

[@ilikechickensausages2075]

My Alkaline snow foam that i use does a great job, I would only use a PH balanced snow foam on a dusty car. Bowden's Own Mega Snow Job is the brand.

[@Bigdaftboy]

Another great video Dave, Merry Christmas to you and your family and I hope you have a successful New Year!

[@jc7879]

I can see YumCars have just released a video with a very similar title.

[@alistairjones4794]

Dave, been enjoying these latest vids, short and to the point. Hope it’s just the weather getting you down atm, have a great Christmas in the warm and dry. Shame no Leo today, and whatever happened to Dad, was he getting too many followers? 🤭😅

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Thank you, Leo turned up after filming, dad will feature on some more videos soon. I've just got loads going on at moment 🙏

[@edwardospells7477]

Snow foam all kidball , doesn’t remove dirt , just really a lubricante for contact wash .

[@jezlucas3878]

Dave I've got one for you , ph neutral snowfoams are not great but ok for light dust . Could shampoo work as well as a pH neutral snowfoam?

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Sadly not as shampoo is even weaker. It works as a safe lubricant in-between mitt and paint

[@Zoranurai13]

Unpopular opinion: use an ik foamer and a compressor, not a foam lance. Why? You are using the stuff to loosen and soften the dirt that will be rinsed away, just covering it is enough. Using a foam lance you use like 5-10 times more product but the loosening power is about the same, maybe there won’t be a massive layer of fun on there but it is just as effective if not more. For example with bilt hamber, i’d use about 300ml in a lance while for the same car i’d use 50ml with the IK

[@scarboroughrider]

Bucket of water with a sponge and your chosen wash product. Never let me down In 30 years . Add a chammy in the summer days and you’ll be good to go in half an hour. All these pre washes and soapy washes then a wash with a final wash simply doesn’t wash with me.

[@johngray8798]

I used BH snow foam and ended up with terrible streaks which I had to remove using a DA. Same with Autoglym. All instructions followed and it was a cold day. I have completely lost my enthusiasm for the stuff.

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Speed is everything in this game one wrong move and it can set you back. I just don't bother with oh neutral snowflake anymore unless the car is worth more than my life

[@1056944]

Please please please could you recommend a snow foam or alloy wheel cleaner that is non acidic ?? I recently bought a bmw 4 series and washed it at home with snow foam and alloy wheel cleaners. It was looking immaculate until I noticed the black alloy wheels were peeling. I wasn’t told that the alloys had been sprayed black and were silver alloy originally. I’m not sure weather the black paint used was poor or I had stupidly used an acidic product on them. However they have continued to get worse and they are so bad they will cost around £800 to refurb that I am buying some new black gloss alloys and want to now take care of them nicely and not make this mistake again if it was my fault. What should I be looking out for on the bottle?? Or could it have been simply that the previous owner did a cheap paint job? The black paint has blistered all over every wheel looking like a cracked dried up river bed they almost look rubbery and have lost their shine and colour and are chipping away. I came here as I love your videos and know you are the only man to ask! Cheers

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Hiya thats not the fault of the chemicals im afraid thats just down to poor prep from whoever sprayed the wheels before hand

[@jcruhrskov194]

Dave, I have a Q Why is it called a "citrus pre-wash" when it has nothing to do with acid-cleaning? I'm just imagining a lemon which is highly acidic 😄 Thanks again for your remarkable explanations 🤩

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Contains natural orange oils mate

[@jcruhrskov194]

@@epicautomotivedetailing Aaah, that makes perfect sense! 😊

[@EasyAvation]

I’m begging to see what a 1 - 1 ratio please😅

[@M3AutoCare]

What’s litres per hour and psi is your power washer lad?

[@philbaddeley9155]

I am looking at getting a AvA power washer. At b and q they have the easy p50 £189 or the master p60 £329 do you think it’s worth the extra money? And shorter hose length? Is the hose on the easy ok quality? Thanks for the advice Phil

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Hiya the easy machine's are so much better, only drawback is they have now have shorter hoses which isn't great. But on the plus side you can actually get the steel reinforced hose to fit it . I'm not a fan of the master it's a heavy lump of a machine

[@philbaddeley9155]

Thanks for the quick reply. I was thinking the easy has a 12 m hose ok not steel reinforced, but the master only comes with an 8m hose

[@philbaddeley9155]

Easy p50 is 130 bar and the master p60 145 bar is that any thing to be worried about

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

@@philbaddeley9155 depends which one they have completely confused so many people by chopping and changing models. the easy range are he second generation so all new parts. if it says 12m hose stick with it. the 15 bar less means nothing really the p80 is too powerful for most people

[@Bhavrageaverage]

I was looking to buy an AVA pressure washer but on their website everything seems out of stock? Are they having stock issues in the UK being so popular?

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

They are doing something different for 2024 so New Models are coming!

[@JoeHardman]

So if you don't dilute the snow foam enough it will run off the car rather than dwelling?

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Needs to be correct. Too much foam becomes dense and heavy , too thin will run off so you need to follow whichever the brand recommends

[@P.E.J.]

how do you know its 8 to 1 and 10 to 1? do you measure it in some way?

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Measuring jug on Ava foam cannon makes life easier

[@harryblinkhorn2792]

Can I use a alkaline snowfoam on a car with a ceramic coating

[@RojohII]

Yes, no problem.

[@ItsMeYourRealDad]

Yes bilt hamber touchless and autofoam are highly alkaline but they won't harm your ceramic coating. In some circumstances it can help unclog your coating and rejuvenate the hydrophobic properties of the ceramic

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Yes

[@simonmarsh5007]

Great product👍

[@MightyRedChick07]

Can I ask if BH Surfex HD is safe to use as a pre wash on ceramic coated paint? I keep getting mixed answers. TIA Dave, great video as usual 👏

[@usables4028]

What foam cannon would you recommend please, for Karcher k3? I just bought a pressure washer and a fiam but stikk unsure about cannon :/ thank you

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Ava premium cannon. Comes in pack of 3

[@You-are-right-but]

Citrus (acidic?) Prewash followed by Alkaline Snow Foam. I think my Chemistry teacher would ask me WHY?????

[@rileykinsey5865]

I use a foam cannon but you pump it, you don’t need to have a pressure washer

[@dt3460]

Autosmart snowfoam pro, Any good?

[@JohnPooley-te9ei]

Nice 1 Epic

[@forestranger312]

Simple answer NO! It’s a con.

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

It's not though

[@nyqer6636]

Explain 10 to one Is it 1 lot of foam

[@owainstravels3381]

In my opinion ph neutral is pointless. All you’re doing is rubbing dirt into your paint protection. Alkaline better and reapply a simple sealer/wax or whatever every time. In the uk at least, you’re lucky of you car doesn’t need a clean every week or two so you may as well sack off some of the more expensive products for protection

[@izoyt]

snowfoam is a bit of bs, imo (yes, i tried it, not just once) . if you have power washer already, regular rinsing will do same thing as foam, maybe you just need 2 swipes. you'll need to do real manual washing, if you want clean car, end of discussion. what can i advice, is to use steady low rinse of water when manually washing for lubrication and for taking out contamination. works for me every time, much less problems with spots etc when drying out, basically you're done, if you are not that picky about wiping it dry, waxing and all that..

[@MarkRidley-n8k]

I’ve been in the business 35 years never used snow foam ….fully booked for 6 to 8 weeks part time now …..it’s rubbish 🙄

[@ReconTHG]

Yes, TFR/prewash followed by foam gives good results. Snow foam on its own-nah.

[@syncrosimon]

Just use a brush😂

[@bloozism]

I wash my car with stomach acid 😊

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Nice 👌

[@knoparenSOC1]

👍👍👌👌😊

[@royster3345]

No.

[@epicautomotivedetailing]

Define what you want a snow foam to do? Remove 100% of the dirt?