What Is Snow Foam, Why Use It & How To Apply It

[@DannySeventySeven]

Cheers mate. With my impending first ever black car purchase, I'm finally entering the snow foam world! As a newbie, this is useful info.

[@daniell5068]

Hi Mat, Thanks for this video! Just starting out detailing. Using EZ Car Care cleaning products which so far are good. However have hosepipe nan currently so can’t use pressure washer!

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Hosepipe ban! Where are you?

[@hedydd2]

Hosepipe ban does not apply if you are using a metered water supply for commercial purposes. You do need to be paid for your services and someone has to pay for the water.

[@johnnyfearlesszrx]

Is there a product that can be sprayed on the suds that are left on the floor at the end of a wash to break the suds down? Or is it just a case of rinsing them away, which is not that easy and they stay around for ages if they're left.

[@MartynDews]

Another useful video Mat. I asked for a snowfoam lance and fluid for my birthday after watching a few of your videos. I gave it a go the other day and I think I need to perfect the technique. There was a LOT of foam and my children, wife and most likely the neighbours probably thought I was mad! I think I might need to turn the dial down a bit!

[@TheDetailingSpace]

haha, glad you're enjoying it👍🏻

[@evilwomanofdoom]

Thanks Mat, after being into detailing 12 years finally got myself birthday gift of autobrite lance, praying we have good bank holiday weather at end of the month to try it out.

[@joecarrolljnr]

Normally avid Autosmart Ultra mousse user. I last week purchased Nerta Sky WE from supplier in Netherlands. Probably best foam I have ever used. Used it on heavily soiled Peugeot partner van (white) and it removed 95% of dirt. It's very cost effective and a tiny amount makes full bottle for s/f lance. Definitely more "bite" that AS UM.

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Same here, used AS Ultra Mousse for years

[@RookieRay]

I can’t stand on my driveway without every neighbour coming out for a 20 min yarn

[@TheDetailingSpace]

🤣

[@steve61098]

😆

[@B3RG3RS0N]

I'm confused so you use snow foam then rinse AND them wash? Or just foam rinse and you are done🤔

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Yes, apply, let it soak, rinse and then wash

[@B3RG3RS0N]

Thank you😀👍

[@GarageTherapyOfficial]

Hi Mat! The logic behind us developing a shampoo that can be put through a foam lance was for the following reasons: 1. Versatility. Not everyone's car is extremely filthy when doing a weekly clean so the shampoo will do a great job of covering the whole car, softening the contaminants and depending on ones process either go straight to washing or rinse it off then wash. 2. Forms (some could say integral) part of a safe washing method. The more lubricity you have on the surface, the less chance of swirling/scratching the paints clear coat. Especially if you allow the shampoo to soften the dirt before hand and go straight to washing with the foam on there. 3. Elimination of additional products and thus potentially saving time / costs. 4. Snowfoams tend to "damage" the LSP protection or even mask the protective qualities of the LSP, especially if they are left to dwell for too long. Multiple reasons for this and yes there are pH neutral snowfoams that do a decent job however there are compromises made with those. Forensic Detailing video highlights this extremely well. More specifically, GT's /ONE: Car Shampoo is a pretty powerful shampoo even with it being pH Neutral so in our process it works well, especially on a protected car. Good video and keep up the good work! //GT Team

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Thanks for the information guys 👍

[@jasonmennie9629]

This is very good information from garage therapy, a very honest and TRUE statement, great to see from a detailing product company. Now at the minute i still pre wash, but that may change in the future for me, after collecting information from videos etc and my own testing. Now in the u.s snowfoams are not really used, they are deemed a waste of time. Dylan von kleist and jason rose of rupes, talked about this in a recent obsessed garage video, basically saying it's a waste of time and not necessary, also saying ph neutral foams don't do jack and alkaline foams WILL affect lsp, not matter how much the manufacturer tells you it's lsp safe and based of my own experience i can agree with that. Now iam not saying foaming is a waste of time, if you wanted to purposefully help break down a old wax etc you could use a strong snowfoam to help this or if the car was seriously neglected again the use of a pre wash will help, but on a maintained and protected car, a good rinse and wash session is all that is needed and WILL be safe. Also foaming is fun, so people will still do it for that reason alone. P.s great video as always matt.

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Thank you Jason

[@GarageTherapyOfficial]

@@jasonmennie9629 Nice post Jason. What I would say is PH isn't the only variable that can affect an LSP and isn't the outright measurement of that. For example, IPA is PH Neutral.

[@jasonmennie9629]

@@GarageTherapyOfficial yeah their is that also, but i would also say that any chemical that cleans a cars paintwork to 80 to 90% without touching it is a aggressive form off cleaning. When machine polishing a car we get told 'least aggressive method first' that same mantra should also be used when washing a car, as i said above fair enough on a dirty unprotected car that needs an aggressive clean, but a well protected, maintained car, does not need an aggressive wash (snowfoam).

[@hedydd2]

Apart from the foam, what’s the difference between snow foam and TFR traffic film remover? Not the nasty cheap caustic TFR but neutral ph TFR?

[@HEADBANGERINGS]

Hi Mat another informative video for us to watch , thank you. My method is that i use a TFR through a pump+lance then Turtle wash n wax through a foam lance( bought 25Ltr from Costco). Then power rinse off, two bucket method then a Qd dry. Been doing this for quite a few years and only alter the procedure depending on dirtiness of the car.I will say that i have now ceramic coated (G-Techniq) and it brings a new and easier wash for me. Keep it coming, Davy

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Glad you enjoyed. Good to hear your method

[@hedydd2]

Why not use a mitten or sponge direct to the snow foam so that you can see where you sweep? Also I always start rinsing with the pressure washer, not too close, starting at the bottom and working up. It seems to result in less chance of streaks.

[@acke26]

You should actually rinse from the bottom to the top. The foam covers the suface to loosen up the dirt and contain it. When doing a touchless pre wash the high pressure beam works like a brush and when rinsing, it carries the dirt away. The beam actually shoots away the foam containing the dirt. That's why you shoukd rinse from the bottom. When rinsing from the top first the water runs down and rinses away the foam of the lower parts without the high pressure beam hitting the foam and dirt as supposedly. And also, without the foam covering unrinsed parts, it's easy to miss a spot when you can't see where you have rinsed. Starting from the bottom rinsing horisontally line by line working yourself up, you'll always keep track where to rinse. Yes, rinsing from bottom to the top takes more time and water, but this is the way professionals do for the reasons stated above. When you hand wash a car you remove the dirt mechanically and then there's no reason to rinse from the bottom to the top. Then off course it's much more efficient to rinse from the top. There's a big difference.

[@hedydd2]

I rinse from the bottom to the top with a pressure washer about two to three feet away from the body [if using at full pressure] regardless of whether I’ve used a mechanical cleaning cycle using a bit, sponge or window cleaning brush after foaming or TFR application. I find it potentially leaves less streaks doing it horizontally from the bottom to the top. But I do use a 15lpm pump and use about 30litres to rinse an average SUV.

[@stepheno2462]

In your opinion what is the best pre wash degreaser for paintwork

[@juanchoja]

I have been thinking that unless the car is quite dirty, a snow foam wash with the microfibre mittens like shampoo was the way to go if you don't want to strip the wax away, if I use the sow foam and shampoo, should I have to wax?

[@bobbob8858]

Is it okay to use snow foam on alloy wheels

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Yes if course 👍

[@johna7862]

Just bought a snow foam lance & used once. I had loads left in bottle after covering car, is it advisable to clean lance after every use or can the remainder be kept & used for next wash? TIA.

[@TheDetailingSpace]

You can keep the remainder in the bottle. Keep the lance separate and rinse through after use (dip it in the rinse bucket and run some water through for a few seconds)

[@johna7862]

@@TheDetailingSpace Thanks mate.

[@TheDetailingSpace]

No problem 👍🏻

[@brianm8998]

So glad I found you. Yes there's many detailers in the USA but it's great to have a British guy like your self. Just bought a MK 3 Audi tt don't trust the local car washes to clean my car so I've bought a karcher and will attempt to look after the car my self. I like the way you really go in to detail. Looking forward to watching your vids. Could I please ask you one question I'm the 2 and owner of my car 🚘 the car only has 7000 miles on spedo but sadly it's looks like the first owner took the car to the local carwash for clean and valet. My door cards appear to have gone a horrible shinny black. I'm pretty sure they are meant to be the pebble finish that the dash console should be. I tried some maghans satin finish on the door cards hoping to get them back to pebble finish sadly it did not work. Can you please give me your thoughts and advice products I should try to get the door cards back to the way they were. It just floors me someone will spend £34.000 on a new vehicle and let the local £6 car wash look after the cleaning and valeting of the car. Again so glad I've found you. 👍😀😀😀😀😀

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Thanks for the kinda words.... Are the leather trimmed or plastic? Sounds like they need a good clean. There are videos on here such as "15 steps to interior detailing" and me detailing the leather of my car. Anyway, for plastic, you need some APC, a brush and microfibre. Spray, work in with a brush and wipe away with the cloth until it look natural. For leather replace the APC with a dedicated leather cleaning product, and use a soft leather brush. Same process applies 👍

[@brianm8998]

The door cards are plastic

[@TheDetailingSpace]

ok.

[@ajackson-ross7295]

What’s the best snow foam Lance for a karcher

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Speak to DetailedOnline or Stjarnagloss about their widemouth options.

[@tylerrastall2455]

Hi I’ve experiment on a few family members cars with car shampoo from the £1 shop in my snow foam bottle and it does a great job no streaks and basically your just paying for the label but £1 shop do great products

[@TheDetailingSpace]

I plan on doing a "pound shop" detail at some point

[@3doorcosworth]

I use snow foam as the wash. So I apply it then use a microfibre brush and go over the car with that then rinse. Comes up nice. Is this wrong then?

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Yes and no... if doing that, maybe consider swapping the snow foam product for an actual shampoo - apply that via a lance and then do what you're doing.

[@3doorcosworth]

@The Detailing Space may get both then. Snow foam first. Let that lift stuff. Rinse. Shampoo, wash, then rinse. Polish. Is that the best order. Sorry I'm not that clued up but love washing my cars and having them clean

[@graham7131]

Which is a good snow foam as the one I'm using is not that thick and dries very quickly

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Erm, if you want something thick, give Stjarnagloss Sno a try 👍

[@MA-qx6rn]

great video, actually useful thanks

[@Matt-ft2fc]

Always sceptical with snow foam I've never seen it make a difference, I've got a load to get through at the minute as I bought some with a lance on offer. Thinking ill stick to just citrus pre wash instead after it's gone or try bilt hamber foam and call it a day

[@TheDetailingSpace]

It does seem to be a bit marmite....

[@littled.b5967]

How’s it going , do you know where I can find some colored foam , I’ve been looking everywhere 🙏🏻

[@PaulDoldenDetails]

Great video Mat I think you covered that very well I recently did a snowfoam prewash and rinse down then put shampoo through the lance and a small amount in my wash bucket it literally turbocharged the wash system give it a go and let me know what you think 🤔👍🏻 as always for your videos

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Yeah, I saw your video. That did seem like a good step, especially on really filthy cars. Fortunately I don't let mine get that dirty 😁 I could see shampoo through a lance being very useful in the winter though when you want to literally give the car a very quick wash and get back into the warmth of the house.

[@michaelloftus3576]

Another great vid Matt. Good point about pre-rinsing (a muddy car) before snow foaming.

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Thanks Michael 👍🏻

[@fourlegsandatail7882]

Hi. I've just joined to your channel. Thanks for the advice I'm doing my fiat 500 in the late morning with my new McGregor 1400w it has the Lance I need for snow foam and use same product as you pure definition it looks amazing. Cheers

[@Lifeofrave7]

Insightful video buddy!

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Thanks

[@TheJimbobjimmy]

Can I put fairy liquid in a foam lance 💀

[@shammy9]

Another great tutorial. I'm going to give it a go!

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Glad you found it useful

[@Cookie-y1d]

This is extremely useful and helpful information for me to know. I am going to be doing DIY car washing, so am gathering equipment and info. Many many thanks my friend.

[@guzzyb]

I tend to snow foam then rinse, snow foam again then 2 bucket wash whist the foam is still on the car . Works for me.

[@jakemeades356]

Great video, generally, what brand do you think is best? As in, has the most amount of great products

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Honestly, I don't think you can pick just one brand. I do have some favourites, and all for different reasons.

[@LothianValet]

Another outstanding video Matt. Look forward to next week's

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Thank you 👍🏻

[@markfern]

Good video. Thanks for the detailed information 👍

[@bitsmart...]

is there any snow foam that WASH car not only "soak" it? because if not it is just waist of money. I have always used degreasing before contact wash that dissolved all the dirt then rinsed the car with high pressure for contact washing - all this for a fraction of what snow foam costs.

[@billyhart2480]

Can I just uses snow foam to wash my car or do I still need other stuff ??

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Usually you would use a shampoo afterwards. Some shampoos can be used as a snowfoam 👍

[@gazza9463]

From experience, I find if the car is lightly soiled,snow foam, rinse then towel dry suffices. However if heavily soiled it's, rinse, snow foam , rinse, then shampoo with mitt, rinse, towel dry.

[@fabionvieira28]

I can’t wash my car on my new house as it’s not allowed, so even though I have a pressure washer and all that I have to go to my nearest BP garage and use the self car wash facility. I would like to snow foam the car but don’t know if there is any attachment that I could use on those lances as the isn’t a connector on the Lance. I know I could buy an ik9 foamer but it ain’t the same. Do you know if there’s any way I could use their lances to snow foam?

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Damn, that's harsh.

[@TheDetailingSpace]

You're in the UK aren't you? I've never heard of areas in this country that don't allow you to wash your own cars. I know in the states they sometimes have strict community rules if you live in one of those type of communities. (like keeping your grass under a certain height, bins must be collected back in before a certain time etc).

[@jayjohal6892]

So basically I still have to wash my car normally using a bucket 🪣 and sponge 🧽 afterwards?

[@mrbone-jangles245]

Try not to use a sponge, sponges have a nasty habit of holding onto dirt within and creating swirl marks within the paint work. Best thing to use is a microfiber mitt, easier to wash as you just bung it in the washing machine and much softer on the paintwork

[@MaTTy86-BG]

thank you Mat brilliant videos liked and sujbscribed

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Thanks 👍

[@brianm8998]

Thanks so much for speedy reply. I'll take your advice and try the steps you have told me 👍😃😃😃

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Not a problem at all 👍

[@lensman7519]

Shaving foam, cheers good info ty

[@stepheno2462]

Great video.

[@fabionvieira28]

Great video! Sorry but I have to ask, who did your background? The same guys that did the background for Theresa May 2017 Tory conference? Lol I bet it scared the hell out of you. Keep them coming.

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Haha

[@topbloke60]

Very interesting video Mat with a good explanation but I somehow cant get the hang of snowfoaming/shampooing etc...any chance of a demo? I can supply the car and I noticed youve got 75% of a bottle of that snow foam stuff... Ah well was worth a try - yet again lol Keep up the good work Mat

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Haha, sure... I may be free next weekend (depends if I get my mates car in).

[@andrewbratley7155]

Thanks a great description of what snow foam does.

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Not a problem. Glad you found it useful 👍

[@Chris_8270]

The snow foam debate is a bit of a can of worms, people use so many different methods be it just rinsing the car, snow foam, citrus pre wash or mixing a bit of citrus pre wash with the snow foam. People should just stick with what they feel is the best results for them. I always rinse from the bottom up. I had it in my head when I started detailing that if I rinse from the bottom upwards that the foam is still clinging to dirt on the car while I'm rinse rather than me starting at the top and washing the foam off the car before I get to tree bottom of the car, now it's just habit

[@TheDetailingSpace]

That is true... And APC in Snow Foam - damn, I haven't done that for years! As for rinsing bottom up, that's fine. Funny how we all develop habbits in the early days and then a decade or so later we're still doing it the same way lol

[@Chris_8270]

Amazing how habbits stuck with you like ever since I started cleaning cars if I'm polishing, waxing, de-contamination etc I'll always start at the right rear quarter panel lol

[@TheDetailingSpace]

I've always reversed my cars onto the drive when I get home, but have to spin them around to wash them. I always do the drivers wheel first, then go clock wise around the car. Same with washing. Windows, roof & bonnet first, then driver's wing and work clockwise around the car lol

[@Fd20y]

I thought foam was to speed up the process as well as take away the need to use sponges which trap grit therefore messing the Paint. Thought it was a convenience thing. I’ve just bought a IK pro 12 foamer lol

[@ObsessiveCarDetailer]

👍👍

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Thanks 👍🏻😍

[@gottliebdee263]

Personally, never use a pressure washer if I don't need to. I can see how you'd want it for the SnowFoam stage but for the rinse, no. That's how I treat my car, why stress the seals if you don't need to?

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Fair enough. But you don't have to force water at the seals, or just reduce the pressure... Guess most people use it as they already have the pressure hose out rather than un-reeling more hosepipe to rinse with that.

[@gottliebdee263]

@@TheDetailingSpace That's just me. I avoid it completely. You guys are of course free to not be so needlessly anal.

[@bradleymiller437]

I understand “one lee’er bo’uhl” but what did you say when holding up the equipment before it? What is that? I’m American. Speak the queen’s English for fek’s sake!

[@TheDetailingSpace]

No all Brits speak like the Queen.... 😂

[@bradleymiller437]

@@TheDetailingSpace omg you respond only to tell me that there is more than one accent in England and didn’t tell me what the product was! 😫 gahhh! 🤣🤣🤣

[@8803surri]

Charisma required!

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Haha, sorry 👍🏻

[@stueyk]

How enthusiastic do you want him, he's talking about a spray foam 😂😂

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Haha, cheers

[@joelwoolley7063]

Zzzzzzzzzz

[@TheDetailingSpace]

Thanks for taking the time to comment 👍