Expert Tips and Tricks for Using Snow Foam

How do you get the best results from snow foam? You asked, we listened! Read this handy guide to find out how to get the best out of your pre-wash stage in detailing.

What is snow foam?

Snow Foam is designed to soften and lift dirt from your vehicle so that it can be easily rinsed off before you touch the surface with a wash mitt. This will ensure that heavier contamination has been removed to minimise scratches or swirls caused by grit and grime.

See our list of tips & tricks for using snow foam to maximise the benefits:

1. Get a good quality lance

Your pressure washer, lance, and snow foam all work together to create the results you need so it's important that they are all of similar quality. There's no point in using a good-quality snow foam with a low-quality lance! You can shop our snow foam lances including our Slim's Lance with Free Connector and the high foaming PF22. We also have some Lance Kits complete with everything you need (minus the pressure washer)!

2. Apply to a dry car

Although it might be tempting to rinse off your car before applying your snow foam, don't! Snow foam is designed to cling to the surface of your vehicle which it can't do if there is a layer of water in the way. Don't be scared of the dirt and blast your foam right over the top of it. You'll enjoy the satisfying results, trust us.

The only time you should pre-wet the car is when the panel is hot - sometimes you need to cool it down before applying by spraying with cold water first, then allow some of the water to evaporate.

3. Bottom-up

The lower sections of your car will have accumulated the most dirt and grime from the road. When applying your snow foam, start with these heavier contaminated sections to allow for maximum dwell time. Then, when rinsing off, start again from the bottom and work your way up! If you start from the top-down, then you can dilute the snow foam before you get to the areas that need the cling of the product the most.

When it's time to apply your shampoo, you can apply bottom-up and rinse top-down so you don't wash dirty suds back over cleaned areas.

4. Dilution ratios

It's important to follow the dilution ratios of your chosen snow foam as they may vary! Bilt Hamber recommend a dilution ratio for Auto-Foam based on 'panel impact ratio' of 1:20 to 1:100. For light contamination, you can afford to be a bit stingy with the product and save some back. For heavier contamination, up the amount of snow foam you use. Simple!

5. Mix in an all purpose cleaner

One of our favourite pieces of advice is adding Koch-Chemie Green Star to your snow foam to maximise the cleaning power. With its high cleaning power and excellent concentration rates, a little goes a long way!

6. Experiment 

Did you know you can twist the nozzle of most lances to change the shape of the foam fan? Have a play around and see what coverage works best for you. You can also twist the dial on top to adjust the amount of water that comes through (+ for more water, - for less). Experiment with your mixture and nozzle settings until you end up with a thick foam that clings to your car for maximum effect.