April 19th, 2023 by Shauna Hammond

You may have heard about Snow Foam – it has fast become one of the most popular methods of cleaning cars – but you may find yourself thinking what is snow foam and is it really worth all the hype? Well in this blog we will give you the ultimate rundown on snow foam – what it is, how it’s used and if it’s the right choice for you.

What Is Snow Foam?

So, let’s start from the beginning by answering the question what even is Snow Foam? Well, snow foam is a specially formulated pre-wash that is designed to be used in conjunction with a pressure washer and a snow foam lance. The detergent then produces a thick layer of foam when applied with the lance and then sits on the body of the car just like - you guessed it – a blanket of snow!

The detergent then dwells on the car for a few moments while the special formula breaks down even caked-on dirt and grime making it easier to rinse away. As mentioned above snow foam is a pre-wash so once it has been rinsed away you need to follow up with your regular contact wash.

Why Should I Use Snow Foam?

Now you may be thinking if you still have to wash your car – why should I even bother using Snow Foam, well that’s because it’s packed full of benefits that will ultimately make cleaning your car much quicker and easier.

As mentioned snow foam will dwell on the surface of your car and loosen dirt and grime a large amount of this will be washed away once you begin rinsing your car but the few stubborn bits that remain will be much easier removed by the contact wash – while the lubricated surface helps to protect your car’s paintwork from scratching and streaks that can be caused by soap. It will also leave your paintwork with a high-shine finish that is better protected against the build-up of dust and water marks keeping your car looking clean for longer between washes.

What Can I Use Snow Foam On?

Snow foam is incredibly versatile and is perfect for use on most vehicles from cars, vans, lorries, buses, motorcycles and even bicycles! That’s because it uses a gentle on-paintwork but tough-on-dirt formula that is often pH neutral, such as our Cleenly Snow Foam - this means that it will easily lift dirt and grime without damaging paintwork or affecting any previous wax and coatings.

How to Use Snow Foam

Using snow foam is a very simple process as long as you have the correct equipment - as mentioned above this means a pressure washer and a snow foam lance. Both of these are essential as the combination of these two items is what gives the detergent its snowy texture. Applying by hand would be the equivalent of using any standard shampoo while using a hose pipe and a snow foam lance will not generate enough air pressure to agitate the mixture into foaming. Then follow these steps -

Step 1: Prepare the snow foam solution

The best way to mix snow foam is to follow the manufacturer's instructions however typically, you will need to dilute the solution with water, depending on the concentration of the product.

Step 2: Apply the snow foam to the car

Once you have prepared the solution, you can now apply it to the car. Start from the bottom and work your way up, making sure to cover the entire surface of the vehicle.

Step 3: Let the foam dwell

After applying the snow foam to the car, you need to let it dwell for a few minutes. This will allow the solution to break down dirt and grime on the surface of the car. The solution may start to run after around a minute but this is totally normal.

Step 4: Rinse off the snow foam

After allowing the foam to dwell for a few minutes, you can now rinse it off with water. Make sure to use a high-pressure setting on your pressure washer to remove all of the snow foam from the car.

Step 5: Follow up with contact wash

After the snow foam has been rinsed away you can now follow up with your usual contact wash however in some cases where the car has not been too dirty you may be able to simply buff your vehicle’s paintwork with a micro-fibre cloth.

What is The Best Mixture for Thick Snow Foam 

While we would always recommend following manufacturers’ guidelines for mixing your snow foam solution – the truth of the matter is that there is no exact science behind how to get the perfect foam. This is due to the fact that there are many contributing factors that can affect your foam.

Things such as pressure, water temperature, external temperature, the surface temperature of the vehicle and even how hard or soft your water is can affect the thickness of your foam. Finding the correct mixture for you does take some trial and error on your own part. However, here at Cleenly, we find that a good starting place is to mix the solution with warm water at a ratio of 3:1 – decrease or increase the solution accordingly if you find the foam isn’t quite right for you.

When is the Best Time to Use Snow Foam?

While you can use snow foam at any time of the year there are a few important things to take note of to ensure you are getting the best performance.  For example, do not use it during freezing temps, this is more due to the fact that applying warm water to your frozen vehicle can cause cracks and damage to the windscreen and other delicate areas. Also, do not use snow foam during incredibly hot weather – after all, we all know how hot our car’s surface can become during the summer – applying snow foam will cause the bubble to pop and it will not dwell on the surface before sliding off the vehicle without being able to remove any dirt  - the same principle applies to not washing immediately after you have just driven your vehicle give it some time to cool off first.

There you have it! A complete guide to snow foam. We hope this article has given you a better understanding of what snow foam is, how it works and when the best time is to use it.

5L Cleenly Cherry Snow Foam

Price: £17.95

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