Snow Foam & Pre-Wash Guide

What is Snow Foam & Pre Wash?

Snow Foam & Pre-Wash is the initial process taken to thoroughly clean your vehicle however it should never replace bucket washing with shampoo. Snow Foam or Pre-Wash products are applied to the vehicle and allowed to dwell for several minutes. After they have had time to dwell they are rinsed from the surface. As the products go on to the surface they are designed to break down, soften and encapsulate dirt and grime. This allows for them to be washed away in a touchless way. Doing this makes for a safer wash routine and minimises the risk of inflicting swirl marks and scratches.

Differences between Snow Foam & Pre-Wash

You could argue a Snow Foam is a Pre-Wash and that they fall in to the same category which they do, however a Snow Foam produces a thick blanket of clinging foam via a Snow Foam Lance which will sit on the paint work for several minutes during which time it’s cleaning and encapsulating dirt. Typically a Pre-Wash is applied via a Pump Sprayer and will not create a thick blanket of foam but a clear solution which clings and eats into dirt and grime. Pre-Washes are fantastic at removing winter road salt and bug splats. They could also be used to clean the whole vehicle like snow foam.

Snow Foam’s and Pre-Washes can be used together but usually you would only need to use one or the other.

How to use Snow Foam

Getting set up with the equipment for Snow Foam can be expensive but look after it and it will last. Firstly you will need to purchase a Snow Foam Lance, these quality items are built to last and attach to your Pressure Washer. Secondly you will need to purchase a Snow Foam, here you will need to read reviews both on our website and externally to decide what is best for you, alternatively get in contact with us and we will be happy to help.

Snow Foams are designed to be diluted in the Snow Foam Lance. Please check the manufacturers instructions for dilutions ratios. Once the bottle has been filled with your Snow Foam, gently shake up to ensure it’s mixed well. Finally make sure the lance is securely attached to the pressure washer.

Now you can begin to Snow Foam. When applying the Snow Foam to the vehicle try to spread it as efficiently as possible to avoid wasting product. Once the whole car is covered allow it to dwell for several minutes to ensure it does it’s job properly. We always like to begin cleaning the wheels at this point or filling the buckets to prevent us from rinsing the foam off to early.

When rinsing the Snow Foam off we like to start from the bottom and work our way up. If you rinse from the top, by the time you reach the bottom most of the foam will have rinsed away. This will stump it’s effectiveness. (Credit for this tip must go to Alan and the team at AMDetails)

What next?

After carrying out the Snow Foam Pre-Wash process you will have removed a substantial amount of dirt from the paintwork. This is done without making any contact with the surface, making your washing process much safer and easier. So with that in mind this is when you would move on to your washing process which we have a guide for which can be found here: Safe Car Washing Guide

Snow Foam Tips

One of the biggest tips that we can’t stress enough is look after your equipment! The Snow Foam Lance must be regularly flushed out, doing this is simple. When the detergent bottle is empty simply fill with water. Proceed to run it through for several minutes so keep the internals clean. Also try to store your foam lance in a clean environment and do not leave anywhere too cold. When cold snow foam detergents can congeal and affect the performance of the snow foam lance.