Anyone use foam guns?

[xtremekustomz]

Specifically the ones that you can buy from Autogeek?

[imported_Detailing Technology]

I do. I have mixed feelings about it. It works as advertised, but I don`t know how to quantify the benefit of using it in a non-production environment. It does add time to my wash, but I don`t know if the car comes out any cleaner or if it reduces the chances of marring.

[xtremekustomz]

Well....I ended up ordering one the other day. I don`t mind it taking me longer to wash my truck. I`ll probably just use my pressure washer to knock off all the loose dirt and then spray with with a good coat of foam and wash it with a sheepskin mitt. The clear on my truck is soft and easy to scratch so I want to take every precaution possible. I don`t want to have to get the pc out if I don`t have to.

[BanditSRT]

Yup I have one and love it! It`s helped reduce my wash-induced marring. Once you get the hang of using it, I think it`ll save you some wash time.

[SuperBee364]

http://autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/90131-foam-guns-waaaaay-too-much-fun.html

[BigAl3]

Specifically the ones that you can buy from Autogeek?



all three of the foam guns that AG sells (AG, Pinnacle, Wolfgang) are ALL made by gilmour. also, the simple green and butchers foam guns use gilmour parts and are made by gilmour as well (they all are just different in cosmetics). here`s a cool vid... http://autopia.org/forum/detailing-product-discussion/68918-foam-gun-got-foam.html?highlight=foam+gun

[David Fermani]

We need Accumulator to chime in on this one. He`s a foam gun guru.

[Z06Mike]

I have been using the AG foam gun for a couple months now and I really like it. I use the CR Spotless Deionizer to feed the foam gun and for the rinsing.



Works great!

[RCBuddha]

Love my Foam gun, makes washing easier to do, since I don`t have to keep reaching down to scoop the suds from the bucket. I find it works especially well for SUV/Truck roofs.



I would only recommend getting the larger size (half gallon I think) so you can do more than one vehicle with the wash solution.

[P1et]

I personally have the $10 Lowes foam gun and it works pretty great!

[InfamousDX]

I have the gilmour foam gun and I feel it reduces my washing induced marring. I love it!

[Accumulator]

We need Accumulator to chime in on this one..



Yeah, I use `em at every wash. I use the smaller-bottle version as it`s easier to control when doing it my way, which has the nozzle of the foamgun very close to the surface of the car.



I spray the foam at the point where the wash media contact the paint, moving the foamgun so the suds cover the entire area of contact. I "jiggle" the medium in use so that any marring that does occur is very small (no 6" scratches from wide-arcing wash movements). Don`t apply significant pressure to the wash media, have it barely touch the surface. Try to keep suds between the media and the paint.



BHBs will, within reason, pretty well self-rinse when used this way (you can maybe do a whole panel before rinsing them out), but mitts will have to be rinsed out per usual, i.e., whenever there`s a possiblity that some dirt has stuck to them (I`ll rinse them out maybe six times for a hood, more if it`s truly dirty).



I still use the two-bucket method, the foamgun is merely providing additional lubrication and better flushing of the surface being washed. I`ve noticed that when I use the BHBs for the intitial passes, my rinse buckets are almost perfectly clean at the end of a wash, even in the winter! That tells me that my "dislodge and flush" approach is working, no dirt is sticking to the wash media to cause marring.



I keep a gallon jug filled with diluted wash solution and I fill the foamguns from that. I have the foamguns on dedicated hoses and use different hoses for rinsing.



Using foamguns makes my washes take *longer* then they used to, but I don`t have to polish out wash-induced marring every year, even after a nasty winter. Not polishing vehicles for ages is worth it to me, especially on the old ones that can`t stand much more abrasion.



Heh heh, doing it my way is pretty tough when it comes to the roofs of SUVs or the minivan...trying to hold the foamgun at the right angle, while moving it just right, takes effort and practice.



For that matter, I must`ve used a foamgun a few dozen times before I got my technique sorted out. After the first dozen tries I gave up on it for a while, thinking it was a toy/gimmick, until I thought the whole thing through thoroughly and had a few :think: :think2 moments.

[imported_Blake]

I love the foam gun but you sure can`t use it as well in the sun or if the surface of the vehicle is hot. Takes some getting used to but it is well worth the effort.

[DM101]

What I do is rinse the car down with the regular nozzle. Then snap on the foam gun bottle with soap. Soap the car up real good. Then rinse the soap off with the regular nozzle. Then I take a bottle of QEW (you choose brand) spray car down good. LET THE QEW STAY ON THE CAR...... If its sunny or hot move the car inside the garage. Then If there is not enough water to do a QEW wipe down I have a 2.5 gallon sprayer (bug sprayer) filled with mixed QEW....Apply as needed... Wipe car down with dry MF towels and have a clean water bucket to rinse towels out if they become excessivly dirty. Wring towels out as needed. Process is very smooth takes a little more time than a straight QEW wipedown but you have a clean car. Remember to do the Rims last with a different MF towel...Sounds hard but its easy.

[EdLancer]

Me



Pressure wash, foamgun and pressure wash again with DI = touchless carwash !