Foaming, is it just all bubbles?

FOAM IS JUST AIR

Fellas, automatic car washes have been using foamers for more than 30 years. Hate to tell you but the foam is nothing but a bit of shampoo with a lot of air.
As the original poster stated you have to knock off the heavy dirt with a pressure washer first.
The foam is nothing more than for customer appeal, if your customers even see how you wash the vehicle.
Someone said the foam provided lubrication, but not really that much.
The lubrication comes not from the foam but from the water on the wash mitt or the hose you might put on the car.
A lot of water is the key and friction, not foam.
Do not allow yourself to be deluded into thinking the foam is saving the finish of the car it is not, I am sorry to say.
It is a lot of water and a perfectly clean wash mitt.
But how can you have a perfectly clean wash mitt if, the second it touches the girt on the car it become imbedded with grit. Grit to small to move out even in a washing machine? Someone tell me that?
Not trying to be a contrarian, but facts are facts, like them or not.

Regards
TWT
 
ABC.....blast from a past. Me wonders how `Ron is doing....

It`s been quite awhile since I`ve used it....as I`m in the zone of new car prep, polish, coat and then 36-48 months later, rinse and repeat. The only other thing in the mix, is the varied spot polishing depending on which @#$ decides to rub the panel in the parking lot.
 
twtbuda said:
...But how can you have a perfectly clean wash mitt if, the second it touches the girt on the car it become imbedded with grit. Grit to small to move out even in a washing machine? Someone tell me that?
Not trying to be a contrarian, but facts are facts, like them or not.
Click to expand...

twtbuda- Welcome to Autopia!

IMO all that really matters with this stuff is whether a person`s vehicle stays the way they want it with the approach they`re using. For *me* that means remaining basically marring-free for many years (between corrections) despite said vehicles getting utterly filthy between washes. My view is that what you mentioned regarding the nearly immediate soiling of the wash medium is indeed critical and that`s why I use the foamgun to facilitate a "dislodge and flush" approach via constant flushing and lubrication.

Heh heh, I simply can`t figure out how some people apparently (oh man, that sounds sorta snarky...adding that "apparently"...but unless I`ve lit a vehicle up in a dark room with a SunGun how can I really *KNOW* its condition?) keep their vehicles marring-free using the approaches they do. If I do that stuff I cause marring. But that`s just me...
 
mobiledynamics said:
ABC.....blast from a past. Me wonders how `Ron is doing....
Click to expand...

Last time he emailed me he was doing fine.

It`s been quite awhile since I`ve used it....as I`m in the zone of new car prep, polish, coat and then 36-48 months later, rinse and repeat. The only other thing in the mix, is the varied spot polishing depending on which @#$ decides to rub the panel in the parking lot.
Click to expand...

Yeah, same here. Despite my frequent advocacy of the stuff, I don`t really need it any more...and that marring from the carelessness of others is the big reason why I have to spot-correct too. Sigh...cost of using `em like real vehicles.
 
Accumulator said:
twtbuda- Welcome to Autopia!

IMO all that really matters with this stuff is whether a person`s vehicle stays the way they want it with the approach they`re using. For *me* that means remaining basically marring-free for many years (between corrections) despite said vehicles getting utterly filthy between washes. My view is that what you mentioned regarding the nearly immediate soiling of the wash medium is indeed critical and that`s why I use the foamgun to facilitate a "dislodge and flush" approach via constant flushing and lubrication.

Heh heh, I simply can`t figure out how some people apparently (oh man, that sounds sorta snarky...adding that "apparently"...but unless I`ve lit a vehicle up in a dark room with a SunGun how can I really *KNOW* its condition?) keep their vehicles marring-free using the approaches they do. If I do that stuff I cause marring. But that`s just me...
Click to expand...

@Accumulator, I don’t remember seeing you write a sentence that long. ;)
 
GearHead_1 said:
@Accumulator, I don’t remember seeing you write a sentence that long. ;)
Click to expand...
And, given the way I can go on, that`s saying something huh?!? Just couldn`t resist that little(?) digression...

Eh, give me a little while and I`ll come up with something even worse, just wait and see :D
 
So that is the correct process: rinse off, foam cannon let sit, rinse off foam then mitt wash and soap, two bucket method, electric air blower dry... :hmmm:
 
Dispatch said:
So that is the correct process: rinse off, foam cannon let sit, rinse off foam then mitt wash and soap, two bucket method, electric air blower dry... :hmmm:
Click to expand...

The problem is there is no correct things when it`s comes to methods. Just what you prefer and find out what works for you. And what benefits you get from the different ones or what the downside is.

From what I have experienced with the part of pre-rinse and foam and rinse or foam on dry paint then rinse. Is when I foam on dry paint I get a longer dwelling time. This get the benefit that it`s takes longer to dry on the paint which I don`t want to happens. And I get the possibility to clean with the water pressure from the PW when I start from the bottom and work my way up. The not visual benefit is that the foam capsulate the dirt and get some lubrication when it`s rinsed off. Or at least I think so lol. The cleaning ability between dry foam it and prerinsed IME is that the dry foam catch up cause of the longer dwelling time. This is when useing the same kind of foam. It`s cleaning ability is from what product you use when foaming. And the benefit on very dirty car the use of a dedicated prewash foam is important. Now I have access to a little larger offerings of prewash foams. But Gyeon Foam or gtechnic w4 citrus foam or Angelwax Fastfoam or Angelwax Cleanliness good ones. So with maintance washes I always starting with prewash foam on a dry car. When doing decon washes I have a different approach.
 
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