I only add degreaser when I’m trying to strip any hydrophobic properties to lay down a new sealant. Otherwise the foam cannon is great for maintenance washes.
What your definitely not a detailer at all if you not using degreaser. Or you clean clean cars deadass 14+ yrs doing detailing an degreaser has always been a #1 choice.
@@flanbro3530 well like I said you don't detail. If you know the car is clean you don't use degreaser at all. An if it has ceramic coating an all the car is clean. See listen to his words ok it has nothing to do with a wipe down. Ceramic is for cars that are not drove on a daily why you think people are getting rip off thinking ceramic coating is meant for daily drivers it's not. They have them but it only last 2months tops, so guess what your gonna use degreaser if the car is dirty,dirty.
Don't do this. The degreaser is going to strip off all the wax or ceramic coating that's on the paint. Degreasers aren't made to be used on clear coated paint. The soap from the foam Cannon is there for you to hand wash after you sprayed it on.
First off as a detailer removing the old wax is the idea as we are going to wax it again anyways. Secondly degreaser is not going to remove a ceramic coating, it might remove the "ceramic" detail sprays, but it is not going to remove a professional grade ceramic coating, nothing will short of wet sanding it off. Virtually every professional detailer out there presoaks the cars they do in a degreaser to lift dirt, it's actually the most paint safe method to avoid wash swirls. And they absolutely make degreasers designed for automotive paint. But hey you probably know more than the professionals.
@@Fitzy25 🦾🦾🦾 thank you fellow detailer. It's like these people know something they never done at all it was killing me to read these comments like seriously. Opinions in this world today is death to life an success.
I typically will add some kind of degreaser to my soap. Reason being the soap will help carry the degreaser though the foaming and increase the amount of time it will rest on the paint Or I’ll diluted my degreaser 5:1 in pump sprayer if the vehicles paint very contaminated. I’ve detailed hundreds of car when I was a detailer and tbh it’s all about testing, researching how chemical work and paying attention to what gets results in the safest way to maintain the longevity of said paint.
@@richardmohan1037 you shouldn't have to explain that if they detail cars. They think you going to pour degreaser allover and let it set in no water mix in with it.
This guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Foam soap isn’t to remove dirt- it’s to create a layer of lubrication to minimize scratching your paint with surface layer dirt during your contact wash
@@schmidtygt still don't need it. I detail cars an trucks an foam baths are waste of time. Makes no sense in why use it an still gotta wash the car? When you can do a degreaser bath an wash the car the sametime.
I always thought the foam canon is to give you that thick layer of foam to help lubricate the paint while using the wash chenille mit from the actual wash bucket.
That’s exactly what it’s for, I think he’s just talkin about pre washing which if so he’s right the better alternative is too just give a thorough rinse w a good psi pressure washer that’s what I do
@@nimrodnimrodnimrodnimrod lmfao nope....if you don't detail don't guess at all. You clay the car after you wash the car with water both else or detail spray.
You don't want to use any type of Degreaser or all-purpose cleaner because will remove what ever protection you have on your paint... otherwise will have to reapply wax or whatever you use to protect your paint.
Doesn’t adding that strip wax? Similar to going into an auto car wash where they use a good amount of that stuff to make the car clean quickly but it leaves the paint exposed? Could be wrong but this is something to think about adding to the foam cannon.
Any weaker wax possibly but if you think about it, it’s super diluted in the foam cannon and then gets diluted again at the nozzle so it’s very mild cleaning wise Then fresh protection can be applied with a drying aid
Yea your right don’t listen to this advice if your going to put apc add it to the soap I still don’t do this unless I’m applying my machine wax process after
Adding a bit of degreaser will not strip wax. Put some wax on your hands, spray done degreaser at the same concentration on your hands, and run them under water without scrubbing. I promise you it won't take off more than 5% of the wax. The foam is sprayed of the car with water and not scrubbed.
Most degreasers have strong degreasing chemicals in them that are not clear coat friendly. Over time your clear coat will start to haze which then means you'll have to cut it down to bring back that shine so I'll pass.
You can cut down the degreaser to not be that strong. Example simple green has ratios on the concentrate bottle that tells you how much to use for heavy degreasing which will clean grease out of bearings. Then you have lesser ratios that won't even remove grease from a bike chain.
You are correct, I am old, I did all that back in the day, I had my own detail business. The guy might as well just throw acid on the car using a degreaser .. wash the car withDawn or with joy dishwashing is the best thing to use, but if you’re going to use one of those foam sprayers. Go ahead after you wash it by hand. I guess y’all don’t know what is hard work and to really earn your money. But destroy the car or truck by using a degreaser in it, stupid.
I'm a weekend warrior at best... But even I know this isn't the right way to go for your daily/weekly wash. This should only be done when you need to strip previous sealant prior to re-sealing.
The chemicals in a mcguires, 3m or any other car wash soap are specially designed to not damage clear coat or discolour any plastic trim panels. Using a degreaser or any soap not meant for cleaning cars is a bad idea and will hurt the clear coat. Just use a little elbow grease bud.
Be careful folks using a degreaser is terrible advice if your car has a ceramic coating it will destroy it and may even damage your clear coat. ALWAYS use a pH neutral car shampoo like Adams!!
@@SecretSauceyjuiceThey also don’t care about what happens to your cars clear coat overtime either apparently. There are safer methods of taking off waxes and seals than using a degreaser that has the potential to ruin your cars clear coat.
This is mostly true although modern ceramic coatings won't react to most APC's. They will definitely remove sealants or waxes though. A Ph 12 or 13 APC to me is a far better option than a general degreaser though. Much safer on clear coat and particularly trim.
Actually, this is a lie or unfactual. Although he's right about the waste of time but many detailer have and will prove that a pre-soak with soap and then rinse significantly lowers the dirt stuck and chance of scratch. If your detailer isn't using a super foamy soap. Please check for scratches. Soap isn't just to clean. It's to lubricate.
I'm going to play devil's advocate here. If they wash the foam off after it was used like is normally done then there is no soap to add lubrication. And the lubrication will be from the soap they add back to the car afterwards which in both methods was done.
@@trsskatermost detailers will foam, rinse, foam and contact wash. Often using different products for either foaming. The first foaming is to loosen and encapsulate any heavier dirt or material to be rinsed and the second is to actually do the cleaning. Reality is the pressure washer is going to do most of the work when it comes to the initial foam and rinse so the first foam is really just to aid that rinsing. I personally use the most lubricating soap I can on my first foam as I want lubrication while rinsing with a pressure washer to not blast dirt at 1000 PSI into the paint. Right now I'm oddly using a Griots soap but I'm always searching. I then prefer CarPro Reset as my second foam and contact wash as I think it does a good job with road film and lingering dirt. Either way, using Simple Green is a bad idea. Particularly on any trim as the degreaser will just dry it out and weather it over time.
@@user-ci2xg7rq5y I've actually been looking into this a lot since I've always foamed my car and motorcycle. It turns out there is a guy on UA-cam that did a test with and without foaming. Foaming ends up not cleaning any better and the gloss index of his paint on both sides of the hood he tested it on was the same and the paint on both sides had the same slickness. He measured the slickness using a weight spring scale to get real numbers behind it. It kinda sucks I spent a lot of money to do some foaming and it really wasn't important. But it totally makes sense it would loosen up dirt at the very least and get the heavy stuff off your paint for a scratch free wash. But maybe it's better for us less than professional people to foam because we might not use the best techniques all the time but a professional can do as good of a job without the foam. But yeah most guys that do the foam say they mostly do it for the show because people like it.
The hazmat label on the orange soap indicates it has acid in it... using acid based cleaners on glass and plastic will pit them and/or cause it to appear white or milky. He's taking an expensive chance unless that purple stuff was alkaline, in which case he is wasting his money on the acid, since it loses it's cleaning properties when mixed/added to/with alkaline cleaners.
I mean, he didn't lie though. These foam soaps don't really be doing shit. If anything, you can use it as a extra layer of protection when washing the vehicle
He's actually a pretty smart dude and he's not wrong about this. Most car soaps are PH neutral by nature. Meaning they're not strong enough on the alkaline or acid spectrum to be an effective cleaner. If anything, most detailers use foam cannons simply for the lubricity. And that's it. Now there are dedicated prewashes, such as Bilt Hamber's Touchless prewash. However it's very high on the Alkaline scale so you have to be careful using that during the foam process.
Luke is completely right. I am a pro detailer myself and can back up what he says. Most detailers waste time doing unnecessary things like using a foam cannon. Real pros don't waste time with those things
a good foam and thorough pre-rinse is effective - I honestly think a lot of these detailers who say it's useless don't know how to make it effective and/or want to invalidate it because it takes more time
Only do this if you are going to re-apply a wax/sealant otherwise it's counterintuitive. If the car is just dusty or light grime, decent pre rinse with pressure washer and pre foam will be enough to knock off most of that, assuming you have a good coating on the clear coat. After that, you 2nd foam up and go at it with a contact wash.
Finally someone with some knowledge! Bilt hamber is probably the best Pre-wash snowfoam you can buy in my opinion and the results are just plain as day.
Bilt hamber auto foam does exactly this, one of the best snow foam pre wash. Also sometimes I just snow foam the car and just wash it with that foam plus a 2 bucket method.
+1 for Bilt Hamber, I've gone through quite a few products but having found BH auto foam I'm not switching again. Fantastic product, incredibly effective for first stage prewash and foam.
Do you have a set of items that a beginner detailer would need? I have a fairly new car that I’d love to keep in shape but the internet has so many varying opinions it’D be awesome to see you do a guide on the fundamentals equipment / gotchas
I apply a snow foam twice with one bottle, first one i add on a layer to remove any surface dirt then the second time i add it to help me assist with my hand wash. It keeps it lubricated and removes dirt so much easier! I recommend trying it!
In my experience being a an enthusiast rather than a pro is that using a foam cannon and foam helps start breaking down the dirt and harder to remove particles to wear they're so much easier to remove with a wash mitt rather than having to scrub on the paint with alot of pressure to remove the contaminants. My experience. Correct me if I'm wrong
Foam is meant to add dwell time on things like a pre wash with performs better with more time. And a good pre wash will be either alkaline or acidic so they do have some pretty potent results when used right.
Do you have a video with dilution ratios? Would probably answer a lot of questions people are having, and comments about stripping protectants. Plenty of ceramics will stand up to multiple washes with a degreaser, but it will affect the lifespan.
I also use purple power in my foam cannon for the pre soak. Only time I don't is when the car isn't super dirty and I know it has wax or some other foam of coating
Depends on the snow foam you use. Bilt Hamber Touchless or Autofoam will actively soften and remove dirt and grime prior to a mechanical wash. It helps prevent degradation of your clear coat with swirl marks as the dirt acts as an abrasive. Basic snow foams help wet the dirt so it is easier to jet wash off.
I always mix 2 car shampoos with some Super Clean to wash my car. It hasn't stripped the clear coat nor has it done any damage to the paint. I also think that foaming is more for show versus being totally necessary for washing/cleaning/detailing a car.
People are not realizing they are watching a video targeted to professional detailers. This is not how the average Joe should wash their car but this is a perfectly fine method for a professional. Yes it is going to strip wax, that is the idea, I don't want your garbage wax from chemical guys on there when I go to put my own wax or ceramic on. Plus you can't get the paint 100% clean with an old layer of wax, most exterior details include a clay bar and the first step is to remove all old sealants. Plenty of degreasers are perfectly fine on paint, I always soak a dirty car down in degreaser first and then pressure wash it to remove as much dirt as possible without agitation to minimize the potential for scratches. Then you follow it up with the high lubricity car soap (I don't fuck with a foam cannon).
I tried to use head and shoulders shampoo. About 2 full bottlecaps and around 500 ml of water. It works great, I can see dirt getting loosened and it's foamy as well
Different soups are designed to do different Things if you have tar or something you want to take off you do it separately but the soap is mainly for lubrication so you don’t scratch the paint when you’re washing
I use a foam cannon because the water in my area is so hard the suds in the bucket don’t lubricate enough, even on a cool day with lots of soap I don’t even get allot of cling time.
You can put anything in a foam cannon but you have to understand what the foam cannon is meant to do. The common sentiment within the car detailing industry is that you want a pH of 7 for your maintenance wash soap. However, that is not necessarily true. A soap with a pH of 9 or greater will help remove dirt easier because dirt is organic and the higher alkalinity helps lift ( eat) the dirt from the car’s surface so when you rinse it off it removes more of the abrasive properties in the dirt to prevent scratches. The second thing you need to do after that is use a SEPARATE foam cannon with a pH neutral soap and foam the vehicle followed by a good hand washer with a microfiber mitt. READ THE LABEL ON THE BOTTLE OF SOAP. If your doing a complete detail and stripping the oils and waxes use the degreaser followed by a neutral pH soap then buff you heart out. For all you home garage detailers trying to make a buck, if you ruin the paint on someone’s vehicle it could cost you a lot of money to get it fixed. INSURANCE is a MUST. The paint on modern vehicles is water based and isn’t as forgiving as the old oil based paints.
My brother bought an electric Craftsman Pressure washer from Amazon. I like it, I pre rinse the wheels with white nozzle, clean then pre rinse the vehicle and use the foam cannon. Not a pro but I wash my Tahoe and my brothers car once a week. When I first got the pressure washer, I washed my truck 3 days after the first wash 😆
You do strip washes ( prep for paint correction ) with anything but ph neutral. The old ph neutral wash soap is just marketting spin, alcohol, dish soap, laundry detergent, canned degreasers, WD40, aint ph 7, paint / clear coat don't rub off on ur rag. Acid rain, sunlight, road grime, time, b the enemy.
In my experience, a foam cannon used with a foaming wash removes most of the grit and dust just fine without touching the surface on a waxed car. The only thing that sticks is road film from rainy day driving and another foaming and wipe with a microfiber cloth takes care of that.
This is okay for DG paints, but using a degreaser would strip the paint of any coatings or waxes.. good if you want to reapply them though. And a snow cannon is awesome for maintenance cleans, quick contact wash with the foam on the car does the trick
I use chem-x stars and strips on dirty vehicles then follow up with a contact wash. It is worth noting that when you use Stars and Stripes properly you can get the vehicle clean without a contact wash if the vehicle is not that bad and you’re comfortable with the pressure washer nozzle being close to the paint. Normally I’d just recommend a contact wash and if the vehicle is really dirty then use Stars and Stripes as a sort of a pre touch-less wash before a contact wash. For reference stars is a pre soak at a ph of 2 and stripes is the neutralizer at a ph of 14.
For anyone concerned about degreasers stripping your cars paint protection: - the degreaser used in a foam cannon should be heavily diluted and will not be in high enough concentration to do any damage - there are paint-safe degreasers on the market for this - dont want to use all-purpose degreaser? Purchase an alkaline (high pH) snow foam (will basically do the same thing a degreaser does) - you can also do a pre-wash step to encapsulate some loose dirt using something like a rinseless wash sprayed onto the panels before going on with foam
Still not sure why anyone would use Simple Green in today's detailing world. If you need some more cleaning power, put a half ounce or ounce of an alkaline APC in your foam cannon. People used to use general degreasers a lot but things have evolved. A general degreaser on plastic trim is not a good idea. None of the high end detailers are using a general degreaser whatsoever. Even to clean an engine bay they will use another product.
Bilt Hamber touchless and auto foam BOTH moves dirt from a snow foam cannon, just because what you have used hasn’t been effective doesn’t mean all foams don’t work, try checking out Pan the organisers channel or UK based the Forensic detailing channel, both have shown for a fact that snow foam DOES ACTUALLY WORK
I hate to burst some bubbles, but I am a professional detailer and I use a foam cannon simply for the lubricity for my contact wash. The faom is not meant to actually clean the car, thats what a pre-wash, then the contact wash are for.
Heres a HUGE time saver tip ZEP T. N.T. in the foam cannon only and let it sit but dont let it dry and it WILL strip all the dirt and 85% of contaminants imbedded in the paint . Rinse it off and Come back in with some PH neutralizing soap to remove the chemical film. Bam now you have a super clean surface ready for a spray on SiO2 protection (like WET-COAT or CURE by GYEON ) or IPA and do a paint correction all within 15-20 minutes.
Only specific kinds of caustic or solvent cleaners will chemically react to get anything off paint. Often the pressure from the nozzle helps push dirt off. A lot of touchless car washes use stuff like this. It also uses a lot of product. Detergent encapsulates the dirt particles and carry it away when the car is rinsed off. but you need to agitate the dirt off the surface first.
If you are a detailer you should know that while the foam can loosen up and get rid of a ton of surface dirt, it's absolute main priority is actually to lubricate the surface to minimize scratching the paint when you go to put a mit/towel etc on the paint...I personally will foam the car 3 times... first time I let it sit a couple of minutes, then I will pressure wash it all off. Then I will re apply the foam, and then use 2 bucket method to wash the car. Then I will rinse the car with any soap I have left in the foam cannon and then I rinse the car. Using the rest of the soap in the cannon actually illuminates having to clean the foam cannon after as well. So win win. By the time I'm done rinsing the foam cannon has been rinsed of any soap as well.
Apc are great once and awhile on ceramics, don't use it for maintenance however cause apcs will very very slowly eat into your coating, so sparingly is fine. Most APC's are on the alkaline side and alkaline degrades earthy substances, ceramics are silicon based so it can affect it on repeated use.
Autofanatic is the best snow foam that i have found. Phil makes all his products and makes sure they have the absolute best ingredients available and he is making smaller batches compared to mega companies, kinda like the difference between mega beer distributors and craft beer microbreweries.
I stopped using my foam Cannon all together and just do rinseless washes now. It's faster and does just as good of a job. It's also easier to go panel by panel if I have to detail a car in the sun.
Soap isn’t for removing dirt, it’s to agitate the light grime, and lubricate the surface for when you scrub.
Huh 😮 so you wash your ass with water no soap? It's the same thing non-detailer you are speaking
Exactly
Except for grease, degreaser does remove grease/oils.
The lubrication part through. That’s why you what that perfect full coverage
Who cares using a foam canon is a waste of money stop trying to justify it because you like to look at bubbles like a little girl.
I only add degreaser when I’m trying to strip any hydrophobic properties to lay down a new sealant. Otherwise the foam cannon is great for maintenance washes.
What your definitely not a detailer at all if you not using degreaser. Or you clean clean cars deadass 14+ yrs doing detailing an degreaser has always been a #1 choice.
@@huhmf4815 never needed it.
@@huhmf4815 and what if they have a ceramic coating or wax they don’t want to strip off which will happen using degreaser…
@@flanbro3530 well like I said you don't detail. If you know the car is clean you don't use degreaser at all. An if it has ceramic coating an all the car is clean. See listen to his words ok it has nothing to do with a wipe down. Ceramic is for cars that are not drove on a daily why you think people are getting rip off thinking ceramic coating is meant for daily drivers it's not. They have them but it only last 2months tops, so guess what your gonna use degreaser if the car is dirty,dirty.
@@huhmf4815 I hope your detailing isn’t as bad as your English.
Don't do this. The degreaser is going to strip off all the wax or ceramic coating that's on the paint. Degreasers aren't made to be used on clear coated paint. The soap from the foam Cannon is there for you to hand wash after you sprayed it on.
😂😂😂😂 you never detail saying this dumb shit.
First off as a detailer removing the old wax is the idea as we are going to wax it again anyways. Secondly degreaser is not going to remove a ceramic coating, it might remove the "ceramic" detail sprays, but it is not going to remove a professional grade ceramic coating, nothing will short of wet sanding it off. Virtually every professional detailer out there presoaks the cars they do in a degreaser to lift dirt, it's actually the most paint safe method to avoid wash swirls. And they absolutely make degreasers designed for automotive paint. But hey you probably know more than the professionals.
@@Fitzy25 🦾🦾🦾 thank you fellow detailer. It's like these people know something they never done at all it was killing me to read these comments like seriously. Opinions in this world today is death to life an success.
I typically will add some kind of degreaser to my soap. Reason being the soap will help carry the degreaser though the foaming and increase the amount of time it will rest on the paint Or I’ll diluted my degreaser 5:1 in pump sprayer if the vehicles paint very contaminated. I’ve detailed hundreds of car when I was a detailer and tbh it’s all about testing, researching how chemical work and paying attention to what gets results in the safest way to maintain the longevity of said paint.
@@richardmohan1037 you shouldn't have to explain that if they detail cars. They think you going to pour degreaser allover and let it set in no water mix in with it.
This guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Foam soap isn’t to remove dirt- it’s to create a layer of lubrication to minimize scratching your paint with surface layer dirt during your contact wash
Actually he does!! You don't!! 14+ yrs doing detailing doing this way before a foam Canon it's bullshit.
Nate r is correct
Both correct, foam soap on its own shouldnt be used as whilst lubricating, its may not be enough to remice any heavy traffic film left on the paint.
@@huhmf4815 if you have an alkaline snow foam it actually does lift some dirt. Also more lubrication in general is never a bad thing
@@schmidtygt still don't need it. I detail cars an trucks an foam baths are waste of time. Makes no sense in why use it an still gotta wash the car? When you can do a degreaser bath an wash the car the sametime.
I always thought the foam canon is to give you that thick layer of foam to help lubricate the paint while using the wash chenille mit from the actual wash bucket.
This guy is a joke.
That’s exactly what it’s for, I think he’s just talkin about pre washing which if so he’s right the better alternative is too just give a thorough rinse w a good psi pressure washer that’s what I do
Precisely what top level Detailers use it for, also for clay lubricant
No lmfao
@@nimrodnimrodnimrodnimrod lmfao nope....if you don't detail don't guess at all. You clay the car after you wash the car with water both else or detail spray.
You don't want to use any type of Degreaser or all-purpose cleaner because will remove what ever protection you have on your paint... otherwise will have to reapply wax or whatever you use to protect your paint.
Doesn’t adding that strip wax? Similar to going into an auto car wash where they use a good amount of that stuff to make the car clean quickly but it leaves the paint exposed? Could be wrong but this is something to think about adding to the foam cannon.
Any weaker wax possibly but if you think about it, it’s super diluted in the foam cannon and then gets diluted again at the nozzle so it’s very mild cleaning wise
Then fresh protection can be applied with a drying aid
Nerta WE64 or Carnet Jumbo is what you need. Period.
Or the regular Bilthamber or Koch Chemie.
Megs APC? Weak as Evian.
Yea your right don’t listen to this advice if your going to put apc add it to the soap I still don’t do this unless I’m applying my machine wax process after
You can just apply a quick paint sealant in spray form when drying the car after. Doesn’t add much extra time to the wash process in general.
Adding a bit of degreaser will not strip wax. Put some wax on your hands, spray done degreaser at the same concentration on your hands, and run them under water without scrubbing. I promise you it won't take off more than 5% of the wax. The foam is sprayed of the car with water and not scrubbed.
Foam is to soak the dirt and make it easier to remove. Not to remove it itself.
Using harsh chemicals will strip the protection on the paint.
Most degreasers have strong degreasing chemicals in them that are not clear coat friendly. Over time your clear coat will start to haze which then means you'll have to cut it down to bring back that shine so I'll pass.
You can cut down the degreaser to not be that strong. Example simple green has ratios on the concentrate bottle that tells you how much to use for heavy degreasing which will clean grease out of bearings. Then you have lesser ratios that won't even remove grease from a bike chain.
You are correct, I am old, I did all that back in the day, I had my own detail business. The guy might as well just throw acid on the car using a degreaser .. wash the car withDawn or with joy dishwashing is the best thing to use, but if you’re going to use one of those foam sprayers. Go ahead after you wash it by hand. I guess y’all don’t know what is hard work and to really earn your money. But destroy the car or truck by using a degreaser in it, stupid.
He uses Optimum Power Clean in the video. That should be very clear coat friendly.
I'm a weekend warrior at best... But even I know this isn't the right way to go for your daily/weekly wash. This should only be done when you need to strip previous sealant prior to re-sealing.
I'm a pro detailer, I don't waste time with foam cannons, and real pros don't either
The chemicals in a mcguires, 3m or any other car wash soap are specially designed to not damage clear coat or discolour any plastic trim panels. Using a degreaser or any soap not meant for cleaning cars is a bad idea and will hurt the clear coat. Just use a little elbow grease bud.
Be careful folks using a degreaser is terrible advice if your car has a ceramic coating it will destroy it and may even damage your clear coat. ALWAYS use a pH neutral car shampoo like Adams!!
Is Superclean good to use in interior plastics and leather??
@@Voodoo_HGno
@@Voodoo_HGplastics is fine leather wouldnt recommend just make sure to dilute it properly or if ur concerned just use an auto motive apc :)
Ah yes best way to strip that fresh coat of wax you paid so much money for
Good point. Too concentrated degreasers could strip that coat to nothing when all was needed was a surface clean and a new layer!
Most detailers don't care because they're about to apply a new wax/sealant/coating. If anything, that's a benefit.
If you know what you're doing, you do that intentionally, before you apply fresh coatings/sealants
@@SecretSauceyjuiceThey also don’t care about what happens to your cars clear coat overtime either apparently. There are safer methods of taking off waxes and seals than using a degreaser that has the potential to ruin your cars clear coat.
Use a pre wash and then the soap. There you go. Don’t use degreaser ever on your car unless you’re stripping it down.
My understanding was that soap wasn't to remove the dirt from the surface but to allow the liquid to suspend it without redepositing it on the paint.
APC's and degreasers will take any product on the surface completely off so unless you want to start over from scratch; don't use an APC or degreaser.
This is mostly true although modern ceramic coatings won't react to most APC's. They will definitely remove sealants or waxes though. A Ph 12 or 13 APC to me is a far better option than a general degreaser though. Much safer on clear coat and particularly trim.
thank you for explaining this in such detail! now i know to never let you work on my vehicle
😂😂😂 you act like you would have let him to begin with
Probably cant afford it in the first place.
It hurts not really knowing much I see
@@DeadendMent why are you so offended 😂😂😂 that’s every soy boy’s favorite rebuttal. “Probably can’t afford it”
Exactly this. This guy is willing to risk damaging your car just to save some time and money. He’s an insult to what a real detailer is.
Actually, this is a lie or unfactual. Although he's right about the waste of time but many detailer have and will prove that a pre-soak with soap and then rinse significantly lowers the dirt stuck and chance of scratch. If your detailer isn't using a super foamy soap. Please check for scratches. Soap isn't just to clean. It's to lubricate.
I'm going to play devil's advocate here. If they wash the foam off after it was used like is normally done then there is no soap to add lubrication. And the lubrication will be from the soap they add back to the car afterwards which in both methods was done.
@@trsskatermost detailers will foam, rinse, foam and contact wash. Often using different products for either foaming. The first foaming is to loosen and encapsulate any heavier dirt or material to be rinsed and the second is to actually do the cleaning. Reality is the pressure washer is going to do most of the work when it comes to the initial foam and rinse so the first foam is really just to aid that rinsing. I personally use the most lubricating soap I can on my first foam as I want lubrication while rinsing with a pressure washer to not blast dirt at 1000 PSI into the paint. Right now I'm oddly using a Griots soap but I'm always searching. I then prefer CarPro Reset as my second foam and contact wash as I think it does a good job with road film and lingering dirt.
Either way, using Simple Green is a bad idea. Particularly on any trim as the degreaser will just dry it out and weather it over time.
@@user-ci2xg7rq5y I've actually been looking into this a lot since I've always foamed my car and motorcycle. It turns out there is a guy on UA-cam that did a test with and without foaming. Foaming ends up not cleaning any better and the gloss index of his paint on both sides of the hood he tested it on was the same and the paint on both sides had the same slickness. He measured the slickness using a weight spring scale to get real numbers behind it. It kinda sucks I spent a lot of money to do some foaming and it really wasn't important. But it totally makes sense it would loosen up dirt at the very least and get the heavy stuff off your paint for a scratch free wash. But maybe it's better for us less than professional people to foam because we might not use the best techniques all the time but a professional can do as good of a job without the foam. But yeah most guys that do the foam say they mostly do it for the show because people like it.
The hazmat label on the orange soap indicates it has acid in it... using acid based cleaners on glass and plastic will pit them and/or cause it to appear white or milky. He's taking an expensive chance unless that purple stuff was alkaline, in which case he is wasting his money on the acid, since it loses it's cleaning properties when mixed/added to/with alkaline cleaners.
It'll burn the chrome trim as well
Wilson u have some of the most radical viewpoints on detailing on UA-cam i have watched over 20 plus channels
I mean, he didn't lie though. These foam soaps don't really be doing shit. If anything, you can use it as a extra layer of protection when washing the vehicle
He's actually a pretty smart dude and he's not wrong about this. Most car soaps are PH neutral by nature. Meaning they're not strong enough on the alkaline or acid spectrum to be an effective cleaner. If anything, most detailers use foam cannons simply for the lubricity. And that's it. Now there are dedicated prewashes, such as Bilt Hamber's Touchless prewash. However it's very high on the Alkaline scale so you have to be careful using that during the foam process.
@@v.i.p.detailing8930 or a lil greenstar
Luke is completely right. I am a pro detailer myself and can back up what he says. Most detailers waste time doing unnecessary things like using a foam cannon. Real pros don't waste time with those things
a good foam and thorough pre-rinse is effective - I honestly think a lot of these detailers who say it's useless don't know how to make it effective and/or want to invalidate it because it takes more time
The owner of ONR proved that foam is ineffective with science. But I’m sure you will have some explanation on why you know more so let’s hear it 😂
@@aldenbarbieri I know this from experience, i don't care about 'science'
@@albussnow ok Einstein 😂
Only do this if you are going to re-apply a wax/sealant otherwise it's counterintuitive. If the car is just dusty or light grime, decent pre rinse with pressure washer and pre foam will be enough to knock off most of that, assuming you have a good coating on the clear coat. After that, you 2nd foam up and go at it with a contact wash.
^^^this👍🏽
“The thing you and everybody else does is bad… the only good way to do it is my way”
That is exactly the way I heard it, word for word.
Clearly you’ve not heard of Bilt Hamber..
You named one soap. His point still stands as he said most
@@ckrigill3844 urm....bilt hamber is not a soap
@winter430 that's a reach, but sure. The video and the point he was making still stands.
Use bilthamber which will actually clean the surface , but the reason is not to remove dirt but to prevent scratches
Finally someone with some knowledge! Bilt hamber is probably the best Pre-wash snowfoam you can buy in my opinion and the results are just plain as day.
Where do you get that sprayer at , what is it called ?
Foam cannons give more dwell time. Adding TFR/Iron remover to it will let it dwell and cling to the surface without drying out.
I thought you weren't suppose to get iron remover on trim. There is many people taping it off to not let it drip onto it
Bilt hamber auto foam does exactly this, one of the best snow foam pre wash. Also sometimes I just snow foam the car and just wash it with that foam plus a 2 bucket method.
+1 for Bilt Hamber, I've gone through quite a few products but having found BH auto foam I'm not switching again. Fantastic product, incredibly effective for first stage prewash and foam.
Do you have a set of items that a beginner detailer would need? I have a fairly new car that I’d love to keep in shape but the internet has so many varying opinions it’D be awesome to see you do a guide on the fundamentals equipment / gotchas
I apply a snow foam twice with one bottle, first one i add on a layer to remove any surface dirt then the second time i add it to help me assist with my hand wash. It keeps it lubricated and removes dirt so much easier! I recommend trying it!
In my experience being a an enthusiast rather than a pro is that using a foam cannon and foam helps start breaking down the dirt and harder to remove particles to wear they're so much easier to remove with a wash mitt rather than having to scrub on the paint with alot of pressure to remove the contaminants. My experience. Correct me if I'm wrong
Luke if im curious to know your opinion on this, What do you think about P&S pearl shampoo? Or any of fellow pros out there reading this
Foam is meant to add dwell time on things like a pre wash with performs better with more time. And a good pre wash will be either alkaline or acidic so they do have some pretty potent results when used right.
What do you think of adding formula 4 spray wax in addition to soap?
What is that 2 product’s brands? And where can i buy it ? Is it available in amazon?
Do you have a video with dilution ratios? Would probably answer a lot of questions people are having, and comments about stripping protectants. Plenty of ceramics will stand up to multiple washes with a degreaser, but it will affect the lifespan.
I also use purple power in my foam cannon for the pre soak. Only time I don't is when the car isn't super dirty and I know it has wax or some other foam of coating
what foam is for loosening the dirt not getting it off
What was it already full of when the video started?
Depends on the snow foam you use. Bilt Hamber Touchless or Autofoam will actively soften and remove dirt and grime prior to a mechanical wash. It helps prevent degradation of your clear coat with swirl marks as the dirt acts as an abrasive. Basic snow foams help wet the dirt so it is easier to jet wash off.
I always mix 2 car shampoos with some Super Clean to wash my car. It hasn't stripped the clear coat nor has it done any damage to the paint. I also think that foaming is more for show versus being totally necessary for washing/cleaning/detailing a car.
People are not realizing they are watching a video targeted to professional detailers. This is not how the average Joe should wash their car but this is a perfectly fine method for a professional. Yes it is going to strip wax, that is the idea, I don't want your garbage wax from chemical guys on there when I go to put my own wax or ceramic on. Plus you can't get the paint 100% clean with an old layer of wax, most exterior details include a clay bar and the first step is to remove all old sealants. Plenty of degreasers are perfectly fine on paint, I always soak a dirty car down in degreaser first and then pressure wash it to remove as much dirt as possible without agitation to minimize the potential for scratches. Then you follow it up with the high lubricity car soap (I don't fuck with a foam cannon).
Any professional detailer over the age of 40 years old knows foam cannons are a fucking gimmick aimed at easily impressed children.
I completely agree. I'm a pro detailer and I don't waste time with foam cannons
I tried to use head and shoulders shampoo. About 2 full bottlecaps and around 500 ml of water. It works great, I can see dirt getting loosened and it's foamy as well
would an apc remove ceramic coating?
Different soups are designed to do different
Things if you have tar or something you want to take off you do it separately but the soap is mainly for lubrication so you don’t scratch the paint when you’re washing
soaps*
Soap doesn’t lubricate 😂 take a science class or something instead of reciting a product label 😅
I'd like to know this cocktail mix. Thanks.
Do you dilute that or just add chemicals in the foam cannon?
I add pre wash to my foam cannon it works really well
Been doing an APC rinse before foaming, but adding it to foamer is clutch. 👌🏼
Isnt it for lubricity
Does the other chemicals you ad strip the wax ?
Super clean works good for getting stuff off vehicles
I use a foam cannon because the water in my area is so hard the suds in the bucket don’t lubricate enough, even on a cool day with lots of soap I don’t even get allot of cling time.
I do a pre soak with 3D Green APC and 1oz of soap, now it’s Superior Road Warrior and than a second foam bath for the contact wash
If you applying some paint protectant after then use that degreaser!!
You can put anything in a foam cannon but you have to understand what the foam cannon is meant to do. The common sentiment within the car detailing industry is that you want a pH of 7 for your maintenance wash soap. However, that is not necessarily true. A soap with a pH of 9 or greater will help remove dirt easier because dirt is organic and the higher alkalinity helps lift ( eat) the dirt from the car’s surface so when you rinse it off it removes more of the abrasive properties in the dirt to prevent scratches. The second thing you need to do after that is use a SEPARATE foam cannon with a pH neutral soap and foam the vehicle followed by a good hand washer with a microfiber mitt. READ THE LABEL ON THE BOTTLE OF SOAP. If your doing a complete detail and stripping the oils and waxes use the degreaser followed by a neutral pH soap then buff you heart out. For all you home garage detailers trying to make a buck, if you ruin the paint on someone’s vehicle it could cost you a lot of money to get it fixed. INSURANCE is a MUST. The paint on modern vehicles is water based and isn’t as forgiving as the old oil based paints.
Ignoring cost what is better Super Clean or Optimum Power Clean?
My brother bought an electric Craftsman Pressure washer from Amazon. I like it, I pre rinse the wheels with white nozzle, clean then pre rinse the vehicle and use the foam cannon. Not a pro but I wash my Tahoe and my brothers car once a week.
When I first got the pressure washer, I washed my truck 3 days after the first wash 😆
But then is not PH neutral, I would only do that if in shade, morning or late evening. Just my opinion.
You do strip washes ( prep for paint correction ) with anything but ph neutral. The old ph neutral wash soap is just marketting spin, alcohol, dish soap, laundry detergent, canned degreasers, WD40, aint ph 7, paint / clear coat don't rub off on ur rag. Acid rain, sunlight, road grime, time, b the enemy.
This is my thought. If it’s sunny out, do not let it dry on the paint.
@@allanegan6502 please don't clean yout exterior with dish soap and wd-40 😳
I’ve found a shorter power washer wand helps also.
For me using the foam cannon is also a way to see where I scrubbed with the wash mitt when I'm moving around the car.
how about triple x dawn detergent
I usually spray a little AP degreaser on the heavily soiled areas before spraying foam.
My car is not that dirty. I don't want to use a degreaser because it weakens my coating on my car.
In my experience, a foam cannon used with a foaming wash removes most of the grit and dust just fine without touching the surface on a waxed car.
The only thing that sticks is road film from rainy day driving and another foaming and wipe with a microfiber cloth takes care of that.
This is okay for DG paints, but using a degreaser would strip the paint of any coatings or waxes.. good if you want to reapply them though.
And a snow cannon is awesome for maintenance cleans, quick contact wash with the foam on the car does the trick
Bro!!!! Thank you.
You put degreaser on paint?
How about dawn dish soap?
And what does all that extra detergent do to ceramic coating?
Meguire’s apc is the gold standard
I use chem-x stars and strips on dirty vehicles then follow up with a contact wash. It is worth noting that when you use Stars and Stripes properly you can get the vehicle clean without a contact wash if the vehicle is not that bad and you’re comfortable with the pressure washer nozzle being close to the paint. Normally I’d just recommend a contact wash and if the vehicle is really dirty then use Stars and Stripes as a sort of a pre touch-less wash before a contact wash. For reference stars is a pre soak at a ph of 2 and stripes is the neutralizer at a ph of 14.
I like this guy with 1 year experience knows absolutely everything. Amazing
And he's using Simple Green like it's 1998 and he's running his business from his local hardware store.
I use a good quality TFR and a mix of another degreaser called muck off works a treat in the I’m especially if you have warm water
For anyone concerned about degreasers stripping your cars paint protection:
- the degreaser used in a foam cannon should be heavily diluted and will not be in high enough concentration to do any damage
- there are paint-safe degreasers on the market for this
- dont want to use all-purpose degreaser? Purchase an alkaline (high pH) snow foam (will basically do the same thing a degreaser does)
- you can also do a pre-wash step to encapsulate some loose dirt using something like a rinseless wash sprayed onto the panels before going on with foam
Still not sure why anyone would use Simple Green in today's detailing world. If you need some more cleaning power, put a half ounce or ounce of an alkaline APC in your foam cannon. People used to use general degreasers a lot but things have evolved. A general degreaser on plastic trim is not a good idea. None of the high end detailers are using a general degreaser whatsoever. Even to clean an engine bay they will use another product.
Bilt Hamber touchless and auto foam BOTH moves dirt from a snow foam cannon, just because what you have used hasn’t been effective doesn’t mean all foams don’t work, try checking out Pan the organisers channel or UK based the Forensic detailing channel, both have shown for a fact that snow foam DOES ACTUALLY WORK
I hate to burst some bubbles, but I am a professional detailer and I use a foam cannon simply for the lubricity for my contact wash. The faom is not meant to actually clean the car, thats what a pre-wash, then the contact wash are for.
The foam is more for lubrication. You could always do a straight soap wash then go for foam after
Personally, I would recommend NOT mixing chemicals together, unless you're 100% sure they're not going to react with each other.
I can assure you those chemicals aren't going to "react" with each other
Was that optimum that I saw?
How about dish soap
Foam helps suspend the solution on the car; no foam and the solution just slides off of the side and/or evaporates before tou have time to agitate it.
Heres a HUGE time saver tip
ZEP T. N.T. in the foam cannon only and let it sit but dont let it dry and it WILL strip all the dirt and 85% of contaminants imbedded in the paint . Rinse it off and Come back in with some PH neutralizing soap to remove the chemical film. Bam now you have a super clean surface ready for a spray on SiO2 protection (like WET-COAT or CURE by GYEON ) or IPA and do a paint correction all within 15-20 minutes.
pine gel??
Only specific kinds of caustic or solvent cleaners will chemically react to get anything off paint. Often the pressure from the nozzle helps push dirt off.
A lot of touchless car washes use stuff like this. It also uses a lot of product.
Detergent encapsulates the dirt particles and carry it away when the car is rinsed off. but you need to agitate the dirt off the surface first.
Nice
If you are a detailer you should know that while the foam can loosen up and get rid of a ton of surface dirt, it's absolute main priority is actually to lubricate the surface to minimize scratching the paint when you go to put a mit/towel etc on the paint...I personally will foam the car 3 times... first time I let it sit a couple of minutes, then I will pressure wash it all off. Then I will re apply the foam, and then use 2 bucket method to wash the car. Then I will rinse the car with any soap I have left in the foam cannon and then I rinse the car. Using the rest of the soap in the cannon actually illuminates having to clean the foam cannon after as well. So win win. By the time I'm done rinsing the foam cannon has been rinsed of any soap as well.
What effect would this added APC have on a coating? Either ceramic or sealant.
Apc are great once and awhile on ceramics, don't use it for maintenance however cause apcs will very very slowly eat into your coating, so sparingly is fine. Most APC's are on the alkaline side and alkaline degrades earthy substances, ceramics are silicon based so it can affect it on repeated use.
Autofanatic is the best snow foam that i have found. Phil makes all his products and makes sure they have the absolute best ingredients available and he is making smaller batches compared to mega companies, kinda like the difference between mega beer distributors and craft beer microbreweries.
How about sugar soap?
What's the one you're using in the video?
Dawn platinum 4x great for foam cannon use and it’s a degreaser
Question- wet the car first or no?
foam soap is fun
I only use degreaser in the wheel wells, tires, and door jambs/trunk
You forgot to add APRIL FOOLS 🎉😅😂😂
I use chemical guys with wax. Is that good enough ?
Luke , not tried apc and foam together..
Must try this
Use a waterless wash.
I stopped using my foam Cannon all together and just do rinseless washes now. It's faster and does just as good of a job. It's also easier to go panel by panel if I have to detail a car in the sun.