Snowfoam vs Pre-rinse

[Clean Your Ride]

Quite a few people have PM'ed me regarding the advantages of a pre-rinse/snowfoam before a bucket wash as opposed to a rinse with a hose pipe?


The idea behind the use of foam in detailing circles is a simple one, and the benefits are obvious. If you apply snow foams or multi-purpose cleaners to dirty surfaces and enable them to cling in situ for many minutes at a time, the cleaning agents have much longer to work and therefore dissolve and suspend a lot more dirt and grime. By the time the foam is eventually rinsed off, much of the dirt and grime is simply washed away, leaving relatively clean surfaces behind. Clearly, the major benefit here is that the bulk of dirt removal is done before any hand washing takes place, which greatly reduces the risk of inflicting surface marring and fine scratches during the wash process. Something a rinse with a hose simply does not and cannot do.
(If you don't have a jetwasher at home then use the pressure sprayer and apply product at the local garages jetwash. One with self selectable programmes or where you buy time is best. Never, ever, ever use the brush at a garages jetwash. Use garden pressure sprayer to apply product, wait a good 5 minutes then buy your time or insert your token)

Filthy car:









Drivers side much dirtier than passenger side:





AutoFinesse Avalanche snowfoam



Topped up with water



Applied to less dirtier passenger side





Snowfoam doing what it's supposed to do



BiltHamber Surfex HD applied 1:9 ratio to dirtier drivers side







Rinsed off with jetwash



This was the filthy drivers side, with only Surfex applied via a pressure sprayer then rinsed. No touch washing.



This was the less filthy passengers side, with only AF Avalanche applied via a snowfoam lance then rinsed. Again no touch washing. Still some dirt evident.



Wipe test with a brand new Detailers Preference MF cloth and AF Finale QD.



Passenger side wiped



Drivers side wiped, proving pre-rinse shifted more dirt than the snowfoam.



Surfexed whole car again, again no touch washing then rinsed off





Conclusion..........

Has snowfoam been beaten by its cheaper pre-rinse rival?

Answer.........

IMO, yes.

[scubagazza]

That looks like a pretty weak application, I use a gun with a variable spray and can alter the dilution ratio giving me a heavier foam which gives me the same results a your pre-rinse using valet pro ph neutral snow foam.

[Clean Your Ride]

With all the mess and the extra cost?



I don't know if you're aware but thicker foam does not necessarily equate to a better job.





My AB lance was £50 and the 5L of AF Avalance was £28. Total cost £78.





My garden pressure sprayer was £3 and the 5L of BH Surfex was £17. Total cost £20.





No brainer really and as you can see on the last two photos, the foam is still on the ground on the passenger side despite both sides being rinsed twice. Snowfoaming IS fun but is a hassle, is only equally as good as a pre-rinse and a lot more expensive. In my case, almost 4 times as expensive.



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[scubagazza]

Yes you're quite right the gun/lance's aren't cheap, but I get enough foam out of one mix to do both of our cars in one go. So for me it's quite cost effective, but again the foam is more expensive in the first place.

[moranphotography]

Looks good to me, going to order some pre rinse, any suggestions where from?

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[Clean Your Ride]

Try here pal for Surfex

http://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/b...d-5-litre.aspx

Is wax safe when diluted to 10% or less so in a 1L pressure sprayer, 900 ml of water with 90ml of Surfex is not only very effective but safe.

Valet Pro Citrus pre rinse from here

http://www.juicydetailing.co.uk/wash...mages.tpl.html



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[robbo51]

Nice test conducted
I use Car Plan Rapid Dirt Shifter and find it to be almost a touchless wash...depends on how dirty
I always snow foam as well but not always use the Buckets and Wash Pad...again depends on how dirty...In my case not very
Wife's DS3...now that's a different matter. LOL
A point worth mentioning and one to consider:
If the car is well protected with sealer or wax, any dirt will wash away far easier than on a dirty car with very little or no protection in place

[Clean Your Ride]

RDS is a great product mate and much more readily available than other pre-rinses or snow foams

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[DigitalCal]

I do have to say that Snowfoam is deeply annoying to rinse away afterwards. You get people walking past going "What the heck, why's that fella got snow on his path?!" - it does leave a mess but I always use it before washing because as you say, it gets a good bit of the grime off to begin with. However, that pre-cleanser looks to do a good job too. How do you tend to apply it? Were you just using the pressure hose from your pressure washer, with the pre-cleanser somehow feeding into it?

[Clean Your Ride]

Applied via a cheap garden pressure sprayer, for example:



http://m.wilko.com/wilko/product/det...itemId=0148140

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[Sparky ds3]

RDS is a great product mate and much more readily available than other pre-rinses or snow foams

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My local petrol station has this on offer at the moment. At £4 a litre i cant pass up that offer so have about 6 litres of it just now and climbing

Mark


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[Clean Your Ride]

Good man, you can never have too much

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