June 6th, 2023 by Shauna Hammond

You may have heard of snow foam, it has fast become a must-have for car enthusiasts and valets alike. However, you may not know what exactly snow is or what it can do for your car. In this blog we will discuss what snow foam is, the benefits of including it in your routine and if it’s the right product for you.  

What Is Snow Foam

Let’s start with covering the basics, of what snow foam actually is. There can be some misconceptions about snow foam and its purpose, so let’s start by clearing up any you may have. One of the biggest misconceptions is that snow foam is a shampoo, however, in actual fact, it is a pre-wash designed to be applied before your regular contact wash. It is used alongside a snow foam lance and pressure washer, the combination of these two products will mix the snow foam detergent to create a blanket of ‘snow’ on your vehicle, this thick layer will dwell on the surface before then being rinsed away and followed up with your usual contact wash.

Why Use Snow Foam

So, if you find yourself wondering what the point of snow foam is if it is a pre-wash and a contact wash is still required, well there are many benefits that using snow foam as a pre-wash can offer. The most important ones are that they make your contact wash much quicker and easier, while also offering protection to ensure your paintwork looks its best.

To do this snow foam dwells on the surface and that is where it gets to work, the special formula will begin to break down even the most caked-on and stubborn dirt which will then be rinsed away with the snow foam, which means there is less dirt for you to remove making your contact wash that much quicker and easier, as mentioned the formula also protects your paintwork by removing these large dirt particles and creating an almost lubricated surface that will reduce the risk of scratching which can happen when shampooing your vehicle. This layer then creates a barrier that will prevent water marks, prevent streaking, and soap marks while also preventing dust from building up as quickly which means you can go longer between each wash, ultimately making your car care routine that much easier. You will find that some snow foam formulas also include a healthy dose of wax which also provides an incredible shine too.

Where Can I Use Snow Foam

Another incredible feature of snow foam is that it is incredibly versatile, with a wide range of formulations available you can be sure to pick the right snow foam for your needs. pH-neutral snow foam formulas are ideal for use on almost all vehicles including cars, vans, motorcycles and even bicycles. You can also opt for heavy-duty formulas which are ideal for use on lorries, vans, buses and other large vehicles that tend to collect dirt as well as insects!  You can also get playful with your snow foam too, with a range of coloured snow foams available that will produce vibrant coloured foam, perfect for those that enjoy sharing their car care journey for others to see, or just want to look at something fun and colourful themselves!  

How to Get Perfect Snow Foam

Using snow foam is a very simple process as long as you have all the right equipment at your disposal – as mentioned above this includes not only your detergent, a pressure washer and a snow foam lance that is compatible with your pressure washer, some pressure washer kits no will come with these included. A pressure washer and snow foam lance are essential parts of the process, as both items are needed to generate the correct amount of pressure that will create the thick foam that can cling to surfaces. Please note that snow foam cannot be applied by hand, as this will not only not foam or cling but with the formula not having the chance to activate correctly it can leave streaks and soap marks across your vehicle. Then simply follow these steps -  

Prepare the snow foam solution

Typically preparing the right concentration can take some trial and error because there are quite a few factors that can affect your snow foams consistency, however, a good starting place is to mix around 1-part snow foam with 3-parts warm (not hot) and shake up the solution in the bottle to mix it together. If this consistency is not thick enough for you then you can go ahead and increase the amount of detergent in your mixture – after all, it is not an exact science.

Apply the snow foam to the car

Once your solution has been prepared, it is recommended to use start from the bottom of your vehicle and work your way up, ensuring to cover every part of the vehicle.

Let the foam dwell

Once your car has been covered with an adequate snowy layer, then leave it to dwell on the surfaces for a few minutes it is normal for the snow foam to appear to ‘melt’ a little during this time.

Rinse off the snow foam

After leaving your solution to dwell, thoroughly rinse the surface – you will notice large amounts of dirt melt away with the snow foam.

Contact Wash

Once you have rinsed the surface clear of your snow foam and the majority of the dirt it is time to follow up with a contact wash, it is completely fine to go ahead and use your normal shampoo for this step – if you keep up with snow foam treatment you may notice less and less dirt each time you wash and may find that simply buffing your paintwork with micro-fibre cloth is fine without the need for contact wash.

How to Get Thick Snow Foam

It is always advisable to follow manufacturers’ instructions when using snow foam after all different brands will have different variations in their formula however the above-mentioned mixture is generally a good place to start. But what do you do if this does not produce thick foam that sits on your vehicle? Don’t worry, first of all, this can be normal after all there are a lot of different factors that can greatly impact the consistency of snow foam. 

The best place to start is to increase the amount of detergent you have used in your solution, this will more often than not fix any issues you are facing. However, other factors such as water temperature, surfaced temperature, pressure, spray patterns and even whether you have hard or soft water can affect your snow foam. Using hot water will cause the bubbles in the snow foam to pop making it thick and unable to stick which is why it is important to only mix with warm water, likewise in very hot weather your paintwork can become incredibly hot, using snow foam during this time will also not work as the bubble will simply pop and the solution will run from the vehicle without having time to work. So be sure to apply after your engine has rested and during the coolest part of the day during summer. Pressure can also greatly affect the texture of snow foam, so make sure your pressure washer and lance have a high enough PSI, most snow foam lances also come with a valve which will allow you to alter the air intake which can alter the pressure so don’t be scared to play around with this until you find the right fit. As mentioned hard and soft water can also affect the texture so if you live in an area with hard water then you should try using less water to solve the issue.

When Can I Use Snow Foam?

While snow foam can be used any time of year, just like your normal car wash there are some things to keep in mind. For example, avoid using during freezing temperatures as it can affect how the product may work and the use of warm water on your frozen vehicle may cause damage to delicate areas such as windscreens. Likewise, avoid using it in high temperatures as you are probably well aware our cars can become incredibly hot to the touch during the height of summer, applying snow foam to this hot surface will simply cause the solution to run from your paintwork before it has time to break down any dirt or grime. Avoid these times and you will have no issues using your snow foam.

We hope this blog was helpful in giving you a better understanding of what snow foam is and how it works and of course whether it is something that you should include in your own car care routine. Generally speaking, it is a great choice for anyone who wants to make their car cleaning easier while giving their paintwork a professional high-shine finish.

Homefront Cherry Snow Foam 5L

Price: £17.95

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