I've seen lots of people using thick white foam for cleaning cars. I assume this is some sort of degreasing foam that's sticky enough to stay put for a few minutes, but thin enough to rinse.
Does anyone use this on MTBs? I would like a wash that will cut through the accumulated road grime and grease on my commuter bike with minimal effort.
Snowfoam, and it's not a degreasing foam. It's meant to loosen and remove (along with the rinse) the worst of the surface dirt so that you don't end up rubbing it into the bodywork when you come to the next stage of the wash with a mitt.
I'd just look at a decent cleaner, I use Fenwick's green - diluted 10-1 in a spray bottle, apply to the whole bike, leave for a min or 2, then rinse off. Neat in a chain cleaner or for really greasy areas.
You need a snow foam lance attachment to a jetwash to make the foam. It acts as a surfactant so it traps dirt and allows it to be rinsed off prior to a wash with a mitt. In theory most of the loose scratchy bits come off with the foam which clings on to allow it to penetrate the muck… You could try a TFR (traffic film remover) which can be sprayed on via a garden hand held sprayer but I would use any degreasers with caution as obv they can remove grease from places that you want to keep it!
Mucoff sell a machines that does the same thing.
TBH, I've never been sold on the value of foaming for cars or bikes alike, and I don't think it's designed to lift road grime so much.
Sponge, water & fairy liquid has always worked best for my bike.
I've used snowfoam on bikes, it's not very effective. Can take off light dirt but that's all really. It's not as powerful a cleaner as most bike cleaners.
Fenwicks is good. The Juicelubes cleaner seems good too and has a better bottle than most. If you find the Tour De France cleaner cheaply- it crops up in Home Bargains sometimes- it's really decent too
Sponge, water & fairy liquid has always worked best for my bike.
+1 here. Little bit of fairy liquid and warm water. And screw fix no-nonsense degreaser for chain / cassette scrubbing
Used to use all the fancy liquids but on looking back, they are - at best - only as good as fairy liquid
I jet wash my car with water first, surely thats as effective as snowfoam prior to giving it a mitt wash?
I jet wash my car with water first, surely thats as effective as snowfoam prior to giving it a mitt wash?
I used to think that, and suffered nice cars getting scratched at hand car washes even when they used a some for of 'clear' spray first.
I now use snow foam at home and it really does work.
I live in a rural area where over the winter you car gets covered in mud/salt. Using a jet wash gets rid of quite a bit of it, but still leaves the car looking matt finish and a layer of grime.
Snow foam removes that layer that the jet wash alone will not get off, which then means you can wash without risk of scratching. Most of the time these days I just snow foam and jet wash off, no hand washing.
I have often wondered if it can be used on bikes, or weather it will act like a degreaser ?
Autoglym snow foam smells nice enough to eat!
And screw fix no-nonsense degreaser for chain / cassette scrubbing
I use Gunk but wasn't sure whether to admit there here 😀
If it's really bad I take the chain off and soak it in it.
It works OK on a bike you've left overnight and all the muck has dried on - the point of it is that the soap/water gets longer to soften it up, although a bike covered in thick mud would be more than it can do.
As said, the point is to reduce the gritty stuff on cars before you touch it with a sponge or wash mitt to reduce any scratching.
I use Gunk but wasn’t sure whether to admit there here 😀
If it’s really bad I take the chain off and soak it in it.
Diesel does the same job at a fraction of the price
I’ve used snowfoam on bikes, it’s not very effective.
Fine, that's answered that. Cheers.
It's not mud I need to shift. It's the horrible road grime that somehow* accumulates on my commuter. It's like a thick paste that covers the chain / cassette / rear triangle / wheels - I assume the combination of chain lube and general dirt. Specifically, I find the chain / cassette can't easily be cleaned with the usual bike cleaning tools. I was hoping for a lazy solution to this.
*maybe because I ride in all weathers without even washing my bike. I dunno, IANA professional detailer.
You need a snow foam lance attachment to a jetwash to make the foam.
I bought a Karcher jetwasher with a snow foam lance, and a 500ml sample bottle of foam. It wasn't any kind of sticky anything, it all just sluiced off the car and didn't seem to do anything. And I used the whole 500ml in a couple of minutes. After the foam had dissipated, in a minute or so, I went back to the high pressure hose and the dirt was no different. Needed a brush in the end.
It’s not mud I need to shift. It’s the horrible road grime that somehow* accumulates on my commuter. It’s like a thick paste that covers the chain / cassette / rear triangle / wheels – I assume the combination of chain lube and general dirt. Specifically, I find the chain / cassette can’t easily be cleaned with the usual bike cleaning tools. I was hoping for a lazy solution to this.
The green Fenwicks stuff mentioned earlier is my go-to for this type of stuff. Watered down 10:1 in my case. Makes easy work of MTB muck, needs a bit more effort to get through the road crap you describe on the rear end of my commuter but it does work.
TBH, i think it's the horrible manky road grime that snow foam is meant to take off, or at least, soften right up.
My bikes don't tend to get left long enough for it to dry out/set hard. The car on the other hand only gets washed occasionally, especially during the summer. So a rinse down then a coating of foam works wonders for the rest of the wash.
Buy snowfoam in 25l containers, otherwise it's one of those over priced 'retail' packages ! Just like fork oil !
I bought a Karcher jetwasher with a snow foam lance, and a 500ml sample bottle of foam.
There's snow foam, then there's snow foam (of the Detailing World type). The Karcher attachment's a bit pish also, I used a supposed better one and it was indeed better, but the whole mess of snowfoam just annoyed me. Instead I now use a citrus prewash to loosen the dirt, sprayed on with a pump-action garden sprayer. Same effect as snowfoam IME but a LOT less mess on the drive. I use this stuff, diluted as per instructions: https://bilthamber.com/product/auto-foam/. On a well-waxed vehicle I barely need to touch it with a wash mitt after that.
I use snow foam on the bike. But I use a hand pumped spray to coat the bike in it so I dont get the jet wash out. Seems to make getting rid of the muck much easier to me. Spray it on. Leave for a few mins. Brush with a soft brush and rinse.
On a well-waxed vehicle I barely need to touch it with a wash mitt after that.
Mm yeah car wasn't waxed before I did this.
What? We're cleaning bikes now? Blimey... Mine are lucky to get a once over with some chain lube occasionally!
There’s “snow foam” and then there’s Bilt Hamber Touch-Less or Autofoam.
Touch-Less is for mud, dust, etc. Autofoam is better for oily road film. Although Bilt Hamber Surfex HD is the heavy degreaser surfactant. Used at 1 part Surfex to 9 parts water through a spray bottle will make short work of oily, grimy, road film.
All of them are best used on to a dry bike / car, let them soak, then rinse off. All can be used through a spray bottle, garden pump sprayer, or for best results a snow foam lance. That way the dirt is soaked through with detergent rather than water.
Applying any of these onto a dry car always gives better results than pressure rinsing first.
People wash their cars!
In Oz I use a product called CT18 Truck Wash. You can use at as a foam or with a sponge. It’s best if you leave it on a for a decent amount of time and then wash off. Used neat it does a good job at cleaning chains too.
And it follows the rule that the bigger the vehicle the cheaper the cost per volumetric unit. So I get five litres for the price of 1 litre of a bike product yet it works on all vehicles.
Snow foam isn't what you want here, I don't think it's even that effective at what it's supposed to do.
Have you tried Morgans blue on your drivetrain? It's the most effective spray on I've found for shifting road grime and drivetrain build-up. However this is on pampered mountain/road bikes and not on a commuter.
I was advised not to use fairy liquid as there's salt in it
I was advised not to use fairy liquid as there’s salt in it
This is a common, misplaced, concern with using washing up liquid, and really goes back to when bikes were nearly all made of steel (and especially hi-tensile steel, which nothing but the very cheapest bikes is made of now), and people were worried about salty water eating their frames. There is salt that in it, but it's a tiny amount, is washed off when you rinse, and pretty much every component on a bike can cope with a bit of salty water anyway.
Washing up liquid is also a really, really good detergent (just think of the cooking/roasting/frying grease it'll cut through), so is easily good enough to shift road grime.
Salt does nasty things to certain grades of stainless and aluminium as well.
BUT, it's unlikely to cause a major issue as there's bugger all salt in it (once it's mixed with water, it's probably an order of magnitude less salty than road spray) and most people rinse after washing anyway.
Personally i use cheap car shampoo, it's got no salt anyway, no wax (because it's cheap) and costs me less than washing up liquid.
Sorry for the bump, but rather than start a new topic.
But for my car, I'm using the karcher snow foam lance and Simoniz Snow foam. The result is so thin and it just runs of my car, no cling whatsoever. The local hand car wash use purely a foam and not hand washing and get a great result.
So what do the pros use, a better lance and better foam ?
So what do the pros use,
a better lance and better foamslave labour ?
Sponge, water & fairy liquid has always worked best for my bike.
+1
If it's really muddy I hose it down first just to loosen up the mud.
This is a common, misplaced, concern with using washing up liquid
It's just a load of crap spouted by manufactures of cleaning products who just sell you Fairly Liquid in a different colour bottle for 10x the price.
When we ride in winter, the salt is caked onto the frame / wheels from the roads. Compared to 0.01g in a bucket of soapy water......
Another good one is fairy liquid is really abrasive (Mud Off claim) - anyone who has ever washed up by hand will tell you it's not!
So what do the pros use, a better lance and better foam ?
Yep, probably.
I've looked at getting a foam lance to try & make cleaning the car easier a few times & always decide it's probably not actually gonna be that helpful.....until the next time I decide I really should get one.
The lances from the likes of Karcher, Auto Glym etc. never seem to get that good reviews.
The power of your pressure washer will also make a difference in terms of the lather generated and then there's the cleaning product itself & finally how hard your water is. I think if you live in a really hard water area (like I do) you can never expect to get a really thick, clingy foam.
I watched a video a while back on Youtube (Forensic Detailing channel, perhaps) where he compared jet wash with no product, to 2 different foaming cleaner products and there was one that actually looked like it might be worth trying. I think it was by Bilt Hamber - no touch foam or something....
This stuff: https://bilthamber.com/product/touch-less/
This is the video. He goes on a bit until the actual spraying bit, but you can just skip through....
There is a dial on the Karcher snow foamer - you use this to 'thicken up' the foam - also uses more !
I'm not convinced the "foam" part is any more than a gimmick. That's why it didn't seem to exist before Instagram. Before that people just put diluted car shampoo in the lances.
Think about it, if you spray it on as a liquid, then all the cleaning stuff is in contact with the dirty stuff and diffusion can take care of it. If it's a thick layer of foam then almost none of it is in contact with the dirt.
The only difference I've found between the foam and TFR is TFR will strip all the wax off with it and leaves plastic/rubber trim grey.
thisisnotaspoon
I’m not convinced the “foam” part is any more than a gimmick. That’s why it didn’t seem to exist before Instagram.
Not sure about that - I've been debating whether get a foam lance & snow foam for about 15 years 🙂
But there are a lot of 'does it actually do anything' videos about, so who knows....
I don't profess to understand the chemistry behind it, but my understanding is that the foam is better able to cling to the vertical surfaces of a car, than a liquid alone - so it has time to soak the grime off, rather than just ending up as a puddle on the floor.
I know most people just take their cars to the local £5 car wash, but I still wash mine & would love to find a product that I could spray on, leave while I made a cuppa and then rinse off that had done 90% of the cleaning for me.
Maybe I should throw caution to the wind & spend £50 on a foam lance & some foam in the name of STW science...?
But for my car, I’m using the karcher snow foam lance and Simoniz Snow foam. The result is so thin and it just runs of my car, no cling whatsoever.
I got a Karcher washer that came with a foam lance. This is different to the after market one from Karcher that did get decent reviews, because it does not have the dial on. I bought some more Karcher foam and it's thicker than the stuff it came with. If I shake the lance I can get loads of really good foam, it's like I'm about to shave my car.
It still does bugger all though. It'd probably be good for mud or something but it did naff all for general dirt and grime.
I got a decent jetwash a while ago and thought I’d try a snow lance. Went for the Amazon own brand one and it foams up really well - using artic foam (I think - it’s by autoglym).
I’m not convinced how well it works - it gets a bit of dirt off but not loads. Perhaps it does take the biggest particles off so means you don’t scratch the paint so much when you then hand wash the rear of the dirt off.
I don’t think it’s worth spraying on a bike either way. I have started using a polish / lube thing on the sparkly bike frame as it looks beautiful in the sun then and I’d swear the dirt doesn’t stick to it as well either. Doesn’t take long to wash the bike either vs a car. Would take longer to set up the jet wash and snow foam Lance then it takes me to wash the bike!
thisisnotaspoon
I’m not convinced the “foam” part is any more than a gimmick. That’s why it didn’t seem to exist before Instagram.
I've used plenty of foaming products in the dairy (e.g. foaming caustics, alkaline solutions etc.,) and it's not a gimmick, the physical action of bubbles bursting and pulling help lift the dirt. You'll use less detergent with a foamer than you will otherwise. I'm not saying it's the case for snow foam for cars, but definitely the case when using heavy foaming agents for shifting dairy fats, proteins and tar in smokehouses.
I've used autoglym snow foam on the bike and I don't think it's worth it. It's fine for cars as you can cover a large area rapidly. It's less of a time saver on a bike. I'll typically use soapy (fairy) water after a rinse and wd 40 degreaser for shifting the heavy crap of the cassette and chain on the commuter.
2004 - Facebook
2005 - Youtube
2007 - @Stumpy01 develops an interest in snowfoam for cars
2010 - Instagram
Maybe I'm being too cynical, but it seems more than coincidental that a product that looks so impressive yet doesn't really seem to do much would be contemporary to social media and online videos kicking off.
Although part of my problem is that two of my cars I'd just spray with TFR/Snowfoam after a shitty motorway run, then jet wash it off and not care less about the "detailing". The passable criteria is can I see out the windows.
And the 3rd I wouldn't let it get that dirty that you could tell if it had made a difference!
Can I take this opportunity to mention what is known to car nerds as 'detailing spray'? I washed my white car, then wet over it with this spray and I was amazed at home much extra brown dirt came off what I thought was a clean white car. I suspect this would be great on a bike frame but I've never tried it as I don't care enough.
Also I'd be afraid of using car products on a bike as they often contain waxes that I would not want on my brakes.
I use a rag and cleaner if I want to do a good job on my bike because you can use the rag to floss all the difficult to reach bits around the BB.
I use these on my commuter, do a great job of cleaning off the grime
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284153141209
Ah the memories of spraying that foam stuff out of an upstairs window onto unsuspecting passers-by at the Halfords at used to work at.... We got away with it for weeks as people couldn't figure out what it was or where it was coming from.
42 posts and no-one has mentioned Stardrops. Cheap as chips and works really well.
Well I've read all you comments, thanks all.
Good ole bucket and sponge still I think until !
i use snowfoam a bit. if you spray it on a wet car it will just slide off. Absolutely pointless in that case. it is also not a tfr so it doent do much actual cleaning. It is basically used for getting stuff like dust off the car so your not creating a grinding paste when you wash it.
for a bike i wouldn't bother. The ones that work like a tfr are usually alkaline or acid and will creep into all your alloy bits and cause issues.
just go with cheap car shampoo and a sponge
I use it on my car, works for me. The advantage is that it keeps detergent on the car for ten minutes before I wash it off. The bubbles popping add more detergent on the body. Softens up dirt nicely so less chance of scratching the car when using the microfiber gloves.
I wouldn't bother for the bike, it doesn't get left for months between washes
I use this with bike cleaner in and works really well. Any cleaner will do but I use muc off as having tried the competition it is the best out there.
It just makes cleaning your bike easier. Spray the whole bike in foam which takes seconds, leave for a few minutes, while you degrease the drivetrain then a quick scrub with a sponge or brush on the worst areas, rinse off and job done.
I use washing up liquid, I have a 5L container I fill with hot water and washing up liquid, then use it with my Worx Hydroshot on the sprinkler setting, quick scrub with a soft brush, then rinsed off with the Hydroshot attached to the hose pipe if I’m leaving it out to dry, or fresh clean hot water if I want it to dry quickly.
Regarding salt in washing up liquid, see below.
Does washing-up liquid damage your vehicle? We asked Dr Bob Eden BSc MSc PhD MICorr (Member of the Institute of Corrosion) for the truth:
“Washing up liquid does contain a ‘salt’ but this is the active ingredient and should not be confused with road salt. There is nothing in a washing-up liquid that will exacerbate corrosion – there’s no sodium chloride salt to worry about. The issue regarding corrosion is the ‘chloride’ bit of the salt. In ‘chloride nests’ at the base of a corrosion pit, the chloride exists as hydrogen chloride, which in damp conditions creates a solution of dilute hydrochloric acid, and it’s this acid that does the damage. You need to avoid ‘chloride’ from any and all sources, e.g. seawater, road grit and fish & chips (but not washing up liquid).
Refreshing the thread.
Any recommendations?
My recommendation is don't use fairy liquid on your specs. I had a pair of glasses with all the standard Specsavers coatings. About once a month if they were grimy I used to put a bit of fairy on and gently wash. I now realise the last 6 months haven't been unrelentingly foggy, even in the house. My new pair will not go near the stuff.
Co-incidentally I washed my gravel bike on Thursday for what must be the first time in nearly a year (the other bikes stayed as they are). Friday's ride got it nicely back to normal though. I'm not a fan of sloshing water round bearings and stuff and driving grit into new places.
I need to do something as we’ve got a new car and I don’t want to get it shit high with mud and crap getting it in and out of the car.
It's not mud I need to shift. It's the horrible road grime that somehow* accumulates on my commuter
I use stainless steel wipes after getting home from a grotty commute... they clean dirt off anything, saves the road grime building up.. Brand is Green Shield.
My recommendation is don't use fairy liquid on your specs. I had a pair of glasses with all the standard Specsavers coatings. About once a month if they were grimy I used to put a bit of fairy on and gently wash. I now realise the last 6 months haven't been unrelentingly foggy, even in the house. My new pair will not go near the stuff.
I always use handsoap or shower gel on my swimming goggles and sunglasses which seems fine.
Any recommendations?
I still use Autofinesse Avalance as my snowfoam of choice, after a 2 bucket clean I then use Autofinesse Lavish which stays on for a month or so and makes the water bead of nicely. It used to be sold in Halfords, but then wasnt and then there wasnt a Halfords in my town anymore! Website is handy and has the usual sales to keep stocked up on.
Before covering your motors in foam and then washing it all off for it only to run to the next drain, it might be worth checking where the drains lead to.
I'm sure the fish don't need the degreaser in their water.
I use this on my van: https://bilthamber.com/product/touch-less/
/p>
(And their shampoo & hydrophobic coating, it's the best result you'll get for the minimum of effort.)
2nd the touchless stuff it’s way better than the auto glym I had before
Also I now use a hydrophobic coating too
Ceramic coating for the absolute win though
An alkaline car shampoo should clean road grime off well. Although I've ceramic coated mine I'm going to start using a ceramic sealant as well after washing (not every time) to keep topping it up
Cheers all
If you just want a simple wash'n'wax rather than going through a dozen steps, the Autoglym Ceramic wash'n'wax (they call it something else IIRC, but that's what it is in my book!) is simply incredible. Amazing beading/run off which just lasts and lasts like nothing else I've ever used (usually a Meguiar's fan)