Snow Foam - Worth It?

[grmtylr]

I've just picked up a Race Blue Octavia VRS and it's easily the best condition car I've owned and I'd like to keep it that way if I can!

 

I was previously driving a van so it was kept clean but nothing OTT, just a wash every now and then.

 

With the Skoda I'm thinking about trying some snow foam on it to try and prevent any scratching of the paintwork.

Is it worth it?

is it better than a hose pipe rinse and then just cracking on with a normal wash?

 

The car currently has some very light swirling from getting washed by the previous owner but while I don't have the inclination to get the whole car machine polished, I'd like to try and prevent any further swirling where possible. 

 

I'm not planning on going full "Detailing World" on it but I'd like to keep it looking good!

 

Any advice regarding foam lances and snow foam would be much appreciated. 

 

[Bignij]

If your normal wash is a bucket and sponge job then snow foam won't help. Once you've snow foamed and jetted it off. You need to do the two bucket wash with lambs wool wash mitt. Microfibre if you can't afford lambs wool . Then a decent wax or quick detailer to make it shine. And all the usual gunk for the tyres and plastics. And glass cleaner. That's the absolute bare minimum in my very humble, limited knowledge, opinion.

[Chris_VRS]

In a word, 95% of the time - NO.

 

A decent pressure washer pre-rinse prior to 2 bucket method of washing does the job just fine. In winter you may want to add a pre-soak along the lines of Autosmart Hazsafe through a pressure sprayer.

 

cheers

 

Chris

[threadbear]

Ive used Autofinesse Avalanche snow foam and although it looks impressive I found it of little benefit. In fact the only time I use my pressure washer is to jet out the wheel arches in the winter. Otherwise it is the two bucket method with a Meguiar wash mitt and Autoglym shampoo. Using Autoglym High Definition Shampoo at the moment. Lovely stuff. Use a decent wax and polish on the car and winter road muck will washing off fairly easily with the two bucket method providing it doesnt build up too much. 

Edited 21 August, 2017 by threadbear
bad grammar!

[Svend]

I've used it for several years. 

If you bare in mind most micromarring and swirls are inflicted during the wash process, the least physical interaction as possible is the most beneficial. 

The snow foam helps soften the dirt and will aid removing much of the debris. There will always be some dirt left over which needs that physical touch to remove but the snow foam has softened it sufficiently that you won't need any aggressive rubbing to remove. 

Follow the snow foam up with a good rinse and then a two bucket wash, the two buckets will aid reducing re-introducing dirt from the vehicle, back to the vehicle after cleaning the mitt in the rinse bucket. 

[Bignij]

4 hours ago, Svend said:

Follow the snow foam up with a good rinse and then a two bucket wash, the two buckets will aid reducing re-introducing dirt from the vehicle, back to the vehicle after cleaning the mitt in the rinse bucket. 

Just a note, bearing in mind some of Svend's previous work, it may be just terminology, don't rinse the snow foam off, jet wash it off.

[Svend]

On 22/08/2017 at 08:07, Bignij said:

Just a note, bearing in mind some of Svend's previous work, it may be just terminology, don't rinse the snow foam off, jet wash it off.

As above. Whenever I refer to 'rinse', that's jet wash off unless your 'sheeting' which is using the hose pipe with an open end to let the water run along the paintwork to collect water droplets.