soap recommendations for foam canon

[hankster]

noob to detailing so learning a LOT from these threads
I have a foam canon / lance / gun on the way for my pressure washer. Don't know what soap I should buy for it but from what I've read the foamier the better. What would be some that would really work well?

[David-Fermani.com]

IMHO any soap will do, but remember:
Soap is a cleaner, and the longer you let it dwell on the surface, the quicker it will degrade the wax/sealant you have on it. If you properly wash a vehicle, a foam gun canon/gun will offer you no rewards other then making your neighbors think you have a bad case of OCD.

[CU2MIKE]

Meguiar's hyper wash. Cheaper compare to other products, I use 2oz mixed with 24oz of water

[hankster]

Originally Posted by David-Fermani.com

...If you properly wash a vehicle, a foam gun canon/gun will offer you no rewards other then making your neighbors think you have a bad case of OCD.

hmm, my thoughts were to the foam canon only on my vehicles on those occasions when one got really really dirty. For example, I have one now that was left parked under a tree for 3 weeks. Filthy. A foam and rinse (or two) sounds like a good first step.

Interested to hear other approaches. What would be your suggestion?

[Laika]

I like the thought of a foam cannon because I can let the foam sit on my car for a little while, then rinse it off with a hose, and now I've greatly decreased the chance of me running the paint by causing swirls from debris stuck on the car.

After this though I would hit it with foam again and use a nice mitt to scrub 'er down good. I'm a big fan of meguiar's gold class soap with my pressure washer.

[JoeyV]

DP extreme Foam Formula, AutoGlym Bodywork Shampoo, Chemical Guys Citrus Wash and Gloss. 3 excellent choices.

[Rossman]

Originally Posted by JoeyV

DP extreme Foam Formula, AutoGlym Bodywork Shampoo, Chemical Guys Citrus Wash and Gloss. 3 excellent choices.

Where do you get your products? Realize you are in Montreal and I am in GTA, but all I know is that Crappy Tire doesn't really carry some of these recommended brands...advice on other chains?

[picus]

CT has the autoglym stuff. To be honest, you're probably better of going online. eshine.ca/autoobsessed.com are both great Canadian vendors who carry a pretty large variety of stuff.

[Rossman]

Originally Posted by picus

CT has the autoglym stuff. To be honest, you're probably better of going online. eshine.ca/autoobsessed.com are both great Canadian vendors who carry a pretty large variety of stuff.

Ah yes, now that I look online I see they have the AutoGlym stuff. When I was at my local things were...disorganized, to say the least. I'll go to the bigger/nicer one!

As regards to buying online, seems like shipping would be prohibitive if one were buy a gallon of car wash concentrate...or any quantity of a liquid, due to weight alone?

[track_warrior]

Dude i use this it creates an enormous amount of foam!! Meguires soap also creates a lot of foam for some strange reason lol.

http://www.autogeek.net/foam-gun-soap.html

[picus]

Originally Posted by Rossman

Ah yes, now that I look online I see they have the AutoGlym stuff. When I was at my local things were...disorganized, to say the least. I'll go to the bigger/nicer one!

As regards to buying online, seems like shipping would be prohibitive if one were buy a gallon of car wash concentrate...or any quantity of a liquid, due to weight alone?

Ya that is probably true. I think they may both do free shipping over "x" but getting to "x" can be a problem if all you're after is soap. If you're anywhere near Mississauga and ever want anything from eshine let me know and I will just order it and you can pick up. I order from them weekly.

[David-Fermani.com]

Originally Posted by hankster

hmm, my thoughts were to the foam canon only on my vehicles on those occasions when one got really really dirty. For example, I have one now that was left parked under a tree for 3 weeks. Filthy. A foam and rinse (or two) sounds like a good first step.

Interested to hear other approaches. What would be your suggestion?

I'd invest in a good powerwasher. It will remove much more surface dirt and grime from the finish then foaming. The key to marr free washing with a powerwasher is producing the very cleanest surface possible prior to hand washing. After a good power washing, the surface will mostly just have a film of road oil, which doesn't take much effort to remove.

Plus, a powerwasher will not remove your protection like a soap presoak will.

[Hamza7]

Originally Posted by picus

Ya that is probably true. I think they may both do free shipping over "x" but getting to "x" can be a problem if all you're after is soap. If you're anywhere near Mississauga and ever want anything from eshine let me know and I will just order it and you can pick up. I order from them weekly.

Dude, Kev. Can I get that offer too. I usually order every 4 months but I ALWAYS end up forgetting stuff.

[picus]

Ya sure. I don't want to go too overboard because odds are I'll end up forgetting who wanted what; but if you guys just need soap/etc...like a few items and don't want to pay shipping just let me know and I'll include in my weekly orders.

FWIW, I agree with David re: foaming. It was a big fad a few years ago but generally speaking it doesn't provide much of a tangible benefit and can strip LSPs. With a coating like opti coat you'll get just as much debir removal with a good PW. I used a foam lance for awhile, mostly found it was a lot of soap for a little cool factor. I def. find PW'ing with RO'd water is the best bet for a "touchless" was if that's the route you're going to go.