Foam Gun question
 

Never used a foam Gun but bought one and am going to use it this weekend .So not sure if I have this right . You foam the car , rinse it off then you wash it with mitt/2 bucket etc ?

I rinse the car down with a strong jet of water, foam the car, let it set for around 5 minutes, rinse the car, foam again, then wash with 2BM. I can do all of this with just 1 canister of the foam gun.

Foaming then rinsing and foaming again is overkill and wasteful to the enviroment in my opinion. I personally foam an area, then wash that area. Foam another area, wash that area, etc...until the car is completely washed. In my experience if you foam the entire car, by the time you get around to the other side the foam has mostly gone away and is not serving its purpose, which is an extra layer of lubrication.

I completely disagree, but that's what is great about this forum. We are free to agree to disagree. :D The point of a foam gun is to lift the dirt particles off of the paint and let them slide off. If you don't rinse after you foam the first time, then the dirt particles are still very much still on the paint. I foam a second time to add lubricity. I can get around my whole car before the foam disappears. So idk what to tell you there. As to the statement about being wasteful to the environment, all of the soaps that I use are phosporus free and will not in any way harm the environment or my health. Thanks.

The way that I use my foam gun is that I:

-Rinse the car down
-Apply foam with foam gun
-Let foam stand for about 5 minutes
-Proceed with 2-bucket wash
-???
-Profit!

And, if you've never used a foam gun, here's my foam gun in action :D :

You use a ton of soap. :yikes: lol. Great video though. :drinking:

I find it very hard to believe ph neutral soaps like Adams are lifting dirt particles from the finish just by sitting there. Its nice to think so, but in reality your just adding lubrication unless you add something to the wash, such as all purpose cleaner.
As far as the environment sir, I was referring to the several extra gallons of water you are using each time you do that extra rinse...
All that being said, both methods will produce great results...and yes, that is what is great about forums.

You guys are way over thinking this, lol. I'd be shocked if you gain anything by foaming twice. Rinse it good, foam, let it dwell to loosen any remaining crud, and proceed to wash. All you're doing with foam is adding a little more lubricity.

Not even Adam's soap contains little fairies that scrub the paint while it dwells, although some people here would probably believe it if they put it on the label...hmm April Fools 2013?

^^^Exactly

Whoever said that I was talking about Adam's. :D Optimum Car soap will cause brown foam to fall off of your car. Trust me. This stuff has some awesome cleaners in it, but is still PH neutral and environmental friendly. Same with Chemical Guys no touch and Zep no touch foam.

I know YOU weren't talking about Adam's haha. But, just my opinion is one foam and you're good to go. Hell, you can foam it up in five minute increments all day and then wash it at 6pm if you want to, your prerogative. :thumbsup:

I just washed my wife's new Jeep the other night and have been using a foam gun with Adams soap for years. I've come to the conclusion that foam guns are just a way to sell more soap. I would need to see some solid proof that it really makes a difference. I believe I'm going to stop using my foam gun all together. Besides,I've washed thousands of times over the years without using one with just as good results.

Just my two cents.

They aren't necessary at all. It just makes washing more of an enjoyment for me and makes me look more professional for when I start to have customers.

I guess if you do it for a living it might be okay ,but then again how many times are your customers there while your doing a detail? I have a friend that details for a living and his customers only see the end result. He doesn't want them to see how he performs his magic. You know trade secrets. :laugh:

By the way, he doesn't use a foam gun. He makes fun of me for using one. I'm starting to agree with him.