January 7th, 2021 by Sarah Miles

Snow foam is a fantastic product – not just for petrolheads, but also for anyone whose pride and joy is their car and they want to keep it pristine. It is a pre-wash product, so you spray it onto your car where it clings to the surface and gets to work on loosening the dirt before rinsing and applying car shampoo.

It’s not an exact science though and can require some tweaks and adjustments to create the thick snow foam required. If you have tried it and not got the consistency needed to do the job properly, you may have assumed that it’s not worth doing but just try a little troubleshooting before you write it off.

Here are the 5 most common errors that people make when using snow foam:

1. Failing to use the right tools

It’s easy to dismiss the product when it doesn’t work as you’d hoped, but the snow foam itself is just one of 3 elements of the mix, the other two being a pressure washer and a snow foam lance. Each of these items should not only be of high quality individually but should also work together well. That means a good quality snow foam brand, a snow foam lance that corresponds to that brand, and a good quality pressure washer that will work with the right lance. Skimp on any one item and you’ll compromise the performance of all 3.

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2. Insufficient pressure

The reason you need a good quality pressure washer is that the water pressure is what agitates the liquid to create really thick snow foam. This pressure, of course, comes from the quality of the pressure washer but it can also be affected by something as simple as your relative position to the car. The greater the distance from the car, the more pressure you will lose before it makes contact.

3. Not testing the mix

Your snow foam will always come with a recommended ratio of product to water. Generally, this is around 1 part product to 3 parts water. However, local variables will affect this. For example, hard water can make it more difficult to achieve a thick foam so try reducing the amount of water to product if you’re in a hard water area. Also experiment with different nozzle settings, as all pressure washers will give different results, and different ratios until you get the right combination. It’s really a case of trial and error but once you find the right mix you should get consistent results each time.

4. Applying to a wet car

Snow foam works by clinging to the surface of the car so it can start to work on loosening the dirt. It’s hard to do this if the surface of the car isn’t completely dry. It will also dilute the snow foam further, wasting all your efforts getting the mix right in the first place. Therefore, don’t rinse the car prior to applying and make sure there’s no surface water from rain or puddles.

5. Contact washing

Snow foam is designed to be rinsed off with water. Do not be tempted to wipe off with a cloth or sponge. You may think you’re removing more dirt doing this but snow foam does not contain the agents that car shampoos and waxes have that help your cloth glide over the car’s surface without scratching it. You therefore risk damaging your car’s paintwork, plus rinsing is easier and you’ll get plenty of sponge time when you move onto the shampoo stage.

Therefore, if you’re not getting the results you hoped for from snow foam, consider whether any of these pitfalls could have contributed and follow the tips for better results next time.