Before you shampoo your car, it’s always best to try and lift some of the heaviest dirt and grime – enter snow foam and pre-wash. But what are snow foam and pre-wash? Are they the same thing? What are the benefits of each? And how do you use them?
We know, that’s a lot of questions. But don’t worry, we’ve been detailing cars for more than 20 years, and we’ve distilled some of that experience into this handy guide that answers all your snow foam and pre-wash queries.
What is Snow Foam?
As the name suggests, snow foam is a foam that looks like snow! It’s a type of foaming car cleaner that’s applied by mixing it in a snow foam lance and spraying it over the exterior of your car. It creates a white sheet that sits on your vehicle, attacking some of the worst of the grime before being rinsed away, taking the dirt with it.
Snow foam is usually one of the first steps in your car washing procedure, acting as a satisfying way to lift the worst excesses of contamination before a contact wash. However, you can also find snow foam shampoos, which act as an alternative to hand-applied car shampoos. To use snow foam, you’ll typically need to have a pressure washer on hand.
What is Pre-Wash?
Much like snow foam, pre-wash is designed to be applied before you shampoo your car. It also sits on your vehicle’s exterior, eating away at the heaviest of the dirt buildup, including insects, dust and other contaminants.
However, pre-wash doesn’t foam in the same way as snow foam and can be simply sprayed onto your car using a spray bottle or hand pump. Despite the differences, the result is largely the same as snow foam.
What is the Difference?
The main distinction is in the application method. Snow foams are designed to be diluted in a snow foam lance and layered over the car to create a uniform foam sheet using a pressure washer. This then sits on the vehicle exterior before being rinsed away.
Pre-wash doesn’t foam in the same way and is sprayed on as a liquid by hand. It also sits on the exterior, lifting dirt before it’s rinsed off. This process doesn’t require a pressure washer, but is arguably a little less visually satisfying than snow foam.
They can also differ in terms of results. For example, our Citrus Wash Multi Purpose Cleaner is designed with a higher pH to help lift and dissolve dirt quickly and effectively, whereas our snow foams typically have a more neutral pH for a gentler clean.
Benefits of Snow Foam and Pre-Wash
Beyond the differences between the two, why would you use either in the first place? Both snow foam and pre-wash have a vital role to play in the overall cleaning process, and come with a range of benefits, including:
- Improved Cleaning: Pre-wash and snow foam pre-wash lift some of the worst of the soiling before you go in by hand, helping shift more dirt and leaving your car cleaner overall, giving a far better finished look.
- Reduced Surface Contact: Both pre-wash and snow foam are entirely hands-free, meaning the need for physical contact with your paintwork is reduced, minimising the likelihood of scratching and swirling.
- Removes Stubborn Contaminants: These products are designed to attack heavy contaminants and dirt, including general dust and grime as well as insects, oily residue and more.
- Targets Specific Dirt Spots: By coating your entire car, pre-wash and snow foam help clean every inch, including areas prone to high dirt build-up, and they can also be targeted at trouble spots.
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Easier Cleaning: Using pre-wash or snow foam makes your life easier by helping to lift some of the worst of the dirt from your car, saving you a good deal of elbow grease.
How to Use Snow Foam and Pre-Wash
Snow foam and pre-wash have different application processes:
Snow Foam
Tools:
- Pressure washer
- Snow foam lance
- Snow foam
- Any adaptors required to attach your lance to your pressure washer
Method:
- Fill your lance bottle with the manufacturer-recommended amount of snow foam, dilute with water and attach to your pressure washer
- Using your pressure washer, apply an even layer of foam over your entire vehicle
- Let the foam work its magic and detach the foam lance (don’t apply the product in direct sunlight or allow to dry on your paintwork)
- With either a hose or your pressure washer, rinse away the foam
Pre-Wash
Tools:
- Spray bottle or pump
- Pre-wash
- Hose or pressure washer
Method:
- Mix your pre-wash with the suggested amount of water (if not already diluted)
- Spray over the whole of your vehicle exterior
- Wait roughly 10 minutes (as with snow foam, do not apply in direct sunlight or allow to dry onto your paintwork)
- Using your hose or pressure washer rinse the car to remove all the pre-wash
Our Snow Foam and Pre-Wash Recommendations
We stock a carefully curated selection of our own-brand car cleaning and detailing products, including snow foams and pre-washes. Here are just a handful of our top picks.
Citrus Wash Multi-Purpose Cleaner
Citrus Wash Multi Purpose Cleaner is the perfect all-in-one product that should be part of any car washing toolkit. It can be sprayed on by hand as a pre-wash, layered as a snow foam or used to spot clean challenging areas, and is safe on pretty much every surface of your car. To top it all off, it comes with a refreshing citrus scent.
Magifoam - Ultimate Pre-Wash Snowfoam
Meet the OG. Magifoam is one of our longest-running products, and for a good reason. This snow foam pre-wash creates a luxuriously thick foam layer that perfectly coats your car, lifting away dirt and grease like it’s nothing. It’s wax and sealant safe, cherry scented and highly dilutable for economical cleaning.
Parma Violets Super Foam
Our Parma Violets Super Foam is the ideal summer pre-wash, with a vivid purple colour and delicious Parma Violets fragrance, making cleaning a real treat. This high-foaming cleaner creates an even layer and is pH-neutral to protect your precious paintwork.
Snow Foam Lance
Snow foaming has never been more satisfying than with our new Snow Foam Lance. This high-quality lance connects to any type of pressure washer and provides the perfect all-in-one solution, complete with everything you need to effortlessly coat your car in one of our luxurious snow foam pre-washes or shampoos.
Buy Your Snow Foam and Pre-Wash From Autobrite
At Autobrite Direct, we stock an incredible selection of pre-washes and snow foams, all formulated in the UK to deliver outstanding results in the hands of novices and professionals alike.
Find everything you need to detail like a pro on our website, or for more information, just give our friendly team a call on 01782 315632.
