Foam Cannon

I have been detailing for a long time and used to do it for extra money. They did not have foam cannons back when I detailed as a side hustle. So with a foam cannon with a normally dirty Tundra (not muddy) can you spray a quality wash solution on the truck and spray off with a pressure washer and have a clean truck? I have read different views on this. Some say that is all they do between waxes/sealants and others say they use microfiber wash mitts to wipe the truck with the foam cannon wash on the truck to clean it. Others say they wash the foam cannon wash off and then wash the truck as normal. Thanks for any clarification you can give me.

 

Heres what I do with my truck that has a ceramic coating (Gtechniq CSL)

Washing techniques:
1. If the truck is not visibly dirty,
I will foam cannon it with Gtechniq foam wash, let it work its magic, then spray it off. I use a blower to dry the vehicle

2. If the truck is visibly dirty
I will foam cannon it with Gtechniq wash, let it work its magic, then spray it off
I will then use the 2-bucket method to handwash the truck and use a blower to dry.

3. Every quarter, I use Gtechniq C2 spray sealant just to make sure the coating stays fresh

 

If it is just light dirt, dust, a foam spray and rinse can be enough for a quick cleanup.

If the vehicle is dirty you will still need agitation to remove all the dirt. Think of the foam cannon spray and rinse off as a "pre wash". It does really make the truck a lot cleaner. I have a black truck, so keeping it clean is something you need to stay on top of. Pressure washer and foam cannon really make a difference. That pre wash, removes most of the crud, so when you do wash you are not rubbing dirt on the paint, causing micro-scratches.

I rinse truck, use foam cannon and let that sit a minute, rise it off. Then wash with microfiber pad as usual. I wax/seal every 3-4 months (megs ultimate and top coat with beadmaker) and this keeps my black truck very dark, glossy, protected. Keeps the truck much cleaner as it is slick and even after driving in rain my truck can look freshly washed.

 

IMO the foam cannon is a tool and not a solution to a car cleaning, it comes down to how often you care for the truck.

I don't view it as any different from a touchless car wash. If your car is mostly clean, the foam cannon soak, and power wash will likely be enough. If its been a month, decent road miles, or the vehicle sits outside and not in a garage, I wouldn't touch a drying cloth to the vehicle after the soak and wash. I would soak, power wash, washmit w/ soap as normal, then power wash again. It still makes your washmit cycle easier, and a lot of the lose particles are off the vehicle vs just a quick power wash.

 

I have one and don't think it's a substitute for hand washing. Fun maybe but really rather useless otherwise. Mind you that washing my vehicles isn't a spur of the moment decision and is preceded by multiple spray on coats of a car wash soap and water solution mixed about 10% soap. Doing this a few times over the bugs and heavier dirt helps loosen things. I seldom use the pressure washer since it doesn't remove as much dirt as a microfiber mitt and using the foam cannon involves digging out the pressure washer.
Non on my 4wheelers it does get used with the pressure washer since I don't handwash anything more than the bodywork. Dawn dishsoap works there.

 

Thanks for all the helpful information. I know what a foam cannon is used for now. It is a tool that helps lift off a lot of the dirt so you don't rub across your paint when you wash with the two bucket method after the foam cannon. Have a nice weekend.

 

I'm old school too. Never used a foam cannon before (barring that overpriced smelly stuff we'd use at the local car wash) so I realized quickly that foam didn't really save me time but added another step, and more time, to the process.

I still like to do it though and I use Adam's 2 step kit

 

To see an illustration of the foam cannon and it's relative effectiveness.....here' s a video from The Forensic Detailing Channel on Youtube. It does a good job showing how capable a foam cannon can be when paired with the appropriate type of soap:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI_sKLufqVE

 

I use a foam cannon just to spread soap over the vehicle but certainly not as a replacement to wash the truck with a microfiber mit sponge or brush. My technique has been to pressure wash rinse it initially to get all the dirt, grime, and bug guts off. Then foam cannon and scrub with mit/brush. I do a final rinse using a regular hose. I find that doing the final rinse with low pressure gets all of the soap and grime off easier and there is less water spots than doing a pressure wash at the end. This usually followed up by a rain shower the day after because my luck just goes that way lol.

 

Personally it depends on the soap used to foam and the grime that is built up on the vehicle. No all foams are equal.
Here is a Bilt Hamber comparison; starts at 10:13:
https://youtu.be/CI_sKLufqVE?t=613