Does A Cheep Foam Cannon Cut It?

I tried this soap from Griots last time, with a cheap foam cannon and it worked very good and can be bought from Advanced Auto for a good price.
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/griots-garage-brilliant-finish-car-wash-64-oz-10866/10856967-p?store_code=1605&product_channel=local&adtype=pla&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2L3E2eyE6wIVE47ICh25jwZOEAQYAiABEgJSU_D_BwE&store=1605&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Been using hot water and using honey dew. CG makes great soaps. Polishes suck. Think I will foam the car tonight.

 

I got one off Amazon like year ago, probably $20 and no branding whatsoever. Works perfectly fine, I beat the crap out of it too (throw it on the garage floor/driveway) I don't have anything to compare it to but I can tell you that it does its job, lol.

 

I have the Sun Joe in the above link with a Chemical Guys foam cannon I use about 2oz of their suds for this application and its worked amazingly puts a nice thick foam.

 

What kind of microfiber towels do you guys use / recommend?

 

I like steel wool for that brushed but polished look
I have CG ultra plush microfiber towel. I have few of them I really like them.

 

The Rag Company Eagle Edgeless are my favorite all around for washing.

 

Costco is what I use, Kirkland 20pk or whatever it is.

They work for me but I haven't tried higher end towels yet

 

Griots pfm for wax and polish

 

Do you notice any residual lint after drying? My Tundra is black, wondering if these will leave anything behind. Amazon reviews seem mixed.

 

For drying I use griot drying towel it’s awesome no lint

 

Sorry pmf lol long day

 

I dry with a Griots PFM (on the rare occasion I dry the vehicle), they don’t lint at all.

 

Griots it is, thanks gents

 

I have the geeenworks 2000 psi electric pressure washer from Lowe’s and a cheaper foam cannon from Amazon. They work great. Just remember to give your truck a solid and thorough rinse Before using the foam cannon. Last thing you want to do is start with the foam and trap all the abrasives in there while you’re scrubbing!!!!!

 

Foam cannons to me seem like more of an unnecessary gizmo than anything else. Good pressure wash follwed by hand contact.

 

I thought so too; until using one. I have used one for the last year or so and the results speak for themselves. My truck looks amazing and it saves a ton of time

 

I guess if it's extremely dirty might be good to use. The time factor though to just wash is what would do me in.

 

They’re good for a vehicle that’s got some major stuff caked on. I generally use it as a pre-soak then rinse and follow up with a normal wash. I do think they’re perfectly viable as part of a normal wash routine though, especially in the cooler months when you don’t have to worry about the soap drying on as much.

 

You should get a non-white foam to see coverage better and better effects

 

Lots of love here for the inexpensive foam cannons, and to a degree, with good reason. I have both ends of the spectrum....and MTM PF22 and an Amazon cheapie. There are some features on the more expensive ones that you can not get on the cheaper ones, and if you have both, you can see the difference in the build quality. As far as durability, you'd probably find as many that have crapped out in a month as those that have lasted years without an issue. My MTM makes better foam than the cheapie.....but is it that much better to spend 3-4x as much for the MTM.....that's up to the buyer, I guess.

When it comes to your pressure washer, GPM is more important than PSI when it comes to making foam. I'm running a SunJoe SPX3000, and it's stated numbers (2030 psi and 1.76 gpm) are exaggerated to put it mildly. Even with that, it makes more than enough of both to wash a vehicle, and that's all I use it for. I've gotten some of the best foam using MTMs Perfoamance soap, and Jay Lenos vehicle wash. Shaving cream-like foam, to me, is overrated. I use the foam cannon a lot, and I want a foam that clings to the surface long enough to emulsify dirt and carry it away, and then rinses cleanly. When the foam is too thin, it can't do that, and if it's too thick, the majority of it is not making contact with the surface to be of any help.

As far as cleaning power, consistency, and how clean it rinses, nothing beats CarPro Reset for a wash soap. Sadly, it's only available online, and is also pretty pricey at 85.00/gallon. Another good soap, at the other end of the price spectrum, but also only available online, is P&S Pearl Shampoo, at roughly 18.00 a gallon

 

MATCC foam cannon, Chemical Guys Honeydew foam wash, and Griot’s towel worked really well.

 

You doing the wheel wells last?

 

Oops....totally overlooked those! I had sprayed them with the power washer but forget to soap them up. Those plastic liners seem to hold dirt more firmly than the rest of the truck.

 

They do. I've cleaned them, or thought I did, only to find them still dirty when they dried. I'm gonna try one of those drill brushes with the extension to reach up into the wheel well.

 

I have a cheap Amazon one and I think it does well what also matters is good soap

 

I use the foam cannon from Chemical Guys on a garden hose. With their car wash soap, makes lots of foam and then hit it with a sponge. works well for me. No matter what you use, gotta put your hands on the truck.

 

What you're using there is a foam gun, not a foam cannon. They're very different tools with very different results. In almost all situations, you're correct that you do indeed need to put your hands on the truck. The foam that comes from the foam cannon is far more dense, and has a much greater ability to break down surface dirt than the foam produced by a foam gun.

I have a foam gun too, which I use when I decide I do not feel like dragging out the pressure washer. I do like the extra layer of protection it gives me when hand washing a vehicle.

 

Great combo.

 

There’s a reason I try to leave them out of any pics I post......