So you've seen the rave about foam cannons & guns, perhaps even bought one already and you want to figure out how to use it.

In this blog we are going to dive into everything you need to know to determine what foam cannon is best for you, how to use it correctly and everything else in between. 

What is a Foam Cannon & What are the Types? (Overview & Benefits)

There are often many terms to describe a foam cannon - a foam gun, a snow gun/cannon, a foam lance, there's quite a few. But they are all designed to do the same thing. 

Simply put, a foam cannon is a specialised attachment that traditionally attaches to your pressure washer, utilising water, air and car wash to produce a thick foam layer over your vehicle.

Although utilising a pressure washer will give you the best results due to the PSI rating, you can still get specialised foam cannons to fit your garden hose, or even pressurised sprayers that have foam attachments. 

There are several benefits to utilising snow foam in a foam cannon, these include:

• Is a fantastic "pre-wash" process, loosening dirt & grime before even touching the car.
• This can get the bulk of the dirt off, that way when you come in with something like your two bucket wash method, the chance of you scratching/marring the paintwork is much less.
• If the car isn't very dirty, a simple foam wash can be sufficient for maintenance - making this much easier and quicker.

To learn more about the benefits of snow foam, check out our blog! 

Everything you need to get started with Foaming.

To make sure you are all ready to foam your car, this is what we recommend for the best results. 

• A high quality foam cannon, we recommend using the Nv Snowstorm or the latest MTM foam cannon. 
• A pressure washer, around 1500-2500 PSI for optimal results - such as the AR680 Pressure Washer.  
  • If you don't have a pressure washer, that's fine you can use a garden foam cannon, like the MTM garden foam cannon. 
• A snow foam/foaming wash - which is basically a car wash that has been formulated for high foaming campabilities 

Note: If you are wanting to further enhance your foaming / washing process, you can also look at upgrading your pressure washer gun with a short gun, looking at upgrading your hose, check out some adaptors/accessories, or perhaps a pressure washer upgrade kit all together! 

Step-by-Step guide on how to use your Foam Cannon?

So we've got our foam cannon (or our foam cannon for a garden hose), and we are all ready to go! Here are some steps you can follow to ensure the best results when foaming your car. 

Step 1. Prepare your equipment:

• Make sure your foam cannon is filled with a suitable foaming wash that follows the appropriate dilution ratio. If you are unsure, check the product description of your snow foam. For example, with a product like Nv Snow, its 1 : 8
• Next ensure that your foam gun is attached to your pressure washer gun - we always suggest testing your foam with your cannon not pointed towards the car, just as a final safety check. 

Step 2. Adjust the foam cannon settings

• Its pretty much standard now for all foam cannons to come with a knob at the top of the unit which controls water flow - the soap to water ratio really. Play around with this until you are happy with the thickness of the foam
• Change your spray pattern, and ensure you are all ready to go 

Step 3. Foam time!

• Foam your car, starting from the bottom up and let the foam dwell for 3-5 minutes
• This is going to allow it to physically and chemically loosen the dirt & grime on the car
• Rinse off after 3-5 minutes, and avoid letting the foam dry onto the surface

Step 4. Finish your wash

• Like stated before, the foam process is a "pre wash" step - getting the bulk of the dirt & grime off before you touch it, making your wash safer and more effective.
• After your wash is all completed, we recommend following up with a two bucket wash method for optimal results. 

Common Foam Cannon mistakes & how to fix them.

There are a few main "mistakes" or "issues" people have when it comes to using a foam cannon that are easy to rectify. 

"My foam isn't thick enough!" 
If this is the case, its most likely due to your foam-to-water ratio, so we would recommend adjusting the knob on your foam cannon. If this still doesn't work, check the specs of your pressure washer, it might be on the lower side of PSI ratings OR you aren't using a wash specialised for foaming. 

"My foam cannon stopped working..."
Most of the time when this happens, its because the foam cannon is clogged. Perhaps some snow foam was left in the cannon and it dried out - best way to clean this is to run some warm water through the cannon and this should be fixed. 

Take Washing to the next level.

Using a foam cannon is the perfect way to take your washing process to the next level. A deeper clean, much more effective & a whole lot safer. Following these steps will ensure you are set up for success, and if you don't have a foam cannon or snow foam yet, browse our ranges! 

If you have any other questions - don't hesitate to reach out. Email us, call us, contact us on socials, whatever works!