What is a Foam Cannon?
You’ve seen those photos of cars dripping with thick, white, shaving cream like foam and you’ve often wondered: “Just how exactly do they do that?” The secret is: a foam cannon!
A foam cannon is a piece of car washing equipment that mixes the perfect amount of car wash soap, water, and air to generate thick suds, then shoot them all over your car using the power of a pressure washer.
Pressure washers are awesome. They take water from your garden hose, use a small electric or gas engine to power a pump that shoots water out at insanely high pressures. People use them for all sorts of things, but when attached to a foam cannon, they will shoot insane amounts of suds that will make any driveway look like a winter wonderland.
Thick foaming suds lubricate the surface of your car, allowing your wash mitt to glide over the surface without installing swirls or scratches. You can use a gas or electric pressure to shoot amazing suds, but generally, we have had the best luck with gas pressure washers. They can be a little louder, more cumbersome, larger, and more expensive, but if you’re anything like us, then you can’t ever get enough suds!
How to Foam Cannon Your Car
Mix 1 – 3oz of your favorite Chemical Guys soap and water into the canister of the foam cannon. We always use warm water because it helps the aerate mixture better. Reattach the canister to the head of the foam cannon.
After adding soap and water to your foam cannon canister, simply reattach it to your pressure washer lance, get spraying! Every Chemical Guys foam cannon features an adjustable dial so you can fine tune your foam to the perfect amount for your level of dirty. From filthy off-roader to the gentle no-touch-wash, there is sure to be a setting for you!
Generally, we like to lay down a thick layer of suds over our car and then rinse it off before we even go at it with our mitt. Simply coat your car, allow the foam to sit for a few minutes and let the sheer power of premium Chemical Guys soaps and gravity work for you. Watch as the dirt and grime slide off your car like magic. Then, rinse our car off with just water. This simple step helps minimize the chances of installing wash induced scratches and swirls.
Now, time for the fun step again: refoaming your car! Spray another layer of super thick car wash foam on your ride once again. You can even play it in if you want! Just don’t forget to use a wash mitt to scrub off the remaining dirt and debris. Use the two bucket method to further avoid swirls and scratches. If you’ve never heard those words “two bucket method” before, you’ll definitely want to click this article to learn exactly what it is.
After scrubbing, make sure to rinse your car again to rid your car of the remaining dirt and bubbles. Finally, dry your car with a super soft towel as you would during any other wash. At Chemical Guys, we love using the latest technology to get the best results. That’s why our choice when washing a car is a foam cannon and pressure washer combo. Foaming your car isn’t just fun, it also helps protect your car from swirls and scratches, so whether you’re washing your grocery getter or your classic show car, your ride will always look its best and shine its brightest
