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Foaming - A pre wash. Can be used to do a number of things:-
- Pre wash the car
- Strip the car of any LSP
- Allow a touch less wash (sometimes)
- Look good
Tools required
- Pressure washer
- Foam lance
- Shampoo / foam
- A hose with a hose lock connection
- Tap !
- Knowledge
Pressure Washer (PW)
As with most things, you buy cheap, you buy twice.
Saying that though, the cheaper ones are good enough for personal use, and can last years. A cheap PW will produce good foam.
I find the following place a very good site to buy them from, re manufactured, but top quality with good service.
Discount den
I find this one pretty perfect for budget, at £57.99, with free delivery, it produces good foam, at a great price.

There are loads about. A Karcher will give you an easier life in getting replacement parts, and a lance fitting.
Foam Lance
A number of traders available, don't bother with the Karcher ones, they're w@nk, but here's a few to choose from (All basicly the same) :-
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-drying/foam-lance-various-fittings/prod_371.html
Cleanyourcar
Elite
Autobright
I went for the cleanyourcar one.
Make sure you order the right lance for your PW, ie, Karcher fitment for Karcher, Bosch for Bosch, etc
Shampoo / Foam
Basicly, most shampoos will foam up nicely. A lot of them offer different jobs.
Here's a quick run down:-
Duragloss 901 - Very slick, lots of foam, not too much cleaning.
Valet Pro PH neutral - Medium cleaning, high foam
Bilt Hmaber surfex, or auto foam - preclaimed as the highest cleaner available, high foam.
Meguiars Hyperwash - High foam, average cleaning, great VFM.
You can also mix Citrus degreaser, All purpose cleaners, etc to aid cleaning / strip LSP.
My personal favourite is Duragloss 901.
Remember, the better protected the car is, the better cleaning will be via the foam.
Knowledge
It may sound daft, but the set up is as follows:-
Plug in the PW, use an extention if required.
Click the hose onto the PW
Make sure the gun is attatched nice and tight
Turn on water and plug.
Lance:-
You will need to refer to the instructions. But basicly, a 'drop or two' or product (1 cm ish) will normally be adquate. Then fill almost full with warm water
Attatch Lance to the gun, push in, twist, and it's on.
Turn everything on and fire it up. You won't need to turn the foam nozzle up high at all, in fact, it effects the foam in a poor way!
Keep playing until you get it right.
Enjoy yourselves!
Also, if you're on a very tight budget, you can use a superspray bottle. Does work well, requires no PW, and is cheap.
Simply put a cm in the bottom, with shampoo, and top up with warm water. Attatch to hose, and spray.
CLICK
Hope that helps.
Joe
- Pre wash the car
- Strip the car of any LSP
- Allow a touch less wash (sometimes)
- Look good
Tools required
- Pressure washer
- Foam lance
- Shampoo / foam
- A hose with a hose lock connection
- Tap !
- Knowledge
Pressure Washer (PW)
As with most things, you buy cheap, you buy twice.
Saying that though, the cheaper ones are good enough for personal use, and can last years. A cheap PW will produce good foam.
I find the following place a very good site to buy them from, re manufactured, but top quality with good service.
Discount den
I find this one pretty perfect for budget, at £57.99, with free delivery, it produces good foam, at a great price.

There are loads about. A Karcher will give you an easier life in getting replacement parts, and a lance fitting.
Foam Lance
A number of traders available, don't bother with the Karcher ones, they're w@nk, but here's a few to choose from (All basicly the same) :-
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-drying/foam-lance-various-fittings/prod_371.html
Cleanyourcar
Elite
Autobright
I went for the cleanyourcar one.
Make sure you order the right lance for your PW, ie, Karcher fitment for Karcher, Bosch for Bosch, etc
Shampoo / Foam
Basicly, most shampoos will foam up nicely. A lot of them offer different jobs.
Here's a quick run down:-
Duragloss 901 - Very slick, lots of foam, not too much cleaning.
Valet Pro PH neutral - Medium cleaning, high foam
Bilt Hmaber surfex, or auto foam - preclaimed as the highest cleaner available, high foam.
Meguiars Hyperwash - High foam, average cleaning, great VFM.
You can also mix Citrus degreaser, All purpose cleaners, etc to aid cleaning / strip LSP.
My personal favourite is Duragloss 901.
Remember, the better protected the car is, the better cleaning will be via the foam.
Knowledge
It may sound daft, but the set up is as follows:-
Plug in the PW, use an extention if required.
Click the hose onto the PW
Make sure the gun is attatched nice and tight
Turn on water and plug.
Lance:-
You will need to refer to the instructions. But basicly, a 'drop or two' or product (1 cm ish) will normally be adquate. Then fill almost full with warm water
Attatch Lance to the gun, push in, twist, and it's on.
Turn everything on and fire it up. You won't need to turn the foam nozzle up high at all, in fact, it effects the foam in a poor way!
Keep playing until you get it right.




Enjoy yourselves!
Also, if you're on a very tight budget, you can use a superspray bottle. Does work well, requires no PW, and is cheap.
Simply put a cm in the bottom, with shampoo, and top up with warm water. Attatch to hose, and spray.
CLICK
Hope that helps.
Joe