[booforty]

Originally Posted by willhollin

Or do it from the lounge through the window.

No... Or ask the other half to do it whilst you relax in the lounge with a cup of tea and point and give guidance where appropriate...

[willhollin]

Originally Posted by booforty

No... Or ask the other half to do it whilst you relax in the lounge with a cup of tea and point and give guidance where appropriate...

In bikini of course.

[booforty]

Naturally...

[M3-FAST]

Originally Posted by booforty

My tip is "wrap up warm", it gets chilly out there...

Originally Posted by booforty

No... Or ask the other half to do it whilst you relax in the lounge with a cup of tea and point and give guidance where appropriate...

Originally Posted by booforty

Naturally...

Oh Booo, your so funny

[marriedblonde]

Originally Posted by booforty

Naturally...

I think it's unfair to discriminate against those that have been genetically enhanced

[DaveC]

Do any of you anal OCD types want to come round and wash my car for me? its a biggie (E91) so lots of lovely roof and panels to get stuck into and its really really dirty. Plus the inside hasn't been cleaned for 6 months and now both arm pockets are full and have overflowed onto the floor and backseat.

Come on, you know you want to...

[medrep]

I bought my Autobrite lance back in the summer, via a few recommendations (thank you NFS) and never looked back. Just bought one yesterday for my dad's birthday.

You cannot fault them for a great prewash, or a quick once over mid week to get the salt/crap off etc.

It also gets the neigbours and passing motorists looking when they see the car literally covered in foam, quite a few people have stopped to ask!

They recommend you have a decent pressure washer though?

[willhollin]

Any best buys on pressure washers? Any to avoid?

[mistry]

Originally Posted by willhollin

Any best buys on pressure washers? Any to avoid?

+1

[medrep]

They recommended the Karcher K3.99, said it suited the foam lance well?

Google'd the model mumber and I bought one from screwfixdirect, discounted to around £80'ish, foc next day delivery. Its a good pressure washer, they said the more powerful the unit the better the foaming capability.

I think the higher the model number for karcher, the better it is. Others here may have better advice on these units, but im more than happy with mine for cars, patios etc. I have tried the foam lance on my fathers K4.?? karcher and i didnt notice a massive difference, if any really?

[Mark II]

Originally Posted by DaveC

Do any of you anal OCD types want to come round and wash my car for me? its a biggie (E91) so lots of lovely roof and panels to get stuck into and its really really dirty. Plus the inside hasn't been cleaned for 6 months and now both arm pockets are full and have overflowed onto the floor and backseat.

Come on, you know you want to...

Sorry mate, already busy - got to clean out my tyre treads with a toothbrush

Originally Posted by willhollin

Any best buys on pressure washers? Any to avoid?

IMO best to stick with a known brand - I use a Karcher K235DB + (spec: 100bar pressure, 360L per hour, Detergent Tank, Low pressure detergent gun, Variable high pressure lance, Dirtblaster lance, Wash brush) - £48 from Argos or Homebase, add an Elite snow foam lance attachment for £44 and you will have all you need - even comes with a free litre of snow foam (about 4 - 6 washes worth). http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/elite-...615a3f84786584

My only comment is that Elite could do with adding marked graduations to the dosing bottle (I did mine with a measuring jug and marker pen) and point out that when supplied the dosing adjustment seems to be set to max (just takes a couple of tries to get the balance right for a thick foam setting) - other than that, works very well.

[medrep]

Screwfix have put it back up to £130, but quickly found it here..

http://www.4barmey.co.uk/cgi-bin/pro...7&shop=karcher

[medrep]

Oops, no its not. Sorry.

[medrep]

Try again shall I, best I could find..

http://www.alexshanks.com/karcher-k399mb-plus-p676

[marriedblonde]

The product you put in the foam lance is more important that the model or pressure washer!

I use a baby karcher k1010 to wash my car and it works perfectly with the autobrite lance. I did have a more powerful Karcher but lent it to my father in law who broke it for me. which was nice...

Anyway use a decent liquid, mix it with warm water in the lance's bottle and it'll foam up like a good un.

I have had the best results using the meg's hyper was

J.

[willhollin]

Originally Posted by marriedblonde

The product you put in the foam lance is more important that the model or pressure washer!

I use a baby karcher k1010 to wash my car and it works perfectly with the autobrite lance. I did have a more powerful Karcher but lent it to my father in law who broke it for me. which was nice...

Anyway use a decent liquid, mix it with warm water in the lance's bottle and it'll foam up like a good un.

I have had the best results using the meg's hyper was

J.

Is Hyperwash shampoo and/or snow foam? Or is snow foam just a brand name?

[medrep]

Snowfoam is designed to be used with the lance to give that 'shaving foam' level of spray. I have tried mequiars and turtlewax shampoos but they just give off a very sudsy spray. Im not condoning one over the other, because I was told the whole pint of snow foam was to cling to the car, and then dwell and drip off taking the surface contaminants with it. Therefore blasting the car with thick thick foam isnt going to allow it to drip off as good as a thinner mix?

I have had good results with a predominant mix of snow foam with a good capful of meguiars etc?

TBH its a personal thing which works best for you, and whether your just doing a prewash or a mid week clean etc.

I use Super Snow Foam from Autobrite, but was warned by them to be careful of certain brands as they can strip your wax off?

[AlanQS]

You're all making me jealous

I have a 115psi Halfords power washer and I put snow foam in the attachment bottle. It's only when the bottle is nearly empty that I suddenly get that thick layer of foam over the car and the bottle empties frighteningly quickly - unlike the guy in that youtube video. Result, a part of the car has some decent suds which immediately run off the car - no "dwelling" for me!

I can guess what the answers are going to be, but what am I doing wrong?

[willhollin]

Originally Posted by AlanQS

You're all making me jealous

I have a 115psi Halfords power washer and I put snow foam in the attachment bottle. It's only when the bottle is nearly empty that I suddenly get that thick layer of foam over the car and the bottle empties frighteningly quickly - unlike the guy in that youtube video. Result, a part of the car has some decent suds which immediately run off the car - no "dwelling" for me!

I can guess what the answers are going to be, but what am I doing wrong?

For a start Alan, 115psi You may as just get the old fella out and wee!

The foam lance is a special device for making the foam, the bottle you have probably isn't.

Search Autobrite for their range.

[medrep]

Is the water in the bottle warm, and have you mixed the bottle up well?

Other than that I guess you have to get the right kit?

Truthfully, the foam lances and snow foam arent the best things since sliced bread, you still need to give it a handwash to get that layer of film off and make it all nice and shiny, but they come handy when its late, darkening, 3C outside and the car is plastered in salt and dirt.

You still wont get the same results as a good handwash.

[AlanQS]

I always hand wash it after foaming it. It does seem to cut down on the potential to mark the paintwork and the mitt glides over the paintwork.

I also read somewhere that you need 60 to 90psi for foaming so 115psi is adequate. I assume it's the bottle attachment that isn't right on the Halfords power washer.

[NFS]

Originally Posted by medrep

Truthfully, the foam lances and snow foam arent the best things since sliced bread, you still need to give it a handwash to get that layer of film off and make it all nice and shiny, but they come handy when its late, darkening, 3C outside and the car is plastered in salt and dirt.

You still wont get the same results as a good handwash.

I don't hand wash the car. I just wipe down every panel with a washmit to 'agitate' the second lot of snow foam. As long as you don't miss anywhere it comes up a treat. Saves getting buckets out etc.

Originally Posted by AlanQS

I also read somewhere that you need 60 to 90psi for foaming so 115psi is adequate. I assume it's the bottle attachment that isn't right on the Halfords power washer.

115psi is fine. I have the same pressure washer as medrep (100psi) and it works well:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/K%C3%84RCHER...9434648&sr=8-2

I reckon the problem is the foam attachment. I have this autobrite one:

http://www.autobritedirect.co.uk/sho...aa7b6df733f5f9

I put an inch of snowfoam concentrate in the bottom of the bottle and top it off with warm water. You can vary the width of the foam spray using the lance and I have it about 3/4's open.

With the pressure washer on full power I get enough to completely foam the car. literally one spray per panel.

It starts dripping off pretty quickly, but will dwell for 3-5 mins.

PS - There are lots of companies selling 'snow foam' so I don't think it is a brand name as such. The description on the side of mine suggests that it's actually the stuff thats meant to be used to top up commercial car wash machines.