New to foam cannons and not convinced

I've done 3 washes with it and still figuring out how to streamline the process but so far I haven't found it more convenient or overall better. My old method was the 2 bucket method with a garden hose and it was a methodical method that allowed me to get every square inch.

I'd rinse the entire truck with water. Then work through sections by using soapy water and the microfiber sponge to get every bug, bird dropping and visible dirt off the paint. Rinse off that section before the soap could dry and move on to the next section and a final rinse and dry with air and microfiber towels.

First wash with the foam cannon I went after it like everyone on YouTube. Pressure wash with the 40-degree nozzle. I actually find this gets a lot more dirt and grime off the paint than the old garden hose and nozzle ever could. Then I'd cover the entire truck with foam and scrub the entire truck with the microfiber sponge. I found the foam covered much of the extra dirty sections so I missed a fair amount of bug stains that I'd have to go back to address. Also by the time I worked to the bed and tailgate most of the foam had dripped or dried off.

The second attempt I would only foam a section that I could work with the sponge and power spray it off. This helped with preventing the foamy soap from drying but I still missed stains because the foam and suds would conceal them.

Third attempt was the first wash for the new GX so even though it was dusty there weren't any stubborn bug stains. I did it in sections and got decent results because there weren't areas that I needed to focus on.

I've learned that the Tacoma's 2 year old paint is overdue for a polish and protectant. Bugs and tar stains are stubborn and require lots of elbow grease. It's never seen a car wash so the paint itself is fairly scratch and swirl free. The GX being new, stains are easily removed with just the power washer.

So I'm betting after some paint protection the Tacoma will be easier to clean with the foam cannon method. I still don't feel the foam cannon in itself saves time or does a better job. The pressure washer itself is great at blasting away the surface dirt and I've noticed the sponge requires much less rinsing.

My biggest issue is finding all the stains after rinsing since the foam covers it all up that I'd normally see and focus on with the old method.

At the moment I'm probably spending more time dragging out the power washer and putting it back versus just a hose and bucket. Should I just foam and scrub and not be concerned with the stubborn stains? Then come back and address them after the rinse?

 

Stains from what? Also how often do you wash? The foam cannon main purpose is to soften the dirt and help lift it off the paint. I never wash my truck in the sun. Always early morning and in the shade and have no issues with the foam drying too quickly. The foam should almost be the consistency of shaving cream if you have good water. (Soft water is always best if not available up the soap amount in the cannon by an oz or two). I foam, let sit a few minutes, wash with a microfiber mitt and soapy water. Rinse, blow dry and touch up with dry microfiber. I also have several coats of Griots ceramic wax on my truck and usually wipe down once a week with just clean water and microfiber mitt and wipe dry.

 

Not stains but bird droppings and bugs. I believe once I get around to polishing and adding a layer of wax or protectant that stuff will come off more easily.

Took a road trip a week ago which left a decent amount of bugs on the front end which were stubborn. Usually I address them sooner than later. Once they're washed off there aren't stains on the paint itself.

My driveway has nearly complete coverage from direct sunlight thanks to trees depending on time of day so I believe I'm spending too much time scrubbing the bugs off the front end and front of the side mirrors.

I bet the ceramic coating really helps.

Attached is the consistency of the foam.

 

Check out Chem-X’s YouTube channel. He has a ton of really informative and useful/interesting vids about foam cannons.

His products are really really good too. I don’t have foam cannons but I use his mitt wash and a few other things.

 

What foam cannon are you using? What size is the jug? Ratio of soap to water? What soap are you using? You definitely would like the foam to be thicker.

 

I am a religious follower of The Rag Company and have learned a ton from their podcasts and videos.

8 times out of 10 I wash my truck with a rinseless wash (Optimum No Rinse), 4 gallons of water and absolutely no hose to wash the entire truck. Look into it!

 

I bought into the hype a while back and started using a foam canyon. Really it was a lot more work for zero results. Looked no different than my usual 2 bucket wash. These days I do a single bucket wash on my Gladiator. It’s used to wheel - the branches are working it over more than my wash methods.

I use the 2 bucket method on my Cayman still though.

 

I'm using a Foam King 32 oz with Chemical Guys Mr. Pink soap. I eyeball it but I try to do about 2-3 oz of soap. Definitely not high end products but I didn't want to start out investing too much. It's adjustable so next time I'll increase the mixture/water ratio.

 

Try 5oz of the soap. If the gun has an adjustment to maximize mixture open all the way. I use Griots soap specifically for a foam cannon.

 

couple things to check, make sure your pressure washer is putting out enough psi and GPM for your foam cannon. Some foam cannons need to swap out the orifice to a 1.1mm. I used to prewash the truck with just pressure washer. ive since moved to hitting it with the foam cannon right off the bat and letting it dwell a bit to break down, soften, and loosen things up. then rinse and hit it with the foam cannon again for the wash. i used to 2 bucket but i also now just use a clean microfiber for each panel. so the truck takes like 8 rags for a wash.

 

Here's the foam cannon I use. It's not a top end model but I'm happy with the way it works. I also replaced the oriface with a smaller one to increase it's performance.

$34 TriNova Foam Cannon for Pressure Washer - Original Wide Neck, Wide Base Heavy Duty Foam Gun for Detailing

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072JNQQY9

$7 M MINGLE Foam Cannon Orifice Nozzle Tips and Foam Maker, Universal 1.1 mm Thread Nozzle and Mesh Filter for Snow Foam Lance, 3000 PSI

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DGQGL44

 

Also, using hot water in the foam cannon tank will also increase you foam production.