Thursday, October 2, 2014

Foam Cannon and Iron X Snow Soap Review

I finally jumped the ship from foam gun to foam cannon from CarPro.  Here's a stock picture of what you can expect if you order one.


It attaches to a pressure washer replacing the lance portion.  You must know the correct connection or fitting to your specific pressure washer.  I have a Simpson Pressure Washer and used the Bosch fitting. It is nearly a perfect fit but the tabs are slightly too large but it works just not a perfect fit.

Here's a quick overall picture.  Those samples to the right may or may not be an upcoming sampler giveaway pack...



It's just a standard bottle and a sample of Iron X Snow Soap.  I figured it couldn't hurt to use that first.


Here's the foam that came out of just under 2 oz of soap diluted into the water bottle.


And another picture of the foam.


The foam cannon offers quite a bit more cling to the foam.  This helps because allowing the soap to dwell on the paint surface helps loosen surfactants, dirt and grime sitting on the surface.  It also assists in removing the light pieces of dirt which can be removed by spraying water.  This all helps in reducing swirls and scratches by helping you touch the paint less.

As for Iron X Snow Soap, 2 oz diluted just isn't enough for a foam cannon/gun I believe.  3-5oz is much more effective.  I didn't see anywhere near the iron deposits as compared to when using Iron X straight or the color change.  Iron X Snow soap is ph-balanced at a level of 7 and is safe for coatings and sealants.  It is much more cost effective than Iron X straight which can consume quite a bit of product per vehicle even when the method of spraying and spreading with a wet sponge is used.

Pros

  • Price
  • More efficient
  • Easier to Use
  • Smell is much, much more tolerable compared to Iron X
  • Will not strip Wax/Sealants
Cons
  • Effectiveness
  • Still has a sulfuric smell that may irritate some
Overall using this in combination with Iron X straight would remove the most fallout and iron deposits on vehicles.  But for a maintenance upkeep shampoo it does work effectively.  As a dedicated iron deposit remover I standby traditional Iron X.  If you are someone who can't stand the smell of Iron X this is a viable alternative, it works, it's cost effective as well.

As for the foam cannon it's great, the higher pressure assists in knocking off dirt and grime much better than the foam gun.  While the foam gun is good for those without a pressure washer or wanting soap that moves quickly I believe clinging foam that breaks down dirt is more effective.  It is a premium type option, but it looks awesome and does assist in avoiding swirls.  In addition, detailing should be a fun hobby not work, and a foam cannon is just plain fun.


Finally, a couple shots of the finished product.




Thanks for reading!



Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Best Cloth Seat Cleaning Tricks





Courtesy of Larry at AMMO NYC