CAR FROM JAPAN - Find best deals of used cars from reliable Japanese sellersSearch Car

What is a Foam Cannon?

ByTsukasa Azuma-May 21, 2021

Yeah, we get the fact that not everyone wants to clean their vehicles. However, it is a thing that we must do. If you want your vehicle to be crystal clear and also do not want to waste time, the foam cannon is the answer. In fact, with many people, this cannon is the best tool to finish the cleaning task in a short time. 

And in order to use this foam cannon, we need a pressure washer as well as provide the same results as a drive-through car wash. All car owners need to do is simply connect this device to your equipment, pour soap in the bottle and tighten the nozzle. So what is this foam cannon and what is its key feature? Let’s find out in this article.

The Definition of Foam Cannon

If you ever see photos of vehicles covered in white, thick, shaving cream that looks like foam, then this device is your answer. A foam cannon is a piece of car washing equipment. It can mix the exact amount of water, air and car wash soap with the purpose of generating thick suds. Car owners then can use it to shoot them all around your automobiles using the pressure washer’s power.  

With the water from the hose and either gas engine or small electric to power a pump, the great pressure washers can shoot water at very high pressures, and cover the car just like a blizzard.

Foam cannon is the useful tool to wash car by hand (Photo source: Pexels)

The best use of the foam cannon is the thick foaming suds. It lubricates the car’s surface greatly, making it much easier for drivers to glide the wash mitt over without worrying about scratches and swirls.  

How to Use Foam Cannon

Alright, we all know the definition of foam cannon, this is how we use it: 

Mix Soap and Water

The first step is to mix from 1 to 3 oz of soap and water into the canister of the device. The amount of water depends on your aim. Our recommendation is to use warm water due to the fact that it makes it easier to mix the aerate. After that, remember to reattach the canister. 

Ready to Spray

After filling the canister of your foam cannon with water and soap, car owners can simply connect it to the lance of the pressure washer. If you are using the Chemical Guys foam cannon, it usually has an adjustable dial in order to change the tune of the foam, in case you want to switch from powerful spray to gentle spray. 

Ideally, we want a really thick layer of suds around the car’s exterior, and then rinse it off before putting the mitt on. In order to do that, we first need to coat the vehicle and allow the foam to rest for some moments, and the chemical guys soaps and gravity will do the rest. 

The next step is to rinse the automobile off. You just need to use water and watch all the grime and dirt sliding off the exterior. This process can reduce the chances of creating scratches on the washing progress. 

Refoaming the Automobile

We once again return to the fun step of refoaming the exterior. Car owners need to spray another super thick layer of foam. And remember to use a wash mitt with the purpose of scrubbing off the debris as well as remaining dirt. This time, we really need to take a look at the remaining dirty dirt, since they are the most stubborn and need to be removed with a bit more force.

Rinse the Car

Last but certainly not least, we need to rinse the vehicle once again after scrubbing. We want all the bubbles and debris to go away.

Following this step is the drying process. Car owners should use a super soft towel to dry your dear vehicle.

SEE MORE:

Benefits of Foam Cannons

We now acknowledge that foam cannons can be a great tool when it comes to cleaning the car. However, what are the true advantages of this tool? Let’s jump right into it!

Easy to Clean Up

The first and most important benefit of foam cannons is that car owners can clean up easily. To be more specific, users do not need to waste time and water to wash the car. All you need to do is the connection between the pressure washer and the foam cannon, and you are good to go.  

Save Soap and Water

The next benefit of foam cannons is definitely the conservation of water and soap. Imagine washing your automobile with a hose or by hand, there will be a lot of water being wasted. With the foam cannon however, users do not have to use a whole bucket of soapy water to finish the cleaning job. 

 

Time Saving

When we mentioned the benefits of foam cannons, we cannot forget the time saving aspect. This tool is not only powerful but also can easily cover soap all over your dear car. Without a doubt, it will take very long if you do it by hard. With foam cannons, users can just turn on the pressure washer, take aim, and shoot. 

Have Various Way of Using

Not only a perfect fit for cleaning a car, users can use the foam cannon for almost everything. From cleaning campers, trailers, motorcycles to freshen up furniture, roof, sidewalk, siding and many more, this tool can do them all. 

Able to Store Car Shampoo for Next Use

Last but not least, we can save the car shampoo for the future. To make it clearer, car owners can seal the foam cannon, and all the cleanser will be kept inside. Users can simply use it later when they need it. If you wash your cars with a bucket and mitts, all the remaining soap and water must be dumped out. Imagine the waste!

All Types of Foam Cannons

With a useful tool like foam cannon, there is no doubt that there are many types of this tool. So we will also list out some of them for users to select: 

Adjustable Foam Cannon

The first type of foam cannon is the adjustable one. This is by far the most popular type due to its characteristics. Not only can it spray in a stream or fan pattern, it can also spray with adjustable foam. This type of foam cannon can suit various customers, allowing them to customize the use based on how dirty their cars are.

With foam cannon, you can wash the car by yourself (Photo source: Pexels)

It can also be used to adapt whichever car parts the users want to rinse. In many cases, car owners love the fan pattern since they can cover most of the vehicle. On the other hand, the direct stream helps drivers to wash off stubborn debris on different car areas.  

Interchangeable Nozzle Tips Foam Cannon

The next type of foam cannon is interchangeable nozzle tips. The best benefit of this type is that it can come with many angles. With car owners, they can change from 15 to 25 and 40 degrees, which is helpful when it comes to cleaning different car areas. This tool helps them direct the flow of water where it’s needed most. 

Quick Release Foam Cannon

Another popular type of foam cannon is the quick connect or quick release. This is the feature that users can find in almost every product on the market. Unlike adjustable nozzle foam cannon, there will be a ¼-inch male fitting to connect to pressure washer wands. In other way, this is an upgrade for quickly removing the foam cannon. You can efficiently take it off whenever you want, and this makes it easier to change from washing to rinsing the car. The main benefit of this type of foam cannon is that there’s no need to purchase a special attachment.

Professional Grade Foam Cannon

And of course, we cannot forget the professional grade foam cannon. This is also known as higher-quality foam cannon. It is made of stronger metals, which are more durable and sturdy than normal types. It also provides thicker foam, which is helpful when it comes to cleaning large cars. And it also costs more. 

Bottling Foam Cannon

Last but certainly not least, we have bottling foam cannons. Customers can choose between transparent and opaque. While the opaque bottles do not allow users to see the contents, the transparent type of foam cannon lets you watch how foam cannons work. The transparent bottling foam cannon can also see the amount of foam inside. If you are using the opaque foam cannon, you have to guess based on weight. 

Tsukasa Azuma is an awesome car blogger of Car From Japan. He owns a car repair shop at downtown Osaka, and he put all that experience to good use in his sharing posts. Tsukasa’s blog is one of the best resources for information about keeping your favorite imported car running smoothly. Moreover, because of being passionate to learn about the recent happenings in auto industry, he doesn’t only provide great car maintenance tips, he also always updates latest trends in among car brands and share them in his own interesting viewpoint.

Comments