Opinions or knowledge of PPF and Ceramic Coatings

[roadpilot]

Foam cannons are not touch free solutions. They are PART of a total solution to keep your car clean while minimizing scratching and similar damages.

My process:

Step 1: Foam cannon. Let it sit so it can loosen up dirt, dust, and debris.

Step 2: Rinse with water - wand and 40 degree tip @ no more than 2K psi (maximize GPM with appropriate orifice size in your pressure washer - 1.5 to 2.0 GPM).

Step 3: Foam cannon again. This provides a lubrication for the hand wash.

Step 4: At this point, either a 1 or 2 bucket wash is OK. You've removed the vast majority of debris from the vehicle by now. Work top down, doing the lowest section of the vehicle last. Do wheels last, prefer a separate mitt and wheel brush tools that won't touch the body or paint.

Step 5: Rinse again, see Step 2.

Step 6: Dry. I use my Dewalt cordless blower (450 cfm). This removes 98% of the water thanks to my ceramic coat. I only hit it with a microfiber cloth where needed.

Others can chime in on what product they use, as everyone has thier favorite.

Pay attention to any advice @DFB5.0 gives.

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[roadpilot]

Appreciate the feedback. So in essence its like a Pre-Wash step and as you stated, breaking down stuff that may scratch the car. I've always hosed the car down really good before applying a good car shampoo with a soft microfiber mit. As roadpilot previously mentioned, do not wash in circles/swirls, I go up/down, sideways but never in circles, as we were taught in the 60's.
I suppose I can see the usefulness of the cannon, just not sure its worth the $$ to be a Pre-Wash tool. Will keep investigating.

Hosing down BEFORE risks pushing the dirt and debris around your paint and scratching it IF your using high pressure. The foam cannon FIRST means you break up that dirt and debris and provide lubrication when moving it off the painter surface with your second step: a rinse with LOW pressure but high GPM.

 

[DukeCLR]

Step 3: Foam cannon again. This provides a lubrication for the hand wash.

Pay attention to any advice @DFB5.0 gives.

Your routine is just like mine, except step three, I will add that to my routine.

 

[DRKKNITE]

Foam cannons are not touch free solutions. They are PART of a total solution to keep your car clean while minimizing scratching and similar damages.

My process:

Step 1: Foam cannon. Let it sit so it can loosen up dirt, dust, and debris.

Step 2: Rinse with water - wand and 40 degree tip @ no more than 2K psi (maximize GPM with appropriate orifice size in your pressure washer - 1.5 to 2.0 GPM).

Step 3: Foam cannon again. This provides a lubrication for the hand wash.

Step 4: At this point, either a 1 or 2 bucket wash is OK. You've removed the vast majority of debris from the vehicle by now. Work top down, doing the lowest section of the vehicle last. Do wheels last, prefer a separate mitt and wheel brush tools that won't touch the body or paint.

Step 5: Rinse again, see Step 2.

Step 6: Dry. I use my Dewalt cordless blower (450 cfm). This removes 98% of the water thanks to my ceramic coat. I only hit it with a microfiber cloth where needed.

Others can chime in on what product they use, as everyone has thier favorite.

Pay attention to any advice @DFB5.0 gives.

Thanks for writing this up. Great advice.

So I have a question. The previous owner of my house hooked up the water from the garage (attached to the hose) to the hot water tank and runs through a water softener first.

So would hot water, through a pressure washer (as stated above) on PPF or ceramic be a problem?

Thanks,

 

[roadpilot]

I would never wash my vehicles, regardless of whether or not it has ceramic coating on it, with HOT water. Cold or warm water, yes. Hot, no. I've read 100-130F is ideal, but never above 140F.

Softened water is better than hard water (less calcium and slightly less iron), but if it still has a high TDS content, it can still spot. Reverse osmosis water has nearly no TDS, but that would take a lot of RO water from a very large RO tank!

No, not that TDS. Total dissolved solids.

 

[DRKKNITE]

Wow so much fantastic information here. Thank you so much.

One more question that may have been covered.
My wheels and calipers were ceramic coated.
What can I use for brake dust that will not hurt the ceramic? I've always found a wheel cleaner to really help with brake dust but for this car I have been washing and the odd ONR. I haven't had it long and second time waiting for ceramic to cure. LOL

Just to confirm, I'm checking on products I can easily find in Canada.

Are Adam Wheel and Tire cleaner as well as Brake Buster both are safe to use on ceramic coated wheels?

Just being safe here, and thanks

 

[roadpilot]

Just to confirm, I'm checking on products I can easily find in Canada.

Are Adam Wheel and Tire cleaner as well as Brake Buster both are safe to use on ceramic coated wheels?

Just being safe here, and thanks

I've never used Brake Buster. My ceramic guy did recommend the Adam's Polishes Wheel & Tire Cleaner. Honestly, if your guy removed the tire & wheel assembly and ceramic coated the ENTIRE surface (inside and outside the spider and the hoop), you can most likely get away without using a wheel cleaning product unless there is some serious contamination or build up.

 

[DRKKNITE]

I've never used Brake Buster. My ceramic guy did recommend the Adam's Polishes Wheel & Tire Cleaner. Honestly, if your guy removed the tire & wheel assembly and ceramic coated the ENTIRE surface (inside and outside the spider and the hoop), you can most likely get away without using a wheel cleaning product unless there is some serious contamination or build up.

I've been using just the hose with a nozzle and soap and it was a ton of work. I am simply lazy and want to get as much off as possible without too much effort.

Maybe the pressure washer needs to come out.

 

[DRKKNITE]

I would never wash my vehicles, regardless of whether or not it has ceramic coating on it, with HOT water. Cold or warm water, yes. Hot, no. I've read 100-130F is ideal, but never above 140F.

Softened water is better than hard water (less calcium and slightly less iron), but if it still has a high TDS content, it can still spot. Reverse osmosis water has nearly no TDS, but that would take a lot of RO water from a very large RO tank!

No, not that TDS. Total dissolved solids.

Sounds like I'll be switching that hose to the cold water tap. Luckily I have both.

Thanks again

 

[roadpilot]

I've been using just the hose with a nozzle and soap and it was a ton of work. I am simply lazy and want to get as much off as possible without too much effort.

Maybe the pressure washer needs to come out.

Too much pressure is not good. You don't want to use more than 2,000 PSI at most, really. Excess pressure will drive the dirt and debris towards and along the surfaces, scratching as it moves along. If your wheels are ceramic coated, that will reduce its effective lifespan. In your case, definitely get a tire & wheel cleaning product.

 

[steveo1960]

Great thread! So my question is how do you guys who live in northern locations with snow, salt etc wash your cars in the winter assuming no garage? I turn off my outdoor water spigots so they don't freeze and crack the pipes... TIA...

 

[roadpilot]

Great thread! So my question is how do you guys who live in northern locations with snow, salt etc wash your cars in the winter assuming no garage? I turn off my outdoor water spigots so they don't freeze and crack the pipes... TIA...

I don't. They sleep in the pole barn all winter long, nice and snug with their battery maintainers keeping them toasty ...

 

[DFB5.0]

Just to confirm, I'm checking on products I can easily find in Canada.

Are Adam Wheel and Tire cleaner as well as Brake Buster both are safe to use on ceramic coated wheels?

Just being safe here, and thanks

Both do a similar job, but Adam's is known to be noticeably stronger than Brake Buster. For regular washing, I would favor Brake Buster.

 

[DFB5.0]

Ok, I've been procrastinating this for over a year. What is the consensus of the Foam Cannons? Do they do an OK job or pretty good. I'm not wanting to sink a lot of $$ into a Kit till I'm pretty confident it's going to do a good jog with little elbow grease. From what I've read and seen in video's, you foam the car, rinse and that's it?? Blow dry of course.

I think this is where people set themself up for disappointment with foam cannons. If the car is mealy dusty, the foam/rinse/dry method can work, but anything more and you will be left wanting.

There are very few products on the market that can perform a truly "touchless" foam and rinse washing experience, and from what I have discovered, they are best used with caution. Bilt Hamber Touchless is absolutely amazing in this regard, but you need to be very exact with your dilution ratio and account for your pressure washers' outputs. I wouldn't recommend this product if you are only new to foaming or detailing in general.

So, why use a foam cannon then? My main goal with foaming is to simply get the soap on the surface of the car rather than relying on your wash bucket solution. You won't be left wanting for lubrication this way.

Yes, in some cases, I will foam the car from dry to soak down a dirtier vehicle before the contact wash. However, I NEVER do this on my Mustang because it generally never gets that far to need this step.

For maintenance washing, I have two processes depending on how dirty the car is (keep in mind this after cleaning the wheels and exhaust tips, yes, you should be washing your exhaust tips, so many people forget this part of the car) -

Dusty to moderate -

1. Rinse the vehicle with water
2. Foam the vehicle using pH neutral soap
3. Contact wash
4. Rinse
5. Blow dry, towel dry with drying aid.

Moderate to Dirty -
1. Foam the vehicle with a alkaline leaning soap, allow to soak
2. After 5 - 10 min, rinse thoroughly
3. Foam the vehicle using pH neutral soap
4. Contact wash
5. Rinse
6. Blow dry, towel dry with drying aid.

In both situations, I do not use the "two bucket wash method". Why? Because with the soap on the car via the foam cannon, you really don't need a bucket wash solution, just a rinse bucket. Having said that, I do add a slug of soap to the wash media just because I can.

It's always easier to fill your foam cannon with water before adding soap.

 

[RLE55]

All good info., helping me move past my procrastination.
One final question: I see most of the Foam Cannons attached to Pressure Washer Systems. Is this the most preferred route vs. garden hose attachment?

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