Snow Foam vs Citrus Pre-Wash | Which Should You Use?
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- čas přidán 23. 07. 2024
- In this video I’ll be comparing a citrus pre-wash with an alkaline snow foam and looking at a pH neutral snow foam too. I’ll also be talking about the pH of these pre-wash chemicals and discussing traffic film removers (TFR) and where they fit into the mix.
Here are links to all the products used/ mentioned. The In2Detailing link/ code is affiliated so if you make a purchase after the clicking the link I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Test Products:
• Shiny Garage Citrus Oil: www.in2detailing.co.uk/produc...
• Bilt Hamber Auto Foam: www.in2detailing.co.uk/produc...
• Stjarnagloss Sno: www.in2detailing.co.uk/produc...
Dilutions Used:
• Shiny Garage Citrus Oil (1:19 dilution) = 50 ml citrus and 950 ml water in the sprayer
• Bilt Hamber Auto Foam (4% PIR) = 220 ml foam and 280 ml water in foam lance
• Stjarnagloss Sno (1:9 dilution in lance) = 50 ml foam and 450 ml water
Other Products Used/ Mentioned:
• IK Pump Sprayer: www.in2detailing.co.uk/produc...
• MJJC Foam Cannon Pro: www.in2detailing.co.uk/produc...
• Garage Therapy Citrus: www.in2detailing.co.uk/produc...
Website: autocarehq.com/
Instagram: / autocarehq
0:00 Citrus vs Snow Foam
0:27 Test #1
2:28 Test #2
3:15 pH Testing
4:32 Citrus vs TFR Chemistry
6:14 Taking a Cautious Approach
7:06 My Preferred Approach - Auta a dopravní prostředky
I’ve just created a second channel called Auto Care HQ Extra which I’m planning on using mainly for short-form content and potentially some vlogs/ behind-the-scenes style content. Here’s a link if you would like to subscribe: www.youtube.com/@autocarehqextra
P.S. All the products used in this video are linked in the description
Thanks for watching!
Heck yes!
I subscribed today 👍
Heather, I love your habit of giving your viewer a comprehensive analysis of the advantages/disadvantages of the various products available for the DIYer. Your videos explain the chemistry of products and their possible effect on a car's paintwork that is rarely, if ever, mentioned by other detailing sites. The consumer then has the knowledge to make his/her decisions about which products or type of products they should use. By the way, I recently washed my new car for the first time and I followed your apparent preference for using both a pre-wash (one that I have seen you use several times) and a "no-name" sno-foam to prolong the dwell time of the pre-wash. Wow! What results! I still contact washed but only to remove the dirt that I couldn't see. Thank you for your videos and for the advice you have given me.
Just to say, I was watching some of your earlier videos and your confidence in front of the camera really improved. well done. For reference, a darling of the YT community, GT Decon contains sodium hydroxide, hence why its so flipping effective. Care in sun. sorry mum's car lol
Thanks for watching! Haha I don't think I could watch my earlier videos now it'd make me cringe too much! I struggled to find the SDS for the GT products to be honest, that's why I chose these three for a quick test as they were quite easy to find online. Sodium hydroxide is in a lot of pre-washes to be fair, I'm not massively concerned about it as I dilute them and am careful with drying out but it's about finding a balance I think of effectively removing the grime but without going too heavy if it won't add anything to the cleaning process
@@AutoCareHQ very much agree.
Shiny Garage Citrus Oil is also caustic. It's really similar to Först, but I completely missed that myself until someone pointed it out to me; such a minefield.
Thank you Heather, another fab video so well presented and explained.
Very good and professional! I learned a lot from this. Thanks!
Thank you! Glad it was helpful :)
Super test. Thanks for your work
Thank you!
Great video. Thanks for the technical information. Helps a lot.
Thanks very much Kim!
As always a fantastic and informative video Heather
Thanks Mark!
Another well-presented, informative video! Thanks, Heather! 🙂
Thanks very much for watching!
Brilliant again Heather, just love your posts . Thanks
Cheers Rodney!
Great comparison! Great descriptions of your test materials. Keep up the type of good content
Thanks Tim!
Another, very, professional presentation, THANKS!
Thanks for watching!
Awesome and thorough information.
Already subscribed to your second channel 👌
Thanks very much Humberto!
Thank you for your thorough in depth comparisons. Great presentation as always !
Thanks very much for watching!
Excellent video content, production and delivery. Love this format. 👏👏
Thanks Kevin!
Awesome job Heather 👍⭐
Cheers Mark!
Man you’re so thorough and excellent comparison with demonstration 👌👀
Thanks David!
Great Breakdown Heather 🧼💪
Cheers Jamie!
Well done Heather❤ Brilliant in depth details of the products ☺️☺️☺️
Thanks Simon!
Beautiful video. Well done Heather. Do more content like this. Learnt a lot 😊
Thank you! I'll plan some more of these kinds of vids :)
I will always treat the lower 1/3 of a car with a good citrus pre-wash then allow to dwell while I prepare snow foam (Autoglym Polar range preferred) then apply foam over citrus. Allow to dwell while preparing contact wash buckets. It works. In fact, just back from my car service and the service manager commented, “your car is gleaming!!!”. Maintenance wash just snow foam before contact. Great video Heather - interesting PH testing which I enjoyed and found very informative. Thank you. 🚙
Cheers David! That's a great method!
Great video. All the info you need, nice and short, a very clear demo and presentation. 10 out of 10!
Thank you very much!
Excellent video Heather, thank you 👍😁
Cheers Dave!
Great information Heather, impressed with the forensic detail. I will definitely try some pre wash. Thanks
Cheers Stephen!
Thank you once again for this wonderful insight into the various types of cleaning products. certainly worth considering.
Cheers Jamie!
great content, subscribed
A fantastic informative video! Really enjoyed how you showed how effective certain pre washes are. Can’t wait for the next video 😁
Thanks very much Karl!
Nice informative video Heather. Very easy to follow and understand which should allow many to make an informed decision on what product best suits their needs.
Thank you very much!
Very pragmatic consumer advice testing & demonstrations. Top video again, Heather 👍
Thanks Graham!
What an excellent video! I’d always wondered the difference between citrus and snow foam pre-washes but never saw any CZcams videos comparing the two. Yours is the FIRST video I’ve seen do this. I also learned just how important it is to pre-wash the car with your first test. Thank you, Heather!❤
Thanks very much, really glad you found it useful!
Excellent content! I’ll add that I really enjoy the 3D Nano Pails super concentrates. Unbelievable value (at least here in the USA). All their products are made to meet California’s strict standards for safety in regard to both environmental and personal health. Try the Super Citrus apc if you’re curious. 1oz in a 32 ounce bottle with water can clean anything including wheels and tires. 1/4 ounce is good for interiors.
Thank you! I'll keep my eye out for that!
Really informative 👍 Thanks very much Heather 😀
Cheers Dan!
nice quick sum up!
And you are a wonderful presenter tbh. Cheers
Thanks very much I appreciate it!
Top notch video again Heather. Tested on a white car too 👍👍. Very good channel and honest about products.
Thanks very much!
I am rinseless primarily however the pre wash is absolutely essential. Let the chemicals do the work and after I wash my vehicle I top with a drying aid. These normally have some form of protection so no harm done.
A good quality sealant or coating should resist these chemicals as well.
Excellent video!!
Thanks very much!
Great video Heather - the comparison section is great for beginners. Like you I use a mixture of Citrus sprays and Alkaline Snow foams, always delighted by the amount of dirt removed by both.
Thanks for watching John!
Lovely stuff! Always enjoy a good pre-wash video, and this has two of the best high power options!
Cheers Adrian! It was tough to pick options to be honest but figured these were all pretty popular ones!
@@AutoCareHQ I forgot to mention, I'm really glad you bought out the litmus paper too, it just addresses all the questions that frequently come up!
Yep I figured it would be a common question! Not bad for £2 on ebay either haha@@SuperchargedLlama
That's exactly what I thought when I got them too @@AutoCareHQ I was curious anyway when I was trying to find out why certain products work so well! I really like Koch Chemie Super Foam, but it's only available in 10L so it's a proper trade only product in the sense that you'll never use the bloody thing up a weekend warrior.
Heather you are smashing, great video thank you.
Thanks very much!
A very thorough test Heather, BH Touchless is my go to prewash. I've yet to get some of the V2.
Thanks Mark :) Yeah I'm intrigued by V2 as well!
good comparison video Heather, i so like sugar based products, and use a combo of IW's Citrus Prewash and Powerfoam blanket combo.
Thanks! Yeah the sugar based ones are a very good option, definitely a nice balance between cleaning power and safety
I really thank your for spending too much time comparing all of these products! Excellente job!
Thanks for watching!
Another excellent teaching video. You always provide a thorough explanation of your products and process. The best tip I learned from you last year is the application of a citrus prewash cleaner topped off with snow foam to hold it and let it work...and it works amazing. I always learn from your videos and look forward to adding your new channel. Well done Heather!
Thank you I really appreciate it!
Heather you must already or be well on your way to being the UK's go-to resource for detailing and cleaning advice, very well done and enjoyable to watch
Cheers Steve i appreciate the support!
Thumbs up before the video even started… i debate this topic in my head more than any normal human should. Thanks for the demo!
Thanks I appreciate it!
Very helpful Heather!
Thanks Ben!
The most usefull detailing chanel in CZcams. Thanks, Heather!
P.s. You speak to fast to understand you properly, but subtitles helps. Greetings from UA 💙💛
Thanks so much for watching!
Haha my apologies, I still get a bit nervous doing these kinds of videos so I end up talking quite quickly!
Great video, some really useful information in there. Ive also subscribed to your new channel 💪
Thanks Jason much appreciated! 🙏
Brilliant Heather, thanks. Ill take a trip from Devon sometime and book my car in for a clean, cheers
Great video! Thank you! 🙂👍
Thank you!
Good video, really appreciate the level simplicity in the description of technical information, also have you tried the Halfords advance range yet what are your thoughts…?
Thank you! I haven't tried those products unfortunately
Thanks for the tips Heather citrus pre wash is a must in most washes it makes it so much easier when doing contact wash
Thanks Dave!
Congratulations on your new channel as well 👏
As usual I agree totally with everything you say. I stopped using TFR a long time ago as I got more interested in detailing. I now do use an alkaline snow foam if the car is extra dirty but always go in with ph neutral snow foam afterwards to neutralise anything I have missed in the rinse. I normally use citrus at the same dilution 50ml into 950ml water on the lower sections of the car and wheel arches layered with ph neutral snow foam to good effect. If the car is just dusty I skip the citrus. Your video just shows that a power washer on its own does not take nearly enough dirt off to touch it with a wash mitt for me however lubricating the shampoo is.
Sounds like a very thorough method, thanks for watching John :)
Hi Heather, Thank you for a really useful comparison video. I've also used a citrus prewash (citrus magic) with a pH neutral snow foam (Autoglym Polar Blast) when I've prepared my car for washing. I guess using something like BiltHamber means one less step of applying a citrus prewash. I've got Gyeon ceramic coated cars.
Thanks for watching! Yeah a decent alkaline snow foam should be fine especially for coated cars and will help save some time/ money. It's definitely still good to have a good citrus pre-wash though if the cars are especially dirty throughout winter etc.
This is brilliant content thank you! Answered all of my questions as I’m looking to improve my pre-wash. As of yet I have not found a snow foam which has impressed me (probably due to the high mileage I do and only cleaning once a month). Perhaps a combination of GT Citrus and BH Auto will do the job. Many thanks!😊
Thanks very much for watching!
Very true. A few years back I used Auto Brite snow foam which caused severe fading of high gloss black plastic trim that eventually had to be replaced. That product contains sodium hydroxide which is caustic even when diluted. Since then I've been staying away from any car product using this ingredient.
Good video, not sure if video is slightly influenced by a comment I made on another regarding citrus and snowfoam :) You have used the most powerful citrus you can get, and most of the cleaning power is from its caustic nature. If you compared the Auto Foam to Say GT Citrus, you would need to use a much much higher concentration of the citrus to get similar cleaning power. Compared to the new touchless, where it is 1:50, citrus just becomes much more expensive to use. There is a notion that citrus should be used for the heavier cleaning tasks and it is simply wrong.
Thanks for watching :) To be honest GT Citrus is still strong, I used it on a similar level of dirt at 1:20 dilution the other day and it had no trouble at all
I've started using KKD Citrus Magic with BH Snow Foam over the top before doing a contact wash, excellent results
Exactly same combo as I use!😊
So for a Autoglymed Ceramic coated vehicle, would you recomend any of these 3 ( or any other) as a citric pre-wash?
I always thought citrus was an acid, you learn something news each day lol
👍 another great video.
Thanks for watching 😊 For a coated car I usually use an alkaline snow foam, unless it’s only lightly dirty/ dusty then I’ll go with a ph neutral. A citrus is good to have though just in case it’s been a while since the last wash or the car is especially dirty on the lower sections
Snow foam and citrus pre wash are both types of pre-wash products used in car cleaning, but they have different compositions and purposes:
1. Snow foam:
- Snow foam is a thick, foamy cleaning product that is typically used in a foam cannon or foam gun to cover the vehicle in a blanket of foam.
- It is designed to loosen and lift dirt, grime, and contaminants from the surface of the vehicle before the main wash process.
- Snow foam usually contains surfactants and cleaning agents that help break down and encapsulate dirt for easier removal.
- Snow foam is often used as a pre-wash step in the car cleaning process to minimize the risk of scratching the paint during washing.
2. Citrus pre wash:
- Citrus pre wash is a type of pre-wash product that contains citrus-based cleaning agents, typically derived from extracts of citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, or grapefruits.
- Citrus pre wash is known for its strong cleaning power and ability to break down greasy and oily residues on the vehicle's surface.
- The citrus extracts in the pre wash have degreasing properties that can help remove stubborn contaminants that are not easily removed by regular washing.
- Citrus pre wash is often used to tackle areas of heavy contamination, such as bug splatter, tar, and road grime, before the main wash process.
In summary, the main difference between snow foam and citrus pre wash lies in their compositions and intended purposes. Snow foam is a foamy cleaning product used to lift and loosen dirt for easy removal, while citrus pre wash contains citrus-based cleaning agents for tackling greasy and stubborn contaminants on the vehicle's surface. Both products can be used as effective pre-wash treatments in the car cleaning process.
Thanks for video, always appreciated. Only clean my own cars and I've never splashed out on citrus pre wash. BH Autofoam just fine and if my Mondeo is really bad then use surfex hd 10% in the sprayer, which I also use for wheels and tyres & arches, very economical.
Thanks for watching! That's a really effective combo
Thank you Heather for making this ‘hot topic’ video as I’m sure we have all said ‘what’s shall I use; snow or citrus’. I know I have. Sometimes I find a citrus will work better over a snow foam and it is quicker than using the pressure washer. What’s your favourite citrus prewash / Snow foam?
Thanks for watching Darren! I honestly find it hard to narrow it down to just one so here are my top three of each haha
Squid Ink Citrus
Yum Citrus
Garage Therapy Citrus
Squid Ink Alkafroth
Garage Therapy One Snow Foam
Bilt Hamber Auto Foam
@@AutoCareHQ no worries, your videos are informative, interesting and satisfying to watch. Thanks for your current top three.
I just subbed your second channel two for the price of one. Excellent.
Cheers John!
Thanks for the good experiment on an actually dirty car (just watched another channel cleaning a CLEAN car smh).
I use BH auto foam, and find it the best value for money, it is cheap yet very good for a PH13 product.
I have found from experimenting, that citrus degreasers seem to work best on bugs, and road grime / traffic film. Foam seems to be better on general dust & dirt.
I tend to stay away from citrus unless I really need to use one. Years of cleaning filthy mountain bikes, using citrus cleaners (Pink Stuff Motorcycle Cleaner) taught me, that while citrus is a great degreaser, it does (over time), fade anodised parts, which are coloured and shiny. I don't have any anodised parts on my car, but I do suspect aluminium and alloy wheels are going to show some degredation over repeated use using citrus.
I have swapped to using virosol now, because it is just as good (actually better) than Pink Stuff, and can be used at an ever weaker dilution strength yet still work great. It's also about half the price !! Virosol is actual an industrial floor cleaner, but looking at the chemicals within, it is basically a citrus degreaser. I dilute it down to a very low ratios of product per amount of water, and it works great.
Very nice vid. You have power 👍
Thanks for watching!
@@AutoCareHQpleasure is mine ❤👍💪
Hi heather great video, would just like to touch on the subject of weather you should pre wash the car first to remove excess dirt or go straight in with the chemicals, thanks.
Thanks Nigel, I usually just apply them to a dry car without pre-rinsing. The only exceptions are
- If there's really thick mud on the vehicle where I'll either spray citrus, then rinse, then snow foam or just pre-rinse then citrus/ snow foam
- If it's a warm day I will pre-rinse the panels first to cool them down so the chemicals don't dry out as fast
New Bilt Hamber touchless formula way to go. £30 for 5 litres, half of the product needed compared to previous version/auto foam
First of all, I like your videos, cause, they aren’t slowered like other do.
Did you test the Koch Chemie Super Foam or the Super Foam NTA free as pre-wash cleaner? I saw it from a canadian and now I‘m thinking to test it, too.
Thanks for watching :) I haven't tried either of those I'm afraid, they do look like good choices though from what I've seen
Very informative, thanks. What do you think of Meg Super Degreaser? I use this a lot, 10 to 1 on my coated car. Have you used this product?
Thank you! I haven’t tried that one unfortunately, it’s quite hard to find in the UK I think
Really enjoyed this but i think the fundamental problem with Snow Foam is that it masks dirt particles on the paintwork that can cause swirl marks but loved this in depth comparison
Patiently waiting for the vid on performance ppl reign 😅😅😅
Haha not long now, think it's scheduled in for next Thursday
Great video. Where do you think a Rinseless wash would rank as a pre wash🤔
Thank you!
Probably similar to a pH neutral foam from my experience. They're decent for light dust/ dirt but struggle on mud and traffic film
Great video. Curious, do you detail exclusively outdoors or do you have an indoor location as well?
Thank you! I don't have an indoor space unfortunately, closest I get is when I put the gazebo up haha
Good video, Heather. Does it have to be an either/or question? It takes me about 90 seconds to apply a citrus pre-wash via a pump sprayer onto a dry car. Then I apply snow foam on top. With the ultimate aim of getting the car as clean as is possible using contactless methods before the contact wash for me it’s a no brainer to use both citrus and snowfoam. Maybe a more important decision if you are operating a detailing business (i.e. time/cost)
Yep that’s very true Paul, you can always use them in combination
Hi Heather,
Great video,couple of questions,
I only use Blit Hamer Auto-Foam,what did you say your dilution ratio was for your setup?
The other question is what product do you use on your own car,reason I ask is even though I normally use Bilt Hamer,I was going do try GT One snow foam and was wondering if you ever used it?
👍👍
Thanks Richard!
Honestly I use quite a lot of different ones as I like switching it up. Some of my favourites though are Squid Ink Alkafroth, Bilt Hamber Auto Foam and GT One Snow Foam. I don't think you can go wrong with any of those really
PS…I subbed to you’re other channel 👍👍👍
Thank you!
Great video. Do you have a recommendation for a max PH on diamond cut wheels?
I wouldn’t go anything too alkaline (above 11) but it really depends on the condition of them to be honest. If they’re showing any signs of corrosion then going with something milder is a good idea
@@AutoCareHQ Okay, thanks. I previously did Green Star at 1:10 dilution (pH 12.5 before dilution and pH 11.459 after dilution) on diamond cut alloys and thought that might have caused some corrosion; black dots where the chrome should be. My thinking was Autoglym Polar Wash shampoo alone would be safer with the recommended 50:50 dilution, but on checking that it is pH 12.6 before dilution and pH 12.299 after.
is citrus pre-wash or alkaline snow foam ok to use on waxed car loved all your videos
Thank you! Yep as long as you dilute it to the recommended amount you should be fine. Only show waxes which last a few weeks would take a noticeable hit by those pre-washes
Thanks 👍
Starnagloss is actually the only one that works removing traffic gilm and grime , but is to aggressive and can stain trim and probably wear down window seals
Should I use snow foam, leave it for a while then rinse? Then wash? I use the snow foam as my shampoo atm.
Hallo Caretakers. I always find it irritating that some pre-cleaners are labelled as citrus, which makes you think that these products are in the acidic PH range. But they are not. That's funny. Thanks for your explanations and investigations.
Thanks for watching! I get what you mean, my mind always goes to acidic when I hear the word citrus but they are all alkaline products in the detailing world haha
How does Gtechniq W4 Citrus Foam compare to Shiny Garage or BH Auto Foam?
I've not actually tried that one unfortunately. I wasn't massively impressed by their w5 citrus all purpose cleaner to be fair but maybe their foam is better
One argument i heard, against rins only is that, foam chemical contain some lubrication and without it pressure washer water hit dirt particles with very high speed against paint.
Shiny garage is saying citrus oil tfr ph is 11.5 in their website but you said 14 i dont understand it
I use yum products on a dirty car what would u put the ratio of yum citrus or would u use it neat
Yum citrus is pretty strong so 1:9 should be good for most things, or even down to 1:20 if the car isn’t too bad
How long can you leave diluted pre wash in the sprayer to use again .
I've only ever left it a month max as I use it quite often. Just make sure to depressurise the sprayer before storing it
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Maybe compare Bilt Hamber Touchless to citrus pre wash… I think Bilt Hamber Touchless is better or heavy dirt, I tend to to use citus pre wash when the cars less dirty…
👍
Surfex HD works better as a pre-wash, especially if you want a contactless wash and go.
Hi ya can I ask what snow cannon do you use thanks .
I usually use the Pyramid Car Care one, or the MJJC and MTM ones sometimes too
@@AutoCareHQ thank you 😊
Citrus pre-washes are just so expensive. I have tried them in tandem with BH Autofoam and cannot justify the cost.
Hello 🌹❤ Super Video ☺️👍
Thanks for watching!
Do you not prefer touch-less to auto foam?
I preferred auto foam when I compared them a few years back but I need to try the new version of touch-less
You should really consider recording audio books for children in your spare time. Great voice IMHO :)
Haha thank you!
Has your mum been driving off road, that's one dirty MG
How's the weather? Stopped raining yet. 🇦🇺
😂😂 We've managed to string together a couple of dry days recently haha
Lol sodium hydroxide is widely used in detailing and household products is totally fine. Comes down to choosing a reputable brand.
I always prefere citrus pré wash this much efficient and snowfaom dirt my ground
Ok as a professional detailer. why do you pose the question which is better? 1st look at the chemicals you use as tools, so is a spanner better than a socket?, no they are similar to achieve a result. 2nd, when these videos are done, you never say actually, can use both. If I see that a vehicle has alot of TF on lower parts, I ll use citrus sprayed on lower 1/3rd and wheels and then snowfoam over top. and I add in a little surfex HD in autofoam too. on wheels of regular customers, i can use Korrosol, if new customer or heavy soiled wheels, the auto wheels is better.
Thanks for watching 😊 this video isn’t really aimed at professionals tbf, but the last time stamp takes you through my thought processes and which types of chemicals I use for certain situations
Nice and helpful, however you talk to fast.
Thanks for watching and apologies haha
Good video but maybe pause for breath sometimes?
Haha fair point!
Very,very informative well done.your videos are a good source for information past. Well done.🫡
Thanks very much Philip!