Snow Foam

Snow foam is the first stage of a safe wash: it clings to the panels and softens the dirt, so much of the grit rinses off before a mitt touches the paint. The range runs from pH-neutral foams such as Stjarnagloss SNÖ and DoDo Juice Apple iFoam to stronger ones such as DoDo Juice iFoam Max, plus coloured Duel Snow Lux and CarPro IronX Snow Soap, which also removes iron fallout.

How to choose

• pH-neutral or stronger: neutral foams suit regular washes on waxed, sealed or coated cars. Stronger alkaline and TFR foams shift heavy grime but wear protection down faster, so keep them for winter or for stripping before a polish.
• Lance or pump foamer: Snow Foam Lances on a pressure washer give the thickest foam; Pump Foamers need no pressure washer but give a wetter foam. Dilution differs between the two, so follow the maker's ratio for your kit.

Good to know

Foam a cool car out of strong sun, give it a few minutes and rinse top down before it dries. Foam alone will not lift bonded road film, so follow it with a Car Shampoo and a mitt.

Related: Wash & Pre-Wash, Citrus Pre-Wash, Pressure Washers. Popular brands here: Duel Autocare, Dunking Biscuit, Linntec, Koch-Chemie.