While it’s true, you can use any soap in a foam cannon, they won’t work as good as products that are specifically designed for it.
Using a foam cannon to apply car soap will speed up the process and allow you to perform a wash without the need for any buckets.
In this article you will find the best car soaps for foam cannons.
These soaps & shampoos use high-pressure water and foam cannons to produce billions of thick suds.
They’re also highly concentrated. This means that they come with great cleaning power and can be diluted at many different ratios.
Try the products mentioned below. You’ll be amazed by the results you can achieve, with so little effort.
Came here looking for a new pre-wash? click here to learn about the best snow foams.
Choosing car soap for pressure washers
There are many different car soaps available to buy. However, not many of them will work well in a foam cannon or pressure washer setup.
Over the course of my detailing addiction, I’ve tried many different car soaps and learned which qualities are desirable.
Here’s what to look for when buying a soap for pressure washers:
- Type Of Formula – It’s completely up to you whether you want to choose a dedicated formula or one that’s versatile.
Dedicated means that it was designed specifically for foam cannons i.e Autoglym Polar Wash
Versatile means that it can be used in a bucket or foam cannon i.e Meguiars Gold Class
Both have their benefits. If you’d prefer to keep a lean detailing setup, buying a versatile soap is the way to go.
Want maximum suds? A dedicated soap will produce a thicker foam mixture with many more suds. - Concentrate – Buying a concentrated car soap will allow you to have full control over the results you achieve.
Diluting a concentrated product and using different dilution ratios will change three key factors. The amount of suds created, the cleaning power and how much product gets used.
As a control freak, I only ever buy concentrated products. That being said, you’ll find that most car soaps need to be diluted anyway. - PH Neutral & LSP Safe – For most, PH Neutral & LSP safe come hand in hand.
PH Neutral means that the product is non-acidic and safe to use on paint, glass, trim and texturized surfaces.
LSP Safe means that it will not strip any “last stage protection” such as wax, sealant or ceramic coatings. - Value For Money – Most people don’t have endless amounts of disposable income to spend on fancy detailing products. I’m the exact same.
Price per liter is by far the biggest value factor, however, stronger products may last longer and work out cheaper because you’ll use less product each wash.
Simply put, If a product doesn’t offer good value for money, it doesn’t have a place in my detailing setup. It’s as simple as that.
Once you’ve found a product that gives you exactly what you need you should stick with it.
I like to test products out for this site, but I love having Meguiars Gold Class shampoo to fall back on when needed.
best soap for foam cannons
Everyone is looking for something different. The best soap for foam cannons will provide good cleaning power and a good user experience.
When using them in my foam cannon, I enjoyed using each of the products listed below.
Nowadays, I mostly use Autoglym Polar Wash & Meguiars Gold Class shampoo. This is because they’re effective and very easy to get. I just need to go into my local Halfords and I can get them at a discounted rate.
As long as you are willing to experiment with each of these products, you will achieve rich foam and a clean car.
Detailing products are forever changing and improving. This article is kept up to date as much as possible. Contact me on twitter if you have any product recommendations.
Meguiar’s Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo
pH Balanced: ✓
Wash Method: Foam Cannon / Bucket
Buy From Amazon: 64oz / 1 Gallon
When it comes to detailing Meguiars is known as one of the best in class, their Gold Class soap is no different.
The Gold Class shampoo is a premium product that will eat away at all the tough dirt, road grime and contaminants on your car.
As well as cleaning your car, It also claims to “condition” the paintwork. Adding extra color depth and clarity while leaving behind a superb shine.
What I love about it the most is its versatility.
When used at a 5 to 1 mix ratio you are able to perform a normal two bucket wash, or if you want, you can use it in a cannon.
Because it’s PH Balanced, this product will preserve your wax finish, unless you use it at insane ratios such as 1:1.
It also has a very subtle fruit smell to it.
Producing a versatile product that offers strong cleaning power at a competitive price is something few manufacturers achieve.
I believe that The Gold Class Shampoo is the best all-round car shampoo on the market. It’s a great product and one that I frequently use myself.
Buy Meguiars Gold Class Shampoo from Amazon.com
Adam’s Ultra Foam Shampoo
pH Neutral: ✓
Wash Method: Foam Cannon
Buy From Amazon: 16oz / 1 Gallon
If when washing your car, you prioritize foam over everything else, Adams Ultra Foam shampoo is the only choice for you.
In an attempt to make the foamiest shampoo ever, Adams has quadrupled the concentration of their regular car shampoo.
This means 4x the amount of foam as well as increased cleaning power.
Thanks to the high concentration and extra suds, it also makes washing your car so much safer. The increased lubrication allows dirt to slide off without any risk of micro scratching or swirls.
Despite its strength, it’s still pH Neutral. Many of the stronger soaps strip last stage protection but not this one.
While you may get away with using it in a bucket, Adams Ultra Foam Shampoo is designed specifically for foam cannons and foam guns.
It’s recommended that you use 3-5 ounces of this product each wash. Make sure to fill up the foam cannon with water first though, otherwise you end up with a really soapy mess!
While I absolutely love this product and Adams as a company, there’s no getting over the price point. Quadruple the concentration, double the price?
Autoglym Polar Wash
pH Neutral: ✓
Wash Method: Foam Cannon
Buy From Amazon: 2500ml
Polar Wash is a part of a 3 step wash series that’s specifically designed for foam cannons.
Unfortunately, for those in the US, you will not able to get any of the polar series products, Polar Wash included.
AutoGlym is predominantly a UK company and have not yet released the polar series onto the US Market.
Polar Wash is most comparable to Adams Ultra Foam shampoo. It creates such a thick and clingy foam, it would be very easy to confuse it for snow foam.
While Polar Wash can be used independently, it performs best after a pre-wash stage. (Just like any other car shampoo).
I found that this product is at its best when using 100ml of product and 900ml of water.
The thick foam sticks to the car long enough to wash the car after one application. It’s also very easy to rinse off, leaving your car completely streak-free.
I really enjoy using AutoGlym polar wash and it’s another product that I use frequently.
Polar Wash is available to purchase on Amazon. Though admittedly, if you have a Halford’s trade card you can get it at a discounted price. That’s one of the main reasons I use it so often.
Chemical Guys Mr Pink Super Suds Car Shampoo
pH Neutral: ✓
Wash Method: Foam Cannon / Bucket
Buy From Amazon: 4oz / 16oz / 64oz / 1 Gallon
Marketed as the “super surface cleanser”, Mr Pink Super Suds is a car shampoo that the chemical guys really believe in.
The advanced formula is designed to rid your car of any heavy contaminants while preserving wax and sealants.
Mr.Pink is a highly concentrated shampoo. The technical data recommends you to use 1oz of product to 5 gallons of water.
I’ve found that it’s more than enough when using it in a bucket but prefer a little more product when using it in a cannon.
Unfortunately, Mr.Pink doesn’t produce the richest foam in the world. It’s definitely foamier than your average shampoo, but it’s nowhere near as thick as Adams Ultra Foam or Autoglyms polar wash.
That being said, the watery foam does take a lot of dirt with it, it is easy to rinse and makes for a completely streak-free finish.
As far as car shampoos go, it’s a great option that offers a lot of versatility.
It’s competitively priced, offering a gallon for under $30, can be used in many different types of car wash and will not strip last stage protection.
If you’re looking for a new shampoo to use in your regular maintenance washes, Mr Pink is worth trying out. It’s available in many different sizes, though the 1-gallon container is by far the best value.
How to use car soap in pressure washer
There are two ways to use car soap in a pressure washer. You can use either a detergent tank or a foam cannon/snow foam lance.
Using a foam cannon is the safest & easiest way to use car soap in a pressure washer. All you need to do is buy a foam cannon attachment.
Once you’ve got a foam cannon attachment, fill it with a car soap:water dilution ratio of your choice and fire away. It’s very similar to how you would apply snow foam.
The amount of foam produced will rely upon many factors, such as how much product you use, which product you use, how powerful your pressure washer is and the quality of foam cannon you’re using.
Using soaps that aren’t designed for a foam cannon will more often than not be a waste of time. This is why I recommend using the soaps listed above. Buying these will guarantee results.
How much Soap To Use in A foam cannon?
The amount of soap that you should use in a foam cannon will vary.
Providing there’s a manufacturer recommendation listed on the bottle, you should try the manufacturers’ dilution ratio. This is because they’ve probably tested it under stricter conditions and know when the product performs its best.
If you’re not satisfied after using the manufacturers’ ratio a couple of times, you should experiment with the product.
I like to use many different ratios, but it mostly depends on how contaminated the cars are.
When experimenting with products make sure to check your foam cannon settings. If you have a low air/product ratio, it can completely change the type of foam that is produced.