Keeping your car clean is an ongoing project that can be incredibly gratifying, taking grime-covered paintwork and turning it back into the piece of art that left the factory. Part of this restoration process is the use of products to ensure that the dirt and grime don’t cause lasting damage to things like paintwork.
Snow foam is designed to make cleaning your car a breeze while effectively removing small dirt particles.
Let’s look deeper into exactly how Simoniz Snow Foam works and the science behind it.
What does snow foam do?
Snow foam is a pre-wash detergent that is used before shampoo. When applied to the car, it clings to its surface longer than water, and during that time, it captures dirt, pollen, and grime before being rinsed off.
Lifting small dirt particles away from the paintwork allows for a more effective and less damaging contact wash. While a contact wash is often essential for removing stubborn dirt, it can cause damage to paintwork if there are lingering particles leftover that lead to small scratches and swirls.
Snow foam prevents this by trapping and lifting these particles before a contact wash with a brush or sponge.
The science behind it – how does snow foam work?
Behind the incredible cleaning properties of snow foam, there is a delicate science that is working hard so that you don’t have to.
There are two main active ingredients in every snow foam: surfactants and the foaming agent.
Surfactants act to lift dirt from the surface of the car. Surfactants have hydrophilic (water-attracting) heads and hydrophobic (water-repelling) tails. The water-attracting heads of the surfactants bond with the water and dirt on the surface, while the water-repelling tails cling to the contaminants.
The foaming agent aids the surfactants by creating a cushion of air between the car’s surface and the contaminants, which helps to prevent the contaminants from damaging the car’s paintwork.
The pH-neutral nature of snow foam means that while it’s tough on dirt, it’s gentle on your car’s paintwork, seals, and ceramic coatings.
Benefits of snow foam
Now that you know the science of snow foam, it’s time to explain the wider benefits of snow foam and why it’s worth taking five minutes extra to apply the snow foam before shampooing it.
Makes shampooing easier
Despite adding an extra five minutes to the application time, snow foam might actually reduce the time needed to wash the car by making shampooing more effective during a contact wash.
Can prevent scratches and swirl marks
Small particles of dirt and dust act as abrasives when rubbed into the paintwork during a contact wash. Snow foam is incredible at removing small dirt and dust particles from your car’s paintwork. Using snow foam to gently lift these particles reduces the chance that they can damage your car’s paintwork.
Can reduce the risk of corrosion
When you drive, salt can be kicked up from the road surface. When salt mixed with water settles on metal surfaces, it causes corrosion up to five times faster than fresh water. Using snow foam on your car can help to reduce this corrosion by lifting the salt away from the car’s surface.
It’s clear that snow foam is an incredibly useful product to have in your car-cleaning arsenal. The surfactants are essential for removing particles of dirt that can seriously harm your paintwork, allowing the shampoo to work more effectively. If you’re looking for products that will leave your car sparkling, take a look at Simoniz’s range of exterior cleaning and care products.