Is it alright to snow foam and Karcher off , and just dry off with a blower.

Submariner1

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due to my back op. ( thats healing very slowly), the CL has not been washed for 4 weeks.
Its not hideously dirty, washed the day before my Op.

I wondered is it OK to Snowfoam, with. Valet Pro PH Neutral, and then really powerwash off well, (I mean give it a real sustained blasting off .. not too close but more a serious volume of water) ; then rinse with filtered water and blow dry.

OK it wont be squeaky clean, but I assume it will stop the dirt/pollen dust building up.

My only concern is I wont be able to physically follow up with a wash off with a wool mitt and Autoglyms ... ergo to be sure all the snowfoam is completely off.

What do you think?

At this rate it will be at least another 2 or 3 weeks before I am up to doing the washmitt part all over.

My gut feel is, being an Industrial Karcher (its 610L per hour) and Valet Pro is allegedly PH Neutral, it must be better than leaving it unattended for 7 weeks.

I suppose I could after rinsing the Snow Foam, by re foam it with Autoglyms, as this foam lance would foam it ... but hopefully dont need to do the second stage.

I guess the question is, is Valet Pro really PH. Neutral. I dilute it 2:8 whereas VP say 3:7 so my solution is a tad weaker.
 

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I do it all the time when the car is just dusty . I microfibre dry it , but as you say blower would be much better from a no touch perspective .
 

rf065

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I used to use that method on my CLK, being silver it looked really clean after. I'd give it a proper wash every third or fourth time.
My other Mercs are not silver and it doesn't really work for them, they need a proper wash every time.
 

Msb

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The key to doing this as a touch less wash is product imho, there’s plenty of foams out there that foam up and stick like shaving foam, problem is this is totally wrong from a cleaning point of view. They need to run off and take the dirt and grime with them.
The two products ive come across that do as near as damn it achieve the elusive touch less wash are Chemical Guys Honeydew foam and Bilthamber Autofoam, at correct dilutions they easily have some of the best cleaning power out there
 

keefysher

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Get a man that can in to do it for you?? :cool:
 
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Submariner1

Submariner1

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The key to doing this as a touch less wash is product imho, there’s plenty of foams out there that foam up and stick like shaving foam, problem is this is totally wrong from a cleaning point of view. They need to run off and take the dirt and grime with them.
The two products ive come across that do as near as damn it achieve the elusive touch less wash are Chemical Guys Honeydew foam and Bilthamber Autofoam, at correct dilutions they easily have some of the best cleaning power out there

Got to say the Valet Pro throught the Pro Karcher Lance generates a really good foam, and 95% of the dirt seems to rinse off afterwards. Really seems to detach it.

Not investigated which route is most effective yet:-
A) Karcher off with plain water to remove a lot of loose debris. So less for the Fooam to have to remove, and therefore cleaner afterwards
Verses
B) Snow foam it from dry ... allowing the Snow foam to detach more of the dirt, and then ri se down.
( some say this is more effective)

This is the heavy duty Pro Karcher Lance. Blows away the domestic K versions
B68C48C5-1893-43A0-B020-7CA5ACB6693C.jpeg
 

keefysher

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From where ? :) around here :-/

In your thread on the residue from your neighbours roof tiles you quoted several places that advised about car washing, do they not actually do car washing?

A quick Google, cos Google does no evil and knows everything, brings up:

Screen Shot 2018-09-14 at 07.13.13.png
Thats a screenshot, so the links are not live, you will need to type into your browser.

First world problems. Make a drama out of a crisis.
 

AnthonyUK

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If your car has been cleaned and waxed then the snow foam and jetwash is all it will likely require.
That is pretty much my process every couple of weeks :D


My car is silver so pretty forgiving though and hardly gets used.
 
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Submariner1

Submariner1

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In your thread on the residue from your neighbours roof tiles you quoted several places that advised about car washing, do they not actually do car washing?

A quick Google, cos Google does no evil and knows everything, brings up:

View attachment 45692
Thats a screenshot, so the links are not live, you will need to type into your browser.

First world problems. Make a drama out of a crisis.

Thanks I tried a couple £120 and £110 for a wash and dry :-/
Appreciate the links
 
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Submariner1

Submariner1

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If your car has been cleaned and waxed then the snow foam and jetwash is all it will likely require.
That is pretty much my process every couple of weeks :D


My car is silver so pretty forgiving though and hardly gets used.

Well I did it myself, very very slowly
1/2 hour getting out the Karcher and big hose, and foam lance.
Took a break for 15mins
1/2 hours power rinse
5 mins snowfoam.
3/4 hour massive jetwash rinse, and then a rinse over with filtered water
1/4 hour blow drying
Felt fine all the time .. then a 15 min break and
1/2 hour putting all the stuff away.
Felt fine

OK not exactly clean but a lot better and no heavy crude on her.
B1932EF9-CCEF-4AF0-86C4-4CBC2947A455.jpeg

837067F0-7F0F-4E1D-A59D-E7CE84BD95ED.jpeg

Pleased it was over
And then I realised my back didnt like it .... :(:(. Not severe pain but niggling.

Feels like the recovery was put back 4 days :(:(

Wish I had paid the £120!
4 weeks recovery and it cant even take a bit of gentle excercise .. what a downer!

Apologies for the winge but I dont do being crippled up well! LOL

If the ****** rifle didnt weight in at 11kgs ... I spend the days offing those effing deficating pigeons! ;)
 
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Submariner1

Submariner1

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'kin 'ell is that the Sunningdale effect? :eek:

I did have someone in 2000, put an ad in the local shop.
The only taker was a quietly spoken little 15 year old girl.
She was a true “grafter” powerwashed it off, washed and dried it off ... paid her £20 a week.
And she came every week except summer hols and easter hols for 2 years, no matter what the weather, never missed a beat.

I must confess I did feel bad in the bad weather, sitting inside with this sweet little girl working her arse off in the cold!

I did get a few negative comments from a few neighbours, and was glad I had asked her mum if it was OK for her to do this job.
Her mum was all for it, as she said you pay her more than the paper round for a week, and that meant her getting up really early, lack of sleep .. school etc.
 

Msb

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Well I did it myself, very very slowly
1/2 hour getting out the Karcher and big hose, and foam lance.
Took a break for 15mins
1/2 hours power rinse
5 mins snowfoam.
3/4 hour massive jetwash rinse, and then a rinse over with filtered water
1/4 hour blow drying
Felt fine all the time .. then a 15 min break and
1/2 hour putting all the stuff away.
Felt fine

OK not exactly clean but a lot better and no heavy crude on her.
View attachment 45735

View attachment 45736

Pleased it was over
And then I realised my back didnt like it .... :(:(. Not severe pain but niggling.

Feels like the recovery was put back 4 days :(:(

Wish I had paid the £120!
4 weeks recovery and it cant even take a bit of gentle excercise .. what a downer!

Apologies for the winge but I dont do being crippled up well! LOL

If the ****** rifle didnt weight in at 11kgs ... I spend the days offing those effing deficating pigeons! ;)

So it took you 2.5 hours to do effectively a rinse over, im far from the fittest person on the planet but a a full wash only takes me about an hour and a half that’s getting everything out, snowfoam,wash 2bm,dry and dress the tyres and putting everything away
 

fabes

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Believe me, with a bad / recovering back, slow Mo can be the only way to go and stay vertical.

Until you've tried it I wouldn't pass judgement (and I wouldn't wish a bad back on anyone...well there maybe a select few...:rolleyes:)

Well done that man for finding your mojo (and limit....)
 
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Submariner1

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So it took you 2.5 hours to do effectively a rinse over, im far from the fittest person on the planet but a a full wash only takes me about an hour and a half that’s getting everything out, snowfoam,wash 2bm,dry and dress the tyres and putting everything away

Well it was the first week that I was not in pain after the Op. So took everything at a snails pace ... didnt even risk bending to pick up a hose .. had a hook thing.
Probably over cautious, but after 23 days of 24 x 7 utter agony ( and I was on Oral Morphine ) I wouldnt risk going through that again!
 
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Submariner1

Submariner1

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Believe me, with a bad / recovering back, slow Mo can be the only way to go and stay vertical.

Until you've tried it I wouldn't pass judgement (and I wouldn't wish a bad back on anyone...well there maybe a select few...:rolleyes:)

Well done that man for finding your mojo (and limit....)

Ha sounds like you have experience.
Lets say major heart surgery (Aortic Valve replacement ) scores 2/100 in nasty pain, driving the car in 14 days. This back Op scores 98/100 in permanent (weeks) of pain ... ranging to long periods I mean hours of 150/100 sheer agony.
Didn't drive for 4 weeks and 2 days.

Or put another way, if it was a choice of have that Op again or torch the CL500 (with no insurance) ... lets say the driveway would be toasty warm. :):)

So yes I was a totally pussy and didnt risk it!
 

Msb

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With all due respect to both of you, while i admire the commitment to cleaning your car if your health is that bad you should be perhaps exploring other means by which to get it cleaned, surely there must be a local detailer who can do a safe wash for you??
 

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Hope your recovery isn’t jeopardised Sub. No way I’d have done what you did but then again it must be tedious being laid up for so long so I can sort of see why you’d give it a go.
 
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Submariner1

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With all due respect to both of you, while i admire the commitment to cleaning your car if your health is that bad you should be perhaps exploring other means by which to get it cleaned, surely there must be a local detailer who can do a safe wash for you??

I did ask the Surgeon and he said it would be fine, no risk.
And I did look around for a car washer ... very expensive detailers or utter cowboys around here.
 

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