# Bilt Hamber Autofoam or Ultimate snow foam?



## ///M Sport (Apr 5, 2009)

Hi Guys! 

Since getting my snow foam lance & snow foam from Rachel @ Autochem I've been really disappointed with the cleaning performance of the snow foam. I've had really impressive thick foam but the cleaning power has been pretty poor. I've been putting an inch to 1.5 inches in the bottle and topping up with warm water as suggested, but most the dirt (lower half of the car especially) still remains even after 3/4 applications. All I can put it down to is the snow foam I received with the lance is pretty poor, or am I expecting too much from the snow foam experience?

Has anyone had experience of either the Bilt Hamber AF or Ultimate snow foam?

I was about to order the Bilt Hamber AF, but the Ultimate snow foam has just come to my attention from the Autoexpress test. I know the test was limited in respect of a proper lance was not used, but my main criteria is the cleaning power of the product, i'm not too fussed if one foams more than another.

From what I've read about the Bilt Hamber AF, it has excellent cleaning properties but a 'bad' dwell time and foam thickness. From what I have seen of this product it only dwells for a few minutes and still leaves the car very clean, that in my book is actually a positive  as it all reduces the time taken to clean the car! But can a product which has such a short contact time and excellent cleaning abilities really be LSP safe? Bilt Hamber claim it to be…….

I would love to hear the opinions of everyone who has used either/both of the above products, or even any other snow foam product worthy of a mention. 

I'm aware the Bilt Hamber formulation needs to be very precise to get the best results, but thanks to an excellent 'how to guide' that shouldn't be too difficult to do 

I have a lovely filthy car at the moment and won’t be washing it until I receive one of the above products. I will be taking pics before and after to show you the effectiveness of the product used!

I look forward to your replies


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## jamest (Apr 8, 2008)

I find most of the dirt comes off in the rinse afterwards with the power washer. The foam will only pull so much off the car, the rest is softed and losened from the paint allowing to be sprayed off with relative ease.

The dirtier the car they harder the dirt will be to get off.


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

bilt hamber is very good imo - very much the same as espuma activo which i tried yesterday


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## Guest (Oct 5, 2009)

Autoexpress also ****ed up the dilution ratios, so I hear through the grapevine. I'd stick with the BH stuff.


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## Heritage-Wax (Mar 25, 2009)

My preference is BH.

PW at 45 degree angle :thumb:

Tom


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## rushy (Apr 13, 2006)

Good prep and a good wax seams to do the job for me, and thats with AB's or Rachel's SF.


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

///M Sport said:


> Hi Guys!
> 
> Since getting my snow foam lance & snow foam from Rachel @ Autochem I've been really disappointed with the cleaning performance of the snow foam. I've had really impressive thick foam but the cleaning power has been pretty poor. I've been putting an inch to 1.5 inches in the bottle and topping up with warm water as suggested, but most the dirt (lower half of the car especially) still remains even after 3/4 applications. All I can put it down to is the snow foam I received with the lance is pretty poor, or am I expecting too much from the snow foam experience?(snip)
> 
> I look forward to your replies


The lower sections of the car can suffer with road grease and that is where the cleaning power is required, the other option from autochem is the snow wax, which IS very good, it is mildy caustic (like a well talked about wheel cleaner but I didn't say that) folk get to worried about wax stripping and often end up with products little different to a high foaming shampoo .


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## ///M Sport (Apr 5, 2009)

I don't know if I've got it in my head that snow foam can get your car 90%+ clean. I'm sure i've seen pictures on this site of pretty dirty cars coming up sparkling after just a few snow foam applications. This would be perfect for me as i'm looking to reduce my cleaning time. 

After snow foaming once or twice is it possible/advisable to snow foam again and use this foam as the car shampoo? Taking a mitt to a panel at a time rinising in clean water between panels? 

I didn't have much luck with Autochem's snow foam, don't get me wrong it did lift some dirt but nowhere near as much as I was expecting. Plus there was no point spraying it over my wheels as it wouldn't even touch the lighest of brake dust. I've seen some pictures of BH leaving alloys looking pretty clean after application


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## ///M Sport (Apr 5, 2009)

To the guys who have used BH, how was it on brake dust?


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

Thread

have a look here, this is a car I cleaned today, I have seen worse wheels, but you will get the idea, also the foam solution was 100ml in a 350ml container but then remember the dilution is less again as it has to be included in the water flow, I do use snow wax on very cold winter days, as the temperature does not allow hoses (and me) to be outdoors for too long.


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## Teabag (Dec 17, 2008)

BH autofoam is very good

i use it in the bottle undiluted and just adjust the ratios for how dirty the car is

brilliant on all my details i have done


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## ///M Sport (Apr 5, 2009)

Avanti said:


> Thread
> 
> have a look here, this is a car I cleaned today, I have seen worse wheels, but you will get the idea, also the foam solution was 100ml in a 350ml container but then remember the dilution is less again as it has to be included in the water flow, I do use snow wax on very cold winter days, as the temperature does not allow hoses (and me) to be outdoors for too long.


Wow those results look pretty impresive, especially considering no buckets were used! Which snow foam did you use avanti?

You must have been pretty confident all the dirt/grit particles were gone as you applied SRP and buffed it off too.


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## ///M Sport (Apr 5, 2009)

Teabag said:


> BH autofoam is very good
> 
> i use it in the bottle undiluted and just adjust the ratios for how dirty the car is
> 
> brilliant on all my details i have done


Is there need for a bucket wash afterwards? I suppose it depends how dirty the car was in the first place.


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

///M Sport said:


> Wow those results look pretty impresive, especially considering no buckets were used! Which snow foam did you use avanti?
> 
> You must have been pretty confident all the dirt/grit particles were gone as you applied SRP and buffed it off too.


On the wheels I used TW multi purpose pressure washer detergent, no particular reason for that on only as I have it and want to use it up, the wash solution was this










and this is how it performs with 150-200ml


I use AG pressure wash or Swarfega Vehicle wash on my own vehicle in the main, my washer is 510l/h flow rate , I have every faith in my power washer, it will be a sad day when that packs up, here is it in action on a rinse session


you can see the dirt lifting away.


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