Bilt Hamber Auto-Foam - Pressure Washer / Snow Foam Detergent

Bilt Hamber Auto-Foam is a pre-wash snow foam shampoo.

There is absolutely no point in using expensive waxes and sealants striving to achieve a perfect finish if you don’t get the basics right at the outset. Most swirls and paint imperfections have to be addressed later on in the process because of poor detailing preparation and the effects of Foreign Object Damage (FOD) on paint (such as ‘own goal’ damage from grit and grime) having to be removed. However careful we all might strive to be, sometimes we make mistakes and damage happens. So it makes sense to be as methodical and as careful as we can be, from the very first stages of the cleaning process, not just at the end.

Auto-Foam is the result of Bilt Hamber's extensive in-house research and development. Auto-Foam will reduce even further the possibility of damage to paintwork by presenting you with beautifully clear FOD free paint, ready for subsequent detailing.

Auto-Foam is a new generation premium quality, foaming water-based pre-wash treatment, designed to soak and saturate soiled vehicle paintwork prior to the application of vehicle shampoo and paint food. Auto-Foam is gentle too, and is for use with all pressure washer foam lances. Applied at a typical PIR (Panel Impact Ratio) of 4%, Auto-Foam will panel-dwell for typically five minutes. Auto-Foam is formulated specifically to offer maximum wetting and it rinses easily too. It is not designed as a superficial high foam product, but as a functional material.

Auto-Foam is made with biodegradable compounds, is extraordinarily tough on soil and grime, yet harmless to paint. The non-caustic formulation ensures that even regular use will not attack paint binders. Our hard-working surfactants will attack and penetrate the hardest of road dirt and grime, without the need for manual intervention.

During the panel-dwell period, Auto-Foam’s bubbles will systematically burst and move, encouraging our soaking and cleansing agents to start working. The effects of road grime are neutralised by them, by being bonded within our blend of surfactants, and then lifted from painted surfaces and physically removed, minimising harm caused by swirling and marking during subsequent detailing.

When Auto-Foam’s work has been done, it may be washed off in a conventional manner, leaving a well presented automotive surface ready for further treatments.

For excessively soiled surfaces, simply increase PIR and/or number of applications.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is there a specific applicator that works well with Bilt Hamber products?
Any applicator that will ensure the correct concentration is used will be fine.
2. Can Auto-Foam be applied in a pump-up pressure sprayer?
Yes, it can be applied in this way, at 4% dilution. The bubbles themselves do not aid the cleaning process, so the product will work just as well with fewer bubbles. However, Bilt Hamber do advise that Auto-Foam is to be power-washed off for best results.
3. Is Auto-Foam pH neutral?
Auto-Foam is alkaline, but importantly it is non-caustic and it's the latter that causes the problem in damaging coatings. Caustic soda can dull and leave finishes matt and lifeless, when used long-term. Auto-Foam will never do this. Most damage to car finishes is caused by particulate based road films that cause abrasive damage when removed by washing with mitt or sponge-induced hologram scratching and paint wear. Auto-Foam is designed to remove as much of this a possible before use of sponge or mitt. This massively reduces the chance of mechanical damage.
4. How do I go about ensuring the concentration of Auto-Foam is correct for my pressure washer?
Fill up the detergent bottle or reservoir with exactly one litre of water. Take a large bucket or container and discharge the lance into this until the detergent bottle is empty. Measure the total amount of water collected, and multiply this number by 0.04. This is how much Auto-Foam you need to use in your detergent bottle or reservoir for the correct concentration. When you have measured the Auto-Foam into the bottle or reservoir, make this up to one litre with water. This method will create the correct concentration of Auto-Foam discharging from the lance, as this depends on the rate at which the reservoir is emptied during use.
5. I have used the Auto-Foam dilution calculation method, but the calculation is telling me I need more Auto-Foam than my detergent bottle will hold!
Some pressure washer machines won’t discharge material from their bottle or reservoir at a rate high enough to achieve 4% dilution, even with the bottle full and the discharge rate set to its highest. In these cases, fill the detergent bottle up to full with Auto-Foam and see what sort of results you can achieve at the maximum dilution possible. Auto-Foam can clean reasonably well at rates as low as 1-2%, so it is worth a try. You can also apply the product with a garden pump sprayer at 4%, as the foaming up action is not important for cleaning, and pressure wash this off using your pressure washer with just water. 
6. Is Auto-Foam a harsh cleaner?
Auto-Foam is non-caustic, gentle on paintwork and will efficiently remove dry road film in touchless cleaning. Auto-Foam is safe for use on most surfaces treated with waxes and polishes. For example Double Speed-Wax will stand up to 60-70 washes with Auto-Foam. However, as Bilt Hamber are unable to test the compatibility of Auto-Foam with every wax or coating out there, please perform a small spot test of the material in a discrete area if you have not used Auto-Foam with your coating before.
7. How do Auto-Foam and Surfex-HD differ?
Surfex-HD is intended for greasier road films and Auto-Foam for drier films.

Benefits:

• Effective touchless cleaning action
• Biodegradable compounds - non-caustic formulation
• Extraordinarily tough on soil and grime, yet harmless to paint
• Not designed as a superficial high foam product, this is function based
• Use with all pressure washer foam lances
• Applied at a typical PIR (Panel Impact Ratio) of 4%
• Reduce the possibility of damage to paintwork
• Panel dwell for typically 5 minutes
• Maximum wetting