If you want to create ultra-thick snow foam, a dedicated foam cannon soap will be required. They are specifically formulated to lift and dissolve dirt without having to touch the paintwork and are highly effective for use as a pre-wash solution.
The best foam cannon soap is the Chemical Guys Snow Foam Soap, which is a pH neutral formula that’s available in a honeydew or watermelon scent.
Although you could dilute a regular car wash soap, it wouldn’t produce the same foaming abilities as a dedicated foaming formula. Once the foam cannon soap is introduced to water pressure, it will be able to produce millions of thick suds.
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Foam Cannon Soap Comparison
| Soap For Foam Cannon | Type | Bottle Sizes |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical Guys Honeydew | Dedicated For Cannon | 4 to 128 oz |
| Adam's Ultra Foam Shampoo | Dedicated For Cannon | 16 to 128 oz |
| Mothers Triple Action | Dedicated For Cannon | 100 oz |
| Sun Joe SPX-FCS1G | Cannon & Detergent Tank | 128 oz |
| McKee's 37 Xtreme Foam | Cannon & Bucket Wash | 16 to 128 oz |
| Meguiar's G7101FFP | Cannon & Bucket Wash | 128 oz |
| TriNova Gold Standard | Cannon & Bucket Wash | 128 oz |
The purpose of the foam cannon soap is to capture and dissolve dirt which can then be rinsed clear. Most are pH neutral and safe to use on all automotive surfaces without causing any damage to plastics or stripping any sealants or waxes.
Below is a list of the best foam cannon soaps that effectively remove dirt and other contaminants via millions of thick suds.
The Best Foam Cannon Soap
1. Chemical Guys Snow Foam Car Wash Soap
By far one of the most popular soaps for a foam cannon is the Chemical Guys formula, which is available in a honeydew or watermelon scent. It’s a high foaming formula that’s safe to use and completely eliminates dirt, grime and other contaminants.
According to the brand, it uses a unique PPM (Parts Per Million) formula that’s able to produce millions of cleaning bubbles. This allows you to produce the desirable thick foam output when using the correct setting upon your snow foam cannon.
Other features of the Chemical Guy Soap For Foam Cannon include:
- Safe on all automotive surfaces and enhances gloss
- pH neutral formula and rinses clean without residue
- Safe on all wax and car sealant
- Available in a 4, 16, 64 or 128 oz bottle
- Advised to dilute with one cap to 5 gallons of water
Overall, the Chemical Guys Snow Foam is the best foam cannon soap on the market and when purchased in a larger bottle, it offers excellent value for money too. In terms of the different scents available, we are big fans of the honeydew scented soap.
Check it Out2. Adam’s Polishes Ultra Foam Shampoo
Adam’s Ultra Foam is a premium alternative that’s capable of producing a huge amount of thick foam. The brand claims that it’s 4 times the concentration of their car shampoo and is the most chemically advanced formula they offer.
In order to further enhance the cleaning power of their foam cannon soap, the brand use advanced cleaners and polymers that are highly effective yet completely safe to use.
Other features of the Adam’s Ultra Foam Shampoo include:
- Advanced cleaners and polymers
- Gentle on plastic and trim components
- Rinses clean without leaving streaks
- Creates a thin layer of protection via polymer-based chemicals
- Suitable for use within direct sunlight due to high lubrication
- Made in the USA and designed to be the best
Although expensive, the Ultra Foam formula is a worthwhile investment that won’t disappoint. The advanced chemical technology and thickness of the lubricating foam isn’t only enjoyable to use but also highly effective at removing all types of dirt.
Check it Out3. Mothers Triple Action Foam Wash
The Mothers Triple Action is the brand’s new and improved foam cannon soap that’s designed for powerful penetration. It’s completely safe to use on a regular basis and the brand state that it doesn’t strip any wax or sealants applied to the car.
In order to create the powerful cleaning action, the foam is formulated with a polymer surfactant blend. Mothers state that the special formula safely dissolves, lifts and suspends contaminants without needing to wipe the foam whatsoever.
Other features of the Mothers Triple Action include:
- Dedicated foam cannon soap
- Dilution optimized pH balanced formula
- Doesn’t strip wax, sealant or ceramic coatings
- Extra thick snow foam output
- Dilution recommendations upon the bottle
- 100 oz bottle
Overall, the Triple Action formula by Mothers is a highly effective formula that’s dedicated to foam cannons. It does come with a premium price tag but the 100 oz bottle goes along way and provides super thick foam.
Check it Out4. Sun Joe SPX-FCS1G Soap For Foam Cannon
Sun Joe are well known for manufacturing multiple pressure washers but they also produce their very own cleaning formulas. Their concentrated snow foam wash is a fairly unique as it can be poured straight into the detergent tank of a pressure washer or used within a foam cannon.
Other features of the Sun Joe SPX-FCS1G Soap include:
- Concentrated biodegradable formulation
- Pineapple, orange-vanilla and coconut scents
- High viscosity foam output
- Gentle on the paintwork
- Rinses clean without streaks
- 1 gallon bottle
The Sun Joe SPX-FCS1G is an excellent all-round foam cannon soap that provides great value and can be poured directly into the pressure washer. It can even be used for cleaning wood, brick and other surfaces if required.
Check it Out5. McKee’s 37 Xtreme Foam
The McKee’s 37 Soap for foam cannons is designed to produce a large amounts of suds when introduced to high water pressure. Once the soap lands upon your paintwork, it captures residue and dirt before your wash mitt even touches the surface.
According to the brand, the soap is formulated for use with foam cannons but it works perfectly well for bucket washes too.
Other features of the McKee’s 37 Xtreme Foam include:
- pH balanced and does not strip wax
- Can be used for bucket washes
- Rinses clean and prevents water spots
- Enhances the shine from your paint
- Hyper concentrated formula
- Available in a 16 or 128 oz bottle
The Mckee’s 37 Xtreme Foam is an excellent all-rounder that can be used as a regular soap inside a bucket or within a foam cannon. The formula uses advanced cleaning agents to leave your vehicle spotless and it won’t disappoint.
Check it Out6. Meguiar’s G7101FFP Gold Class
Meguiar’s is one of the most popular US brands for detailing and they have a solution for every task. The Gold Class is a great example that’s suitable for use with a foam cannon or a bucket.
When you decide to use this soap in your foam cannon, Meguiar’s recommend that you dilute the formula by 5:1 for the best results.
Other features of the Meguiar’s G7101FFP Gold Class include:
- Washes and conditions in one step
- Advanced formula that does not strip car waxes
- Foams away tough dirt
- Includes rich conditioners to improve paint gloss
- Safe and biodegradable detergents
The Meguiar’s G7101FFP Gold Class is a versatile formula that works perfectly for bucket washing and as soap for your foam cannon. Having to purchase a separate soap just for foam can become expensive but this combines the best of both products.
Check it Out7. TriNova Gold Standard Soap and Conditioner
The TriNova premium cleaning solution is another versatile formula that can be used within a foam cannon or as bucket wash method. However, unlike the alternatives, this formula is far cheaper and often included with most complete packages.
Other features of the TriNova Gold Standard Soap include:
- Leaves a glossy shine
- Gentle of wax and sealant
- pH balanced and easy to dilute
- Made in the USA
- Available in a 1 gallon or 16 oz bottle
The TriNova Gold Standard Soap is an affordable soap for foam cannons that can also be used with a standard wash bucket routine. At half of the cost of some of the alternatives, it certainly makes it an attractive option. However, it may not be able to produce as much thick suds or be as effective as some of the premium dedicated options.
Check it OutCar Soap For Foam Cannon Buying Guide
If you have a foam cannon and a pressure washer for a car, all that is left is to get the correct soap. Without using a suitable foam cannon soap, you won’t be able to achieve all the benefits such as millions of thick suds that capture the dirt.
When it comes to purchasing soap for your foam cannon, we strongly recommend that you purchase it in bulk. Most brands offer a 1 gallon (128 oz) bottle at a far cheaper price. You will be surprised to how much you will use, especially if you want to produce thick foam.
To help you make an informed buying decision, we have produced the below buying guide regarding foam cannon soaps.
Dedicated vs Versatile Formula
Dedicated foam cannon soaps have been designed to produce ultra-thick snow foam and that’s it. The means that hundreds of house of research and development has taken place to ensure the foaming action is as effective as it can be.
Alternatively you may already have a car wash soap that’s suitable for use with your foam cannon already. There are only a few that have the ability to be used within a foam cannon and this will be stated upon the bottle. To achieve the thickness to the soap, it’s vital that you follow the recommended dilution of the formula.
If you want to keep costs down and don’t want multiple containers hanging around, then a versatile formula is perfect. However, for an effective foaming solution that’s able to produce ultra-thick suds, the dedicated formulas are best.
pH Neutral
You have probably seen that most brands clearly state that their formula is pH neutral. In short, this basically means that on the pH Scale, which is between 0 for acidic and 14 for alkaline, the soap is a pH of 7, which is classed as a neutral solution.
The importance of a pH neutral formula is that it will not strip any wax or sealant that has been previously applied to your paintwork. It will also not cause fading of plastics or other automotive surfaces, which can be a common problem.
How To Use The Soap
Depending on the foam cannon soap that you choose, you may be required to dilute the solution. This will be stated upon the usage instructions upon the bottle. However, if you want to produce extremely thick foam, you can make the formula more concentrated.
With the correct diluted formula, you can then fill the reservoir and begin to cover the vehicle with as much foam as you wish. Most foam cannons will have various settings that also allow you to control the thickness of the snow foam output.
Conclusion
Using a foam cannon is not only an effective method of cleaning your car but also great fun. Using the best soap for foam cannons allows you to produce millions of thick suds that are safe to use and won’t strip any wax or sealant.
Our recommendations cover a range of different soaps that include those dedicated to foam cannons and others that are more versatile. We highly recommend formulas that are dedicated for cannons but from an affordability perspective, the versatile formulas are still a great option.
