Products / Wash & Exterior / Pre-Wash & Snow Foam

Wash & Exterior

Touchless Car Wash

A touchless wash is the first step of safe car care. The point isn't just to cover the paint in foam — it's to remove as much dirt as possible before the surface ever meets a wash mitt or a microfiber towel.

10 products

The main job of a touchless wash is to remove as much dirt as possible before anything touches the paint. Sand and road salt can act like an abrasive, so the more contaminants you rinse away at this stage, the safer the contact wash that follows.

How to do a touchless wash right

The paint should be cool. Dilute the concentrate per the instructions, put on gloves and apply the foam from the bottom up. Let the product work, but don't let it dry. Then rinse the foam off thoroughly, again working from the bottom up.

Which product to choose

Gentle Soap is a mild product for regular care and cars with protective coatings. Safe for unpainted and clear plastic, chrome trim and rubber seals.

Citrus Buddy is a mildly alkaline formula based on citrus oils (pH 10). It handles pollen, tar, road film and seasonal contaminants.

Foam Buddy is the strongest product in the lineup. Best for winter washing and removing road salt.

More on choosing a product by season in the article "Why one soap all year round is a myth".

How much product to use

For a foam cannon, use the 1:10–1:15 dilution per the instructions. For a pump sprayer the concentration is lower: 1:40–1:60 for Gentle Soap and Citrus Buddy and 1:100–1:150 for Foam Buddy.

In a 1:10 ratio, the first number is the amount of concentrate: 100 ml (3.4 fl oz) of product to 1 L (33.8 fl oz) of water. When diluting, add the water first, then the concentrate. The dilution calculator will work out the exact dose for you.

More in the article "How to dilute concentrated products correctly".

FAQ

Do you always need a contact wash after a touchless wash?
How dirty the surface is varies, but the touchless step is mainly there to remove the bulk of the dirt before you touch the surface.
Why is there still dirt left after the foam?
Touchless chemicals don't remove every type of contaminant. Iron fallout, tar and baked-on bugs need dedicated products, and the leftover film comes off with a contact wash. Dirt can also stay behind if the dilution was too weak or the foam dried on the paint. In that case, repeat the touchless wash at the right concentration and don't let the product dry.
What matters more: strong chemicals or the right technique?
The right technique. Pick the product for the type of dirt and the season, and use it at the recommended concentration. Hot paint, dried foam, wrong dilution and a poor rinse all make the wash less effective.
Does the foam wash off road salt?
Yes, most of it. Alkaline foam softens the road film where salt and road salt build up. For winter grime, go with Foam Buddy and Citrus Buddy. You can remove what's left during the contact wash with Acid Shock or Acid Citrus.
Do you need a foam cannon?
For the thickest, longest-clinging foam, use a foam cannon with a pressure washer. A pump sprayer works too — at a self-serve bay, for example. Its foam is thinner and runs off faster, so it's especially important not to let it dry.