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Does anyone use their Car foam cannon for washing their bikes?

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Does anyone use their Car foam cannon for washing their bikes?

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Old 08-18-21, 10:06 PM
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squirtdad
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Does anyone use their Car foam cannon for washing their bikes?

Ok, for those of you who are also car fanatics: Do you use your foam cannon for washing your bike?

If so one time try with bad results or work great, greatest thing since quick release?
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Old 08-19-21, 01:02 AM
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Not sure what a foam cannon is but I did make the mistake of washing a vintage road bike at the car wash one day. Took the top layer of clear and some of the color coat right off, These days, water and soap in a bucket, applied with a soft cloth and/or brush,
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Old 08-19-21, 01:36 AM
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By the time you unpack a foam cannon, I can wash the painted surfaces of a bike with a sponge 10 times. Just a tad overkill IMO.
Even on cars, I find the $12 car wash nozzle all I need. One microfiber mitt, and the nozzle switches between soap and an endless supply of water via a simple garden hose to rinse the car and mitt by turning the knob. No 8 bucket system with grit guards and 12 wash mitts and setting up a foam cannon and dragging out a compressor for me. Makes for great youtube videos, but I have better things to do with my time

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Old 08-19-21, 05:10 AM
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hose
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The above two posts are FACTS.
lock this thread!
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Old 08-19-21, 06:22 AM
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Wait, you’re supposed to wash your car? I thought that’s what rain was for.
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Old 08-19-21, 07:32 AM
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Use GRIOT’S speed shine on my cars, works quite well on bikes too. Don’t know what a car foam cannon is, but occasionally a bike will warrant washing with car wash and a sponge. Do use a Stihl blower to dry it then, works quite well.
Tim
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Old 08-19-21, 08:52 AM
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I just use a spray bottle with water and dish detergent, and a clean cloth to wipe it off. If there's tar or oil, I may dip a corner of the cloth in OMS to dissolve it.
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Old 08-19-21, 10:00 AM
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Point a cannon at a car...
reads like a political/ environmental statement to me.
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Old 08-19-21, 10:55 AM
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How about using a T-shirt cannon?


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Old 08-19-21, 11:01 AM
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Nope, and I don't think I ever would. By the time I got out and set up all the gear to use the foam cannon, I could be having a cold beer looking at my clean bike.
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Old 08-19-21, 11:32 AM
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I use a small hand-pressurized portable sprayer. I think it holds about 0.5 gallons or 2 liters. That is plenty and it is very quick to use and a very gentle, adjustable spray.

Otto
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Old 08-19-21, 11:35 AM
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Originally Posted by onyerleft
It always amazes me how people can make simple things, like cleaning a bike, so complicated.
well I keep my bikes and car perfect mechanically, but less so clean wise, was thinking doubling up (and having some fun) and seeing any ideas about getting more clean with less time.

if you really want to see responses, suggest taking your audi through a carwash to an audi enthusiast group (I almost got purged )
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Old 08-19-21, 12:08 PM
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"Washing" your bike?

Is this aimed at the mountain bike guys with tons of mud everywhere?
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Old 08-19-21, 12:46 PM
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I once was given a bunch of good road bikes that had resided in a rat-infested building, more or less caked over with a brownish layer of what smelled like you-guessed-it.

So, after accepting the contaminated bikes and very gingerly placing them in my truck, I pulled them out one by one and turned each one into a snow-man of sorts using foaming aerosol bathroom spray.
This was followed by thorough and time-consuming steps including wet-towel scrubbing with a not-so-mild bleach solution, repeated water-rinsing and extensively re-lubricating before any of the permeated water could do any damage (luckily/amazingly the bikes weren't yet much corroded as received).

The bikes came out quite well, but for one newer model (to which I had alternately applied L.A.'s Awesome spray cleaner full strength after running out of the Scrubbing Bubbles), and which softened and damaged the clear coat.
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Old 08-19-21, 02:00 PM
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If you're not using a riot control grade water cannon, is your bike really clean?
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Old 08-20-21, 10:43 AM
  #16  
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Originally Posted by ofajen
I use a small hand-pressurized portable sprayer. I think it holds about 0.5 gallons or 2 liters. That is plenty and it is very quick to use and a very gentle, adjustable spray.

Otto
Here I thought I was brilliant to do this and was the "only" one who used this device.

I bring it for Cuyuna and Lebanon Hills when we mtb.

https://www.cuyunalakesmtb.com/

https://www.co.dakota.mn.us/parks/pa...trailhead.aspx
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