Lubricity

[Earl Weiss]

Ask 5 car washers an opinion and get 10 opinions so here goes.

Product is applied to cleaning material to provide lubrication and flush away contaminants.

So, using identical product strength is it better to apply as a liquid or inject air and foam it on for most effective lubrication and contaminant flushing.

 

[washnshine]

Ask 5 car washers an opinion and get 10 opinions so here goes.

Product is applied to cleaning material to provide lubrication and flush away contaminants.

So, using identical product strength is it better to apply as a liquid or inject air and foam it on for most effective lubrication and contaminant flushing.

Hi Earl,

I'll be the first of ten!

Anything I put directly on the car is foamed and anything fed to brushes and mitters is liquid. Foaming a product helps it to cling and of course, provides show. If you are looking to flush material liquid will penetrate deeper and work its way through the material to better coat and flush. The air makes it lighter and fluffier and will not work its way through as well. Also - air makes no difference in lubricity if the concentration is the same.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Interesting idea try it for a couple of days.
See if you notice any differences and get back to us.
My first thought is that the chemical cost will be higher and you lose the "show" of the foam.

 

[washnshine]

Interesting idea try it for a couple of days.
See if you notice any differences and get back to us.
My first thought is that the chemical cost will be higher and you lose the "show" of the foam.

You won't loose the show of your foam if you are foaming what you put on the car. Lava arch, foam sticks/pods, K nozzles - whatever you use to apply solutions to the car - that is what you should foam heavily and you will have the show - it blankets the car. Again, if lubricity is your goal for feeding the brushes remember that foaming does not increase the lubricity of a solution.

 

[Earl Weiss]

You won't loose the show of your foam if you are foaming what you put on the car. ---------------------------- Again, if lubricity is your goal for feeding the brushes remember that foaming does not increase the lubricity of a solution.

Agree, once the windows are soapy from foam applications, in an EE adding foam to equipment does not enhance the show. Perhaps for a FS it will.

Wash n Shine, in your post #2 you comment about ho foam applied to material will not flush contaminants as well or work it' way thru the material which would seem to adversely affect lubricity yet you seem to then state it won't.
What am I missing?

 

[washnshine]

Agree, once the windows are soapy from foam applications, in an EE adding foam to equipment does not enhance the show. Perhaps for a FS it will.

Wash n Shine, in your post #2 you comment about ho foam applied to material will not flush contaminants as well or work it' way thru the material which would seem to adversely affect lubricity yet you seem to then state it won't.
What am I missing?

Foaming a product at the same concentration as not foaming it will not result in any increase or decrease in lubricity in the chemical itself. However, the state the chemical is in (foamed or not foamed) will impact its ability to penetrate into spinning material and flush it clean.

I think of it this way:
Imagine one of your wraps spinning and you are standing in front of it spraying it with either a foam gun - like in a self serve, or a non foamed liquid out of a nozzle. The lighter and more airy foam out of the gun will not penetrate as well as the liquid coming out of a nozzle. The heavier (no air) liquid can drench the material more easily because it will be able to get pushed further into the brush whereas foam will not as much.

Sorry if that was not clear in my first post. But again it is not a lack of lubricity in foam that will not flush contaminants as well, but rather the physical properties of a liquid that will penetrate and flush better than the physical properties of lighter foam.

This has been my experience over the years and I base my opinions on what I have observed at my washes.

I hope I clarified my opinions.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Foaming a product at the same concentration as not foaming it will not result in any increase or decrease in lubricity in the chemical itself. However, the state the chemical is in (foamed or not foamed) will impact its ability to penetrate into spinning material and flush it clean.

I think there was a famous line in a Jackie Chan movie " I understand the words coming out of your mouth. ..." The lubricity of the chemical does not change vis a vis liquid or foam state...
........but at the end of the day the net effect is mot important.
So it seems what you are saying is the net effect of the liquid is better because it will find it's way between layers of material easier, not get flung off as easily as lighter foam, and additionally since it is better at flushing contaminants which my be abrasive there may be less friction from that as well,
Am I understanding you now?

 

[washnshine]

I think there was a famous line in a Jackie Chan movie " I understand the words coming out of your mouth. ..." The lubricity of the chemical does not change vis a vis liquid or foam state...
........but at the end of the day the net effect is mot important.
So it seems what you are saying is the net effect of the liquid is better because it will find it's way between layers of material easier, not get flung off as easily as lighter foam, and additionally since it is better at flushing contaminants which my be abrasive there may be less friction from that as well,
Am I understanding you now?

Right on - that is exactly it.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Would this be true for all types of brush material?
Cloth, Neoglide, all types of foam and even bristle brushes?

 

[washnshine]

Yes - I have neoglide, microfiber and a very small amount of bristle and do not foam the solution feed to any of them.