In this guide, I will detail the major components of my at-home foam cannon setup which includes a pressure washer, hose reel and other awesome accessories which make detailing so much more enjoyable.
Here is what equipment you will need:
- Pressure Washer (recommended 1.7GPM for thick suds)
- Hose Reel
- Foam Cannon
- Short Washer Gun
- Extension Wand For Rinsing
Pressure Washer:
Active VE52 | 1800 PSI | 2.0 GPM | 13 Amp | Electric Pressure Washer
The Active VE52 is the new king of the budget friendly pressure washers.
It outputs 2.0 GPM on a standard 15amp household outlet.
We've personally tested the Active VE52 and can vouch that it is perfect for the at-home detailer.
It's quiet, powerful and can be wall-mounted on a shelf if desired.
Lot's of pressure washers exaggerate their stats, but cannot match them in real life.
Active VE52 is the real deal.
Pressure Washer Hose:
The stock hoses that come with your power washer are painfully short.
Having a long 50 foot hose allows you more than enough length to reach all parts of the car, without moving the position of your pressure washer.
Hose Reel:
50 Foot Pressure Washer Hose Reel
An absolute game changer and must-have to your pressure washer setup.
This hose reel mounts to a wall or a shelf and allows you to neatly roll up your pressure washer hose.
Highly recommended.
Foam Cannon:
Choose a high quality foam cannon that can produce thick suds with both electric and gas pressure washers.
Make sure the bottle is not opaque so that you can see the amount of soap solution that remains.
The bottle should also have volume measurements on the side so that you can dilute the soap solution properly.
Swivel Washer Gun:
Attaching a foam cannon to the end of your pressure washer gun can make it very hard to maneuver.
It is also challenging to attach a foam cannon to a longer washer gun.
These short guns make it easy to attach foam cannons, and to spray foam on the roofs of vehicles.
These truly make a huge difference.
Extension Wand:
These wands are a must-have for washing cars.
These are essential for using alongside a short pressure washer gun.
They make it very easy to rinse vehicles after washing, and the angled wand helps in washing the roofs of vehicles.
Car Soap:
This is perhaps the trickiest variable in the equation for getting good foam. Every car soap is made a bit differently and therefore has to be diluted differently.
Choose a car soap that is concentrated, pH neutral and high sudsing. As a general starting point, try diluting 200mL (6.5oz) with 800mL (27oz) of warm tap water. We're currently developing our own soap, follow our instagram for updates if you're interested!