Winter Snow Foam

Winter snow foam is a pre wash made for the months when the roads are gritted. No.02 Snow Foam in the Winter (W) formula is our pick for salt season, October to March. It goes on thick, dwells on the paint and lifts road salt and winter grime, so more of it rinses away before a mitt touches the car.

No.02 Snow Foam, Winter (W)

Concentrate. Mixes 1:15. Menthol and berry scent. 250 ml sample £5.99, 1 litre £12.99, 5 litres £34.99.

The 1 litre bottle is due in Batch 001. Winter is the first formula we are filling. The 250 ml sample and 5 litre size follow later. Tap Notify me on the product page and we will email you when it lands.

Winter 1 litreWinter 5 litres250 ml sample

Winter snow foam at a glance

Prices are the current list prices.

Why winter needs its own foam

From October to March, UK roads are gritted with rock salt. Tyres throw it into the wheel arches, along the sills and up the doors as a fine, wet film. That film holds moisture against metal, speeds up rust and dries to a white haze on paint and glass.

• Rain does not shift it. Rain thins the film on the upper panels. It does not clear the arches, the sills or the underbody, which is where salt does the damage.
• Miles matter more than days. Councils grit the main routes first, so a motorway commute picks up far more salt than a week of short local trips.
• Little and often wins. A quick wash every week or two beats one long wash a month, because the salt spends less time on the car.

How to use winter snow foam

1. Rinse first. Go over the whole car, paying most attention to the wheel arches, sills and lower doors.
2. Pre rinse the worst of it. On a very salty car, spray No.01 Pre Rinse and Bug Remover in the Winter formula over the lower panels and front end. It has extra chelating power for road salt. Leave it for 2 to 5 minutes without letting it dry, then rinse.
3. Mix the foam. Put water in the foam cannon bottle first, then add about 65 ml of foam and top up to 1 litre. Warm water helps it mix.
4. Foam from the bottom up. The lower panels are the dirtiest, so they get the longest dwell.
5. Let it dwell for 3 to 5 minutes. In wind or low sun, rinse sooner. Foam must never dry on the paint.
6. Rinse from the top down. Finish with the arches and the underside.

Snow foam is a pre wash. For the film that is bonded to the paint, follow with No.05 Contact Shampoo in the Winter formula, which helps neutralise road salt, using the two bucket method.

Cold weather rules

• Do not wash below freezing. Water can freeze in door seals and locks.
• Wash in the middle of the day, when the panels are at their warmest.
• Dry the car straight away, and wipe out the door shuts and boot gutters.
• Run clean water through the foam cannon afterwards so nothing dries in the nozzle.

Winter, or one of the other three?

Winter and Summer mix at the same ratio, so you can swap as the season changes without changing your routine. If the car is wrapped or coated, read snow foam for wraps and ceramic coatings first. Washing every week? The 5 litre container works out far cheaper per wash. Still not sure? The snow foam finder picks a formula in four questions.

The rest of the winter routine

• No.08 Wax and Sealant in the Winter formula gives a tougher barrier for salt season. Apply it to clean, dry paint and top it up every few washes.
• No.09 Glass and Visor Cleaner in the Winter formula adds anti fog and helps clear light frost.
• A Snow Foam Cannon to apply the foam, in fittings for Kärcher K series, Nilfisk, Bosch AQT and universal 1/4 inch.

Every product with a Winter formula is in the winter car care range. For the full routine, read winter car care in the UK: how to deal with road salt.

Common questions