UK-based Bilt Hamber Laboratories is well-known in car detailing circles. It produces arguably some of the best detailing products on the market. And its Touch-Less snow foam is one of the best pre-washes you can buy on the market. I put this to the test, against its competitors, to see whether it can stand out in a crowded market.
How I Tested Bilt Hamber Touch-Less Snow Foam
As someone who has been passionately detailing cars for a number of years now, I’d like to think I know a thing or two about what makes a good car cleaning product, and what ultimately doesn’t. Snow foams are one of the detailing greats, and its been a part of every detail I’ve done on any car. An effective snow foam can massively save time during the wash process by removing as much dirt as possible before any physical contact is made with the paintwork.
To carry out this review, I first of all used a cotton pad to perform a swipe test to get an idea of how dirty my car was before. I then applied Touch-Less snow foam via a snow foam lance. I followed the instructions for both dilution and dwell time before rinsing off the product. Finally, I performed another swipe test on the same area to see how much dirt was left in place.
RRP: $59.95, buy now. £29.85, buy now.
First impressions
Bilt Hamber products are not designed to wow you. The packaging is plain and simple, and it immediately lets you know these are no-nonsense products. There are no fancy graphics, no cool logos, and no pleasant scents here. What you get is a big 5-liter bottle of concentrated snow foam solution and that’s it.
Touch-Less Snow Foam Features
Bilt Hamber Touch-Less snow foam is bio-degradable and sugar-based. Don’t be tempted to give it a taste, though. It’s pH 12, meaning it’s very alkaline – the pH scale only goes to 14…
Alkaline pre-washes are very effective at removing oily road films, while also helping to neutralize any acid on the paintwork. Bilt Hamber Touch-Less also contains corrosion inhibitors to help keep rust at bay when washing.
What’s It Like To Use Bilt Hamber Touch-Less Snow Foam
Initially, very fiddly, and a complicated, long-winded approach which involves equations. Bilt Hamber doesn’t give you a simple dilution ratio to work with. Instead, Touch-Less has to be applied at a 4% panel-impact ratio. What on earth does that mean?
It means that the solution has to be at a 4% dilution when it hits your car’s bodywork, and that’s something you have to work out for yourself. You do this by filling up your snow foam lance with water and then spraying it into a container until it’s empty.
Measure how much water you’ve collected, then divide that by 0.04. That then gives you the amount of Touch-Less you need to use in that snow foam lance. Still with me? I hope so…
It’s worth it, though, because Touch-Less is a pre-wash beast. It doesn’t produce loads of thick foam, and in fact, the foam is quite watery. But as it runs down the bodywork you can see it pulling the dirt off the car as it goes. ts cleaning power is truly phenomenal. I’ve had instances where my car has looked almost good to go after just the snow foam session.
Downsides to Bilt Hamber Touch-Less Snow Foam
There are a couple of downsides, though. Firstly, because it’s not pH neutral, it will degrade any wax or coating you’ve applied. It won’t happen instantly, but it definitely will affect it. Secondly, you need a lot of product in your snow foam lance.
Bilt Hamber says you can get multiple washes out of one lance full, but I’ve never managed it. For my snow foam lance, I need 400ml of product, which means I get around 10 washes to 5 liters. That makes it quite expensive. This means I will tend to use Touch-Less when my car is very dirty, but go for something more cost-effective when I don’t need its mighty cleaning power.
The Verdict
If you’re looking for pure cleaning power, Bilt Hamber Touch-Less delivers. It is a phenomenal pre-wash but it comes with a few caveats. But these are minor gripes when you consider how well it cleans. This is my favorite snow foam by a long way.
Pick up a 5-liter bottle from Amazon for $99.95 in the US / in the UK, or check out regional price comparisons below:
