You’ve seen those photos of cars dripping with thick, white, shaving cream like foam and you’ve often wondered: “Just how exactly do they do that?” The secret is: a foam cannon! A foam cannon is a piece of car washing equipment that mixes the perfect amount of car wash soap, water, and air to generate thick suds, then shoot them all over your car using the power of a pressure washer.

Pressure washers are awesome. They take water from your garden hose, use a small electric or gas engine to power a pump that shoots water out at insanely high pressures. People use them for all sorts of things, but when attached to a foam cannon, they will shoot insane amounts of suds that will make any driveway look like a winter wonderland.

Thick foaming suds lubricate the surface of your car, allowing your wash mitt to glide over the surface without installing swirls or scratches. You can use a gas or electric pressure to shoot amazing suds, but generally, we have had the best luck with gas pressure washers. They can be a little louder, more cumbersome, larger, and more expensive, but if you’re anything like us, then you can’t ever get enough suds! Here’s how it works: