{"product_id":"bilt-hamber-auto-foam-alkaline-pre-wash-foam","title":"Bilt Hamber Auto-Foam | Alkaline Pre-Wash Foam","description":"\u003ch2\u003eThe heavy end of the pre-wash range\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuto-Foam and Touch-Less are not the same product in different bottles. They are different chemistries aimed at different soil, and choosing correctly is most of the battle.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eThe chemistry\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eBilt Hamber's SDS declares \u003cstrong\u003eethoxylated alcohols C9\/11 (5–10%)\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003edipropylene glycol monomethyl ether (1–5%)\u003c\/strong\u003e — a glycol ether solvent — and an \u003cstrong\u003eethoxylated quaternary ammonium compound (1–5%)\u003c\/strong\u003e. So: non-ionic surfactant, a solvent, and a cationic quat. That is a fundamentally different toolkit to the sugar-derived APGs in Touch-Less, and it's built for a different job.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003epH 13, and Bilt Hamber say so\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuto-Foam sits at \u003cstrong\u003epH 13.0\u003c\/strong\u003e. Bilt Hamber's own words: it \"is alkaline, but importantly it is non-caustic.\" Read that precisely — \u003cstrong\u003enon-caustic means it contains no sodium hydroxide\u003c\/strong\u003e. It does not mean \"not alkaline,\" and it does not mean gentle. At pH 13 you have roughly \u003cstrong\u003e300 times\u003c\/strong\u003e the hydroxide concentration of Touch-Less at 10.5.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat alkalinity is the point. It saponifies fats and greases and it demolishes dry, baked-on road film. Bilt Hamber's own guidance is that \u003cstrong\u003eSurfex-HD is for greasier road films and Auto-Foam is for drier ones\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhich pre-wash should you actually buy?\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTouch-Less\u003c\/strong\u003e for a maintained car — coated, waxed, washed regularly. Milder, inhibited, sugar-derived. \u003cstrong\u003eAuto-Foam\u003c\/strong\u003e for a neglected car, a work vehicle, a winter-grade mess, or anything where the film is thick and dry. If you're running a ceramic coating and washing weekly, you do not need pH 13.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1% to 5% at the panel.\u003c\/strong\u003e Bilt Hamber specify \u003cstrong\u003e4% PIR\u003c\/strong\u003e for a genuinely touchless wash — a typical setup is 4%, 5 minutes dwell, then rinse. Calibrate your lance properly: discharge it, measure the water it drew, and multiply by 0.04.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eHandle it properly\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEye Dam. 1, H318 — Danger.\u003c\/strong\u003e Eye protection, always. Note that Bilt Hamber's shipping notes call it \"non-hazardous\" — that refers to the \u003cem\u003etransport\u003c\/em\u003e classification only, not the CLP one. Don't conflate the two.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSafety Data Sheet (Australia)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0669\/0707\/8878\/files\/Auto-Foam_SDS_au.pdf?v=1784379283\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eDownload the Bilt Hamber Auto-Foam SDS (PDF)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bilt Hamber","offers":[{"title":"5L","offer_id":48433204297950,"sku":"BH-AutoFoam-5L","price":60.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0669\/0707\/8878\/files\/auto-foam_5ltr-scaled.jpg?v=1784179132","url":"https:\/\/www.alphadetails.com.au\/products\/bilt-hamber-auto-foam-alkaline-pre-wash-foam","provider":"Alpha Details","version":"1.0","type":"link"}