Cost: £24.96 for 5ltr
Date of Review: 13/4/2024
The Sales Pitch from Bilt Hamber:
TOUCH-LESS is our new eco-friendly pressure-washer, pre-clean, snow foam which can be applied by pump spray or trigger too. Applied at between 0.5% – 2% PIR this bio-degradable sugar-based product provides truly exceptional levels of cleaning of automotive paintwork. Unlike other petrochemical-based cleaners TOUCH-LESS is free-and-easy rinsing, easing the effort of subsequent bucket washes and massively helping post-treatments bond too. TOUCH-LESS also contains corrosion inhibitors. Packed in a 1 or 5 litre bottles, contains no phosphates, solvents, NTA, or caustic soda.
Source: https://bilthamber.com/product/touch-less/
What You Get:
five litres of a sugar based product which roughly works out to £5 per litre when bought this way compared to the £10 for 1ltr.
Product Description:
Touch-Less is the new addition to the product line of eco-friendly pressure-washer, pre-clean, snow foam which can be applied by pump spray or trigger.
This is an additional product to ever popular and very good product Auto-Foam. I will only do a very quick comparison in the description here but I will compare both during my review.
The Touch-Less is the yellow concentrate on the left below, and the ‘Auto Foam‘ (Bilt Hamber) green concentrate on the right.
Both the products very similar alkaline content. Auto-Foam is pH 13 where as the Touch-Less is pH 12. The other difference is that the Touch-Less is bio degradable compared to the Auto Foam. You must dilute these products as the Alkaline will damage car paintwork otherwise. The Touch-Less is only slightly less alkaline.
Instructions:
Full instructions taken from the Bilt Hamber website in order to get the mixtures correct. This will definitely make a difference to how the product performs and worth doing. Different jet washers and water pressures will have an affect on the dilution ratios.
TOUCH-LESS may be applied with trigger spray, pump spray, pressure washer, or snow foam lance. The minimum recommended dilution rate should be 0.5% PIR (Panel Impact Ratio) and up to 2% for very dirty vehicles. Where application is through trigger spray or pump spray, the dilution calculation is easy to achieve, however, for application with pressure equipment it is essential to determine the amount of water being delivered to the equipment reservoir.
Step 1
Fill the detergent bottle or reservoir (on machine or lance) up to capacity with plain water. Turn detergent feed to full. Take a large bucket or container and discharge the lance into this, watching the detergent bottle until empty. Once empty, stop.
Step 2
The following calculations will achieve 2% dilution; Measure the total amount collected and multiply this number by 0.02 (Total can be measured in either volume with a measuring jug or by weight) this is the amount of TOUCH-LESS to use.
Step 3
Add the calculated amount from STEP TWO to the pressure-washer reservoir and top up to full with cold water and shake in for a few moments.
Step 4
Apply touchless to entire vehicle or panel by panel. Allow to soak for 1-5 minutes (but never allow to dry). Power-wash off.
It is not necessary to use all diluted touch-less in one wash. One litre of diluted product should last 4-5 washes. Apply to cool panels in shaded conditions. Do not allow this product to dry in use. Keep the bottle neck and lid clean.
Once you have your mixture, spray the bottom of the car and work your way up.
Testing Environment:
Sunny day with overcast spells. Slight breeze and the car panels were warm to the touch.
Application:
The foam cannon was the same settings as it was for the Auto-Foam and product was instantly clingy to the paint.
I find that these snow foams are not super foamy, but they cling well. Due to the sun trying to dry the product I just kept the product wet on the car.
After a good five minutes or so it was starting disappear and dry out. This product did leave some streaks on the other black car (above left), so you need to be careful to not let it dry out, or don’t do it in the sun.
The dirt was being pulled away nicely, and took some of the Citrus prewash with it that was on the wheels.
I found that the Touch-Less seemed to be a little more clingy and the product lasting just a little bit longer compared to the Auto-Foam.
Removing:
The Touch-Less seemed to come of a bit easier than my previous experience with the Auto-Foam. This means that a little less power and slightly less water was needed to do the full rinse. The product came off very easily.
Results:
The car looked better for the wash for sure. However some of the really stubborn debris on the wheel arches could of done with a second go. But the the bucket washing soon dislodged it anyway.
Beware of streaks if the product is allowed to dry. This will mean extra work to remove them.
Rating: 8 out 10
Why only an 8?
This is a great product, but it’s not the be all and end all of cleaning a car. It will help to reduce the amount of touch on the car. Firstly it is a debris softener or remover if the debris is not to bad. This brand is one of the best out there for ‘Snow Foams’ and this didn’t disappoint and performed exactly how I expected it too.
It will make most of the debris run of with the product if you are lucky. The Snow Foam step is a safety net to remove as debris or dirt without having to touch the car with a wash mitt.
Ease of use – 10 – 10
Finish – 10 – 10
Conclusion:
To get the mixtures correct you will need to do a full mixture measure. This will take a few minutes that’s all but it’s worth doing. Getting the mixture right is important. Snow foams aren’t perfect and need to use strong pH balance to work and get the debris in a state to be removed safely.
The Auto-Foam vs Touch-Less Product Comparisons:
The Auto-Foam and the Touch-Less are almost identical. If they were the same colour I doubt you could tell them apart to be honest. The fact i mentioned the foam seemed to cling more could be slight variation of the dilution for m one product to the other, or even the wind effect. The Touch-Less is slightly less alkaline than the Auto-Foam but did the same/similar job.
Which would I choose between the two?
The answer is Touch-Less as it’s bio degradable (sugar based) and that is a huge plus point. Same products as far as use and results go, all be it with less damage to the environment which will offset the fuel I burn in the Mustang!
I will switch to Touch-Less once my Auto-Foam runs out which will be in the next three or four washes. A big positive for less pH and environmentally friendly as well now.
Would I recommend it? Yes
Would I buy it again? Yes