Alright, so I decided it was high time to tackle the grime on my house siding. It was looking pretty sad, honestly. That green mildew stuff was starting to make a home for itself, and the overall color was just dull. I'd seen those videos of folks using foam cannons, and it looked way more satisfying than just spraying soapy water.

My Hunt for the Right Cannon

So, the search began. First thing I did was hop online, naturally. And wow, talk about options. There are a ton of these foam cannon things out there. Some looked super cheap, like they’d break if you looked at them wrong, and others were priced like they were made of gold. I read a bunch of reviews, watched a few comparison videos – you know, the usual internet rabbit hole.

My main concern was compatibility with my pressure washer. It's just a standard electric one, nothing too fancy, so I needed something that would play nice with it. I also paid attention to:

• Bottle Size: I didn't want something tiny I'd have to refill every five minutes, but also not a giant, unwieldy jug.
• Adjustability: Being able to control the foam thickness and the spray pattern seemed pretty important. I saw some with knobs for the soap mixture and adjustable nozzles.
• Build Quality (or what I could guess from pictures): Brass fittings seemed to be a recurring theme for better durability, so I kept an eye out for that.

I almost bought one super cheap one, but then I read a few too many stories about them cracking or the connectors being rubbish. Decided to spend a little bit more, hoping for something that would last more than one wash.

Getting it Set Up and First Sprays

The one I eventually landed on felt pretty solid out of the box. Had the brass bits, a decent-sized bottle with a wide mouth – which, let me tell you, is a lifesaver for not spilling soap everywhere. The instructions were… well, they were there. Mostly pictures.

So, I grabbed my favorite house wash soap. The kind that’s supposed to be safe for plants and all that. I poured some into the foam cannon bottle, added water, and gave it a gentle swirl. Don't shake it like a maniac, I learned that the hard way with a different project once – bubbles everywhere before you even start.

Hooking it up to my pressure washer wand was easy enough. Just a quick-connect fitting. Fired up the pressure washer, took a deep breath, and squeezed the trigger.

The first blast was… okay. Kinda foamy, kinda watery. Not the thick, shaving-cream-like stuff I was dreaming of. Right, the adjustment knob! I started fiddling with the knob on top of the cannon. Twisted it one way, then the other. Also played with the nozzle at the front to change the fan pattern from a narrow stream to a wide spray. This took a bit of trial and error, let me tell you. A few minutes of spraying, adjusting, spraying, adjusting.

The Foaming Action and The Clean

Finally! I hit the sweet spot. Thick, clinging foam started blanketing the siding. It was actually pretty cool to watch. I worked my way around one section of the house, letting the foam do its thing. The idea is to let it sit for a good 5-10 minutes, let the soap break down all that dirt and mildew. You don't want it to dry, though, so keep an eye on it, especially if it's a sunny day.

Covering the house was surprisingly quick once I got the hang of the spray pattern and the foam consistency. It definitely used more soap than just putting it in a bucket, but the coverage was way better. That foam really sticks to vertical surfaces, which is the whole point, I guess.

After letting it dwell, I switched off the foam cannon attachment (just disconnected it) and used a regular rinsing nozzle on my pressure washer. Started from the top and worked my way down, washing all the foam and grime away. Big tip: rinse thoroughly. You don't want soap residue left behind.

Was it Worth It? Heck Yeah!

The difference was pretty noticeable right away. The green gunk was gone, and the siding just looked brighter and cleaner. It wasn't brand new, obviously, but a massive improvement. For the effort involved, which was mostly just aiming and spraying, the results were fantastic.

So, yeah, my little experiment with finding a good foam cannon for washing the house was a success. It took a bit of research and some fiddling to get the settings right, but once I did, it made the job way easier and, dare I say, a bit fun. Way better than scrubbing with a brush, that's for sure. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, and the cannon itself seems like it'll hold up for future washes. Now I'm eyeing the car... that might be next!