[guynextdoor81]

Going on a big road trip and expecting to be covered in bugs ! I had a friend tell me to spray the front with pam and the bugs will wash right off. Anyone know if that will damage the paint ? Is a good waxing enough to prevent the bugs from sticking ?

Regarding removal of current stuck on bugs.... too cheap to by the uber expensive bug/tar remover; apparently dryer sheets work well, has anyone tried this ? Does anyone know what it is about dryer sheets that take bugs off ? Again, will it damage paint or the headlight lenses ?

Thanks !

 

[smacd]

I use an ArmourAll wash glove. It's wiggley shag on the wash side and a textured weave plastic on the back. When I'm washing and come to a bug, I just wet it with the wash side, then flip to my back hand and rub with the weave. It doesn't seem to swirl the paint at all and cleans the bugs off very effectively. It's this one: [ame]http://www.amazon.com/ArmorAll-6-6309-Soft-Touch-Scrub/dp/B002EOT6PA[/ame]

I bought mine at SuperStore.

 

[schmidtj]

Going on a big road trip and expecting to be covered in bugs ! I had a friend tell me to spray the front with pam and the bugs will wash right off. Anyone know if that will damage the paint ? Is a good waxing enough to prevent the bugs from sticking ?

Regarding removal of current stuck on bugs.... too cheap to by the uber expensive bug/tar remover; apparently dryer sheets work well, has anyone tried this ? Does anyone know what it is about dryer sheets that take bugs off ? Again, will it damage paint or the headlight lenses ?

Thanks !

I just use a roll of white paper towels (uber cheap), lay them over the areas with cooked on bugs, spray the towels with water (also cheap) until thoroughly wet (I use a spray bottle), let sit for an hour (in the shade is best). Then the bugs pretty much just whipe off. No damage to the paint.

 

[gurneyeagle]

Bug removal? What do Canadians know about bug removal?

Seriously, and in a move to further international relations with our great friends from up north, I'll share how it's done in the great banana republic that is south Louisiana.

Always keep a good coat of wax on the front end of the car. Apply two good coats just prior to leaving on your trip. This will make removal much easier. You'll be good or a couple of weeks before the bugs will cause a problem. Over time, as the bugs break down, the enzymes in their digestive systems will actually etch your paint.

To clean, I use a webbed "bug" sponge readily available at any auto parts store or Walmart down here. It's simply a sponge with nylon webbing on the outside that scrubs off bugs and grime.

An alternative is a dryer sheet. They have a great texture for scrubbing, and two or three will get off a load of bugs. The one drawback is that they will strip off the wax on the front of the car, but you would really want to reapply your wax after a trip anyway.

I've had bugs plastered so think on the front end of my car that it looks like black felt. A good hard rinsing with a hose to knock off the top layer, followed by a good soapy scrubbing, and it looks like new.

I can not emphasize enough though the need to clean the bugs off after a few weeks to avoid paint etching. That is a mess. You must get all of the bug remains off.

My old commute saw me crossing a 24 mile bridge that would result in the car getting plastered with gnats everyday. I literally would clean the front of the car every night when I got home to avoid etching. With a good coat of wax on the front end, clean-up was easy.

Best of luck and have a safe trip.

 

[glenn14]

There are several good bug and tar removal products on the market. Such as Turtle wax or Stoners.. also
WD-40 works quite well, I spray the bumper with WD-40 and wet a cloth with WD-40, co over the bumber with the cloth.. it breaks down the bugs and tar easy. Then I'll spray down the bumper with water and dry off and it comes out perfect everytime.

Glenn

 

[guynextdoor81]

Bug removal? What do Canadians know about bug removal?

Ha ha ! I'm sure it's not quite as big of a problem for us but we still get our fair share. Do you have dragonflies down your way ? They sure make a mess... Beauty is that it only really lasts 5 months of the year. The rest of the time we're more concerned about de-icing and remembering to unplug in the morning !

Thanks for the tips all, I completely forgot about WD-40 ! As this is my first 'brand new' car, I'm concerned (paranoid ?) with keeping the paint like new for as long as I can. I was worried about textured scrubbers leaving swirlies and chemical products damaging the clear coat. If you are all doing well with it year round, what's a couple of months, eh ?

Thanks again !

 

[jimhuey]

The drier sheet works well, Even better is to put some liquid fabric softener on the drier sheet.