Bug removal tips

... here in Fla we have those pesky Love Bugs ... if left on to bake in the sun for more than 48 hrs, their acidic innards will begin to pit the clear coat. Many times I have to resort to a good clay bar to remove the dried remains ... if a clay bar doesn't get them off, well, do not know ....
Regards,
Radman

 

What I do is:

Spray car wash to get of what you can. Take it home, get a bucket of hot water and some hand towels. Put the hot, wet towels over the bug residue. Rotate out the cold towels with new towels. Rub off the bugs gently.

Repeat as required.

 

Certain car shampoos like Prima Mystique or P21S always work well when paired with a fluffy microfiber or chenille mitt. If you have mega giga bugs, then Stoner Tarminator is a surefire way to melt off the bugs, but it also strips whatever wax is on your paint.

 

I do not know what's worse, white or black?
Anyways I just debugged, here is what I did:
This past Sunday was miserable 45F rainy day in the Northeast.
I drove from Pittsburgh to Wash DC in the rain 5 hrs.
When I got home, I hit the wetted bugs with Windex and this helped get most off (with a rag).
Any remaining black spots, I assumed was a scratch and I painted over with White touch-up paint.

 

Ammonia, scratchy rags, and touch-up paint to cover up remaining bugs? This can't possibly be serious, so it must be a list of what not to do.

 

This is the simplest way to remove bugs. I have a garage full of stuff that was supposed to remove bugs, none of it was worth a dip. Dryer sheets dipped in warm water. Bugs wipe right off. Cold water will work if you are in a hurry. But, warm is faster and easier.
This tip was shared with me some 6 years ago. I did not believe it. Figured the dryer sheets might scratch my truck, so I tried it on my wife's car. She had 3 year old dead bugs from Arizona on her car. They wiped right off and no scratches. Been using it ever since. Can clean entire front of my motor coach in 5 minutes or less. Have shared this with many motorhome and car clubs. Everyone is skeptical but happy with results. Get the cheap dryer sheets from Dollar Store or Walmart. No sense in wasting money, they all work. You will need to rinse the residue from the vehicle. Works on plastic motorcycle windshields too. I use them to clean anything with bugs caked on.
You will be hesitant but I bet several of you come back here to thank me.
Dan

 

This is a wonderful tip (used dryer sheets also work on glass shower enclosures!) but WHEN are we going to get nose masks/car bras like the rest of the world?!? Really, even the silly-looking Mini gets several styles to choose from!

 

...key point was use a rainy day to loosen bugs...my car looks OK for an 2006

 

this is a very useful thread, thanks everyone!

 

That's because the MINI is popular and their owners drop big dollars on accessorizing their car. No need to call it names; it's not like our Prius C is a hallmark of design. Also, if you want a solution that doesn't scratch the paint from flapping about in the wind, get a quality clear-bra/invisisheild installed instead.

 

I just put Simoniz GlassCoat on my Prius"v."

Bugs just wipe right off. I hope it continues to be that easy.

I usually don't like these dealer add ons, but I did it myself.

Here's the thread that I started;

Poor Man's "Simonize" Glass Coat.................................... | PriusChat

So far, I'm glad I spent the $100 or so. I even did my painted alloy wheels. I hope it does the same for brake dust.

 

Duplicate post deleted.

 

Spit.....believe it or not spit takes off bugs. Was really mad that I couldn't get a couple bugs off my bumper, I spit on it and wiped and came right off......"spit-shine"

 

I'm going to try the dryer sheets. That's way too cool. I'll report my findings....

 

Your findings will be positive. I could not believe it when I was told this. Works like a champ. I can clean my entire motorhome frontend in 5 minutes now.
dan