What's the best product for getting bugs off of the hood after the fact? I saw a thread from 2004 that was about putting on PAM etc. type things before hand and one post mentioned the turtlewax tar/bug remover for after the fact cleaning, but I didn't find much on this topic. Any recommendations?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kettledrum @ Jul 15 2007, 04:09 PM) [snapback]479207[/snapback]</div> If you know one of those pesky Amway distributors.....I am not one, Yeah! They used to have a product called Amway gel bug and tar remover. It is in a aresol can and works wonders on removing adhesive also. I normally would not recommend any Amway products but this one works well. D Rock
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(barbaram @ Jul 15 2007, 05:35 PM) [snapback]479247[/snapback]</div> Dishwashing detergent is hard on your car isn't it?
Dawn will remove the wax from your car. So if you have recently waxed your car and then get bugs, using Dawn to remove the bugs will also remove the wax. Here is a link to Zaino's site. Read step three. Because you need to remove all the wax before using the Zaino Car Polish, they instruct you to use Dawn. Read step three. http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/mercha...ode=APPLICATION
Lifter 1 is just Amazing. Available at most auto stores, I guess. I've been buying at Oreilly's Auto Parts See........ http://www.lifter1.com/products/index.htm
I have Zaino'd my car, and used their CS (Clear seal) finish. To remove bugs, I spray the front of the car with water, then wipe off with a microfiber cloth. Bug guts all gone!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rae Vynn @ Jul 16 2007, 09:19 AM) [snapback]479634[/snapback]</div> You cannot beat plexus. We use it to clean bugs off the faceshields and the front of our motorcycles. Most motorcycle shops will have it. You just spray it on the bugs, let it sit for a while and then wipe the bugs off. Another spray and you have a clear layer that makes taking them off the next time easier.
I also use Plexus. It works great. Plexus has a wax in it that is residual after you wipe it off. A good coating of Black Magic Liquid Wax across the front of the car will accomplish the same thing. Then you just hit it with the high pressure rinse at the car wash (or your pressure washer if you have one) and the bugs don't stick. I have been known to put a coat of wax on the windshield to protect it and the water repellent effects work far better than Rain-X. The drawback is the wax doesn't last as long, especially down here in the Texas summer heat.
Before running off to the store to buy the commercial bug and tar removers, try going to the laundry room, get the spray bottle of pre-wash and use that on bug and tar.
Citrus Magic. I managed a car wash and we had this air freshener called Citrus magic that could be used on tar and it was amazing. Basically just citrus oil, but the tar just dripped right off with that stuff.
Take a dryer fabric softener sheet, dunk it in a bucket of water until it's sopping wet, wipe gently. Even gets rid of the florida love bug smush. I read about that online in several places - but there have been some comments about how it "should" mess up your finish. Then a guy who works at the dealership where I bought the car told me this is the best solution. It's love bug season here on the gulf coast, and I haven't had any problems doing that almost every day since I picked up my '08. Mark
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MarkB1000 @ Oct 10 2007, 05:52 PM) [snapback]523850[/snapback]</div> Those love bugs are terrible. Worse than the Canadian Soldiers that attacked Joba Chamberlain in Cleveland last week. Never saw anything like them in my life before I visited a friend in Winter Haven during love bug season. Do people in love bug country still put screens on the front of their cars? Do you do that for your Prius?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kettledrum @ Jul 15 2007, 04:09 PM) [snapback]479207[/snapback]</div> I saw another thread on the site tonight discussing Rejex, which many in the boating industry here in South Florida use for various purposes with great reviews. If you car was treated with Toyoguard before your delivery, using the ToyoGuard Sealant Cleaner they gave you works very well in removing bugs as well as tar and other crap that lands on your car. I think the Rejex thing may be a good alternative to what else has been offered. I would definitely recommend you stay away from Dawn unless you are planning on replacing the wax it strips off. Good luck!
I'll second the dryer fabric softener sheet that MarkB1000 suggested. After a trip to Epcot in Orlando last week, the front end and windshield was plastered with love bugs. The next morning I soaped it down and used one of those mesh covered sponges to remove the bigger pieces, then used a wet fabric softner sheet to get the rest off. Very easy. I used to mix 1 part liquid fabric softner and 4 parts water in a spray bottle, spray it on, wait about five minutes, and then use the sponge on it. Sometimes I would add a little baking soda to the mix, but that leaves a white residue behind so has to be washed good after. The fabric sheets works good and I don't have to store another spray bottle. Boo, I see a lot of vans and larger cars with the bug screens in the front. I have one of the plastic hood defectors installed, but it doesn't help the windshield any. I put some of that black plastic mesh used for gutter guards behind the lower grill, mostly to protect the radiator, etc from any stones being thrown in. The love bugs are only a problem for a couple of weeks, twice a year. I usually keep my driving down during those times. Last week they were all over, this week not too many already. I remember years ago driving in the area of northern Ohio near Lake Erie, when they still had full service gas stations. They would charge an exta dollar to clean all the bugs from the windshield. And everyone was glad to pay it. They weren't love bugs but just as bad.
Does anyone know if the Toyoguard Sealant Cleaner will remove wax or does it itself conain some wax? I am thinking of applying some Rejex wax to my new Prius, is the price worth it?
