What's the best way to deal with bugs?
- Thread starter SON1C
- Start date
BorisC
New member
- Mar 30, 2011
- 291
- 0
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 7
If the bugs are completely baked on...
First, cross your fingers the acid inside of their guts hasn't already etched through the clear layer of paint. I see this all the time and the only way to fix it is to repaint the affected area.
Second, if the bug splatter is completely dried onto the paint, then here's a way to remove them safely and that's by liquefying the splatter. It's NOT fast, but it is SAFE.
Here's something I posted in 2005, the idea being to use the towel to hold the moisture onto the paint and thus the bug splatter where it can go to work softening and loosening the splatter. A large beach towel works well for this...
This was my Honda Pilot in our garage where I would also wash the garage because it's pretty hard to wash a car in the desert without the dry heat or the wind drying water before you can dry your car.
Take a wash rag and saturate it with water or your car wash solution.
Place the wet wash rag on top of the dried bug splatter and allow it to sit for a few minutes. A variation of this would be to use warm/hot water.
To speed up the process, apply some gentle pressure while drinking a cold soft drink and if need be, hum or whistle a little diddy.
A variation of the above but for a larger area would be to use a larger cloth such as a bath towel. Saturate a clean, soft 100% cotton towel with water and place it over the affected area.
:xyxthumbs:
First, cross your fingers the acid inside of their guts hasn't already etched through the clear layer of paint. I see this all the time and the only way to fix it is to repaint the affected area.
Second, if the bug splatter is completely dried onto the paint, then here's a way to remove them safely and that's by liquefying the splatter. It's NOT fast, but it is SAFE.
Here's something I posted in 2005, the idea being to use the towel to hold the moisture onto the paint and thus the bug splatter where it can go to work softening and loosening the splatter. A large beach towel works well for this...
This was my Honda Pilot in our garage where I would also wash the garage because it's pretty hard to wash a car in the desert without the dry heat or the wind drying water before you can dry your car.
Take a wash rag and saturate it with water or your car wash solution.
Place the wet wash rag on top of the dried bug splatter and allow it to sit for a few minutes. A variation of this would be to use warm/hot water.
To speed up the process, apply some gentle pressure while drinking a cold soft drink and if need be, hum or whistle a little diddy.
A variation of the above but for a larger area would be to use a larger cloth such as a bath towel. Saturate a clean, soft 100% cotton towel with water and place it over the affected area.
:xyxthumbs:
flamed03vert
New member
- May 24, 2011
- 321
- 0
I use the sponge on my DD after presoaking the bugs with a mild APC like OPC diluted 3:1. On my Cobra I use the Mike Phillips method of using microfibers soaked in waterless wash. I apply them to the area and let the waterless solution soak in. The bugs pretty much wipe away after 10 minutes. I now use this method to help with tree sap removal too.
flamed03vert
New member
- May 24, 2011
- 321
- 0
Damn, Mike beat me too it... regardless his method works. I give credit where credit is due
BorisC
New member
- Mar 30, 2011
- 291
- 0
Yeah it works well. Make sure to use it w/ plenty of soapy water. It's a weird thing to use the first time b/c of the texture of it, you would think it would scratch the sh** out of the paint.
BobbyG
New member
- Dec 29, 2009
- 13,211
- 0
This one seems to possess a boatload of possibilities and should prove to be a nice solution!
Safe Scrub & Polishing Towel, microfiber towels, detailing towels, polishing cloths, bug removal towels
Safe Scrub & Polishing Towel, microfiber towels, detailing towels, polishing cloths, bug removal towels
Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 7
This one seems to possess a boatload of possibilities and should prove to be a nice solution!
Safe Scrub & Polishing Towel, microfiber towels, detailing towels, polishing cloths, bug removal towels
Dang... forgot about this towel.
Good option for both soaking and removing...
BuckeyeR/T
New member
- Oct 14, 2006
- 347
- 0
So wet dryer sheets are not good?
BobbyG
New member
- Dec 29, 2009
- 13,211
- 0
I've never tried this approach, do tell.....
FUNX650
New member
- Dec 1, 2010
- 21,057
- 1
Ever notice the white-slurry while using moistened dryer sheets to de-bug...I have.
According to the good folks at P&G (Downy Dryer Sheets):
-That's the: White Clay-suspending-agent/water mixture.
-The sheets are of: "Thermoplastic particles"...,
But so is: Nylon (Polyamide)...
(As in: 70/30; 75/25; 80/20 products.)
IMO...
-Wetted-Dryer Sheets...Using no undo pressure...Will perform most de-bugging tasks-at-hand.
-The slurry needs to be removed ASAP; and it never hurts to apply some more LSP
of ones choice to the vehicle's surface-areas that's been so: "dryer sheet clayed".
Bob
This one seems to possess a boatload of possibilities and should prove to be a nice solution!
Safe Scrub & Polishing Towel, microfiber towels, detailing towels, polishing cloths, bug removal towels
I have this one and it works great for bugs, sap, miscelanous sticky stuff from who knows where, and bird poop. I keep one in the glove box of my truck with a small QD bottle for those days where I'm feeling really compulsive about being clean.
That sponge looks cool though. I may need to get one.
statusdetailing
New member
- May 15, 2012
- 1,325
- 0
Fastest (not necessarily the safest) way I've found is using a solvent (bug and tar remover) and a bug brick. I then wash and clay the area and do a light polish to remove any marring.
Vegas Transplant
Active member
- Oct 11, 2011
- 4,447
- 3
I usually pre cut mine to a readily usable size, then pre-soak in bucket of warm water to soften them up before use.
BorisC
New member
- Mar 30, 2011
- 291
- 0
:xyxthumbs:
BuckeyeR/T
New member
- Oct 14, 2006
- 347
- 0
If you want the bugs off why would you leave the "white slurry" on?Ever notice the white-slurry while using moistened dryer sheets to de-bug...I have.
According to the good folks at P&G (Downy Dryer Sheets):
-That's the: White Clay-suspending-agent/water mixture.
-The sheets are of: "Thermoplastic particles"...,
But so is: Nylon (Polyamide)...
(As in: 70/30; 75/25; 80/20 products.)
IMO...
-Wetted-Dryer Sheets...Using no undo pressure...Will perform most de-bugging tasks-at-hand.
-The slurry needs to be removed ASAP; and it never hurts to apply some more LSP
of ones choice to the vehicle's surface-areas that's been so: "dryer sheet clayed".
Bob
I do remove it right away. works like a champ:dblthumb2:
FUNX650
New member
- Dec 1, 2010
- 21,057
- 1
If you want the bugs off why would you leave the "white slurry" on?
^^^LOL^^^
Could it be: At my age...It doesn't take much to entertain me?
^^^:iagree:^^^
-Been using them for years...
And now I get them on the cheap with my resident of Ohio:
Golden Buckeye Card...Yippee.
Bob