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Helpful Hint For Removing Bugs

victory_red

SM 2003
Full Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2002
Messages
224
Location
Tell City,IN.
Here is a trick I have been using for years to remove bugs off the front,the windshield,and mirrors.
Get your sponge wet with soapy water and sprinkle baking soda on to it and the bugs come right off. This will not scratch your paint(it hasn't for me yet) and does a great job. Then just wash clean with soap and water.
Hint: Do not use on a bug shield though.It seems to "imbed" itself into a bug shield leaving a white streaky finish. Just thought i would share this tip. :cool:
 
Thanks for the tip. I have had less of a bug problem ever since I started using Zaino. But baking soda does sound like a good idea.
 
you can also spray glass cleaner on the bugs to soften them before you wash.
 
Good idea, I'll have to try this. I have used Bug & Tar remover in the can, but didn't read far enough down the can before useing it. I missed the part where it said that you should wax after useing....to much work just to remove bugs.
 
:eek:Isn't baking soda abrasive?? I'm sure that's why it leaves white streaks in the bug deflector - lexan plastic does scratch fairly easily.

I'd be careful about the baking soda, I'll bet it's probably similar to rubbing compound.
 
I always Rain-X my windshield, and have found that since doing so, the bugs come off a LOT easier :cool:

For the front end, i.e. bug shield, grill, bumper, I just spray with Simple Green (keep it off the paint) and this allows them to come right off as well. There is a Rural King a few miles away that carries a product called "SPLAT" that also works well, but from the smell of it, I suspect that it's something on the order of 409 cleaner. ;)
 
I had my previous truck detailed once a year, and they do a lot of exotics... I really believe they are the best in the Phoenix metro area... He told me that anything stubborn on automotive paint including bugs can be safely removed with WD40, and a terry cloth...

Imagine that WD40 ... I have used it since then as a pre-soak for bugs... It washes them right off...

11H
 
I get a lot of bugs on the windshield of my motorcycle, and since it's lexan, scrubbing is a no-no. I get a towel wet, and simply lay it on the area I want to clean. Smooth out any air bubbles, and let it sit. The bugs soften up in 10 or 15 minutes, and come off easily.
 
Citrus based bug & tar remover....
 
Whenever I'm going into buggy country, such as Montana and South Dakota in July, I pre-spray my radiator, grill, headlights and front bumper with Pam.

Pam is the non-stick cooking spray that we all use in the kitchen.

Do not - repeat, do not - spray Pam on your windshield (it gets smeary),

The few bugs that stick to the Pam-finished front wash off very easily.

I've done this for many years and it works.

Steve
 
Almost all of the suggestions that have been made to remove bugs (and tar) from painted surfaces appear to be harmful to wax which would cause another problem - requiring you to re-wax after removing the insects. :eek:

I know someone who put cling wrap on their to protect his paint from bugs - it wasn't good when the wrap didn't cling at speed and ended up all over. >:D
 
Krakrjaks
Zaino is a sealant you can use instead of a wax. I am in NE Ohio & did mine late Fall. Even with all the salt & rough winter we have had, the water still beads off my truck. One great product, & a great shine. You have to order online. Seems expensive at 1st but you only use a VERY small amount. THere are other threads that lots of people here have commented on their use of Zaino.
Traz
 
jdw174 said:
I always Rain-X my windshield, and have found that since doing so, the bugs come off a LOT easier :cool: ?

I've been using RainX windshield washer. It adds a little RainX to the window each time you spray it. Even in a drenching downpour like we had in Virginia today, I still can run with the wipers on intermittent. I get it at WalMart. It's about 2x as much as the cheapest stuff but worth it as it makes getting the bugs off much easier and raindrops just dance off the glass.

 
SteveTimm said:
Whenever I'm going into buggy country, such as Montana and South Dakota in July, I pre-spray my radiator, grill, headlights and front bumper with Pam. ?

Pam is the non-stick cooking spray that we all use in the kitchen.

Do not - repeat, do not - ?spray Pam on your windshield (it gets smeary),

The few bugs that stick to the Pam-finished front wash off very easily.

I've done this for many years and it works.

Steve

Steve, do you use original or butter flavor Pam? >:D
 
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