Caked on bug guts are gross. Everyone knows that, but not everyone knows the right way to remove them once they’ve covered your grille, bumper, and side mirrors. Fortunately for you, it’s not all that complicated. It’s actually quite easy, but if you don’t know how, you may find yourself aggressively scrubbing the surface for no reason. Before you do that, you need to know that your job can be simplified in one step…
Removing caked on bug splats
The first thing you need to know is that the longer the crushed carcasses have been on the surface, the harder they will be to remove. What this means is that you need to stay on your game and plan on removing them sooner rather than later. If left to their own devices, the (highly acidic) bug guts can eat through your paint and begin to etch the surface. They can even eat through wax and paint sealant layers if you’re not proactive about removing them. You must soften the caked on mess before scrubbing to remove or else there’s a pretty good chance you will mar the surface. What you do is spray an insect remover, but before you begin to clean, let it sit on the surface and do its job. Once the cleaner has broken down the contaminants to the point where they’re soft, you’re ready to begin scrubbing. Most people will recommend a strong sponge for this, as seen here.
Making your life easier…
Sure you can continue to clean and scrub the forward facing sections of your car so that they are free of mutilated bug guts, but what if removing them was as easy as wiping up a freshly plopped bird dropping? Well, actually, it can be. All you need to do is protect the finish, and add a little extra protection to those highly vulnerable areas of your car. There are sealants specifically designed to aid in preventing bug guts from sticking to the surface, and I highly recommend adding one to your routine — see Bug Barrier. Not only will removing the bugs be much easier, but you will effectively be preventing the pesky little creatures from harming your car’s clear coat. One might say the latter is more important, but really it depends on how often you see bugs on the front of your car. To put it into perspective, some of you in Florida might value the paintwork protection aspect more than easy cleaning… especially come love bug season. At any rate, you get my point: protection is key and makes cleaning up bug guts a breeze.
And so…
The key to removing bug guts is softening their bond with the surface enough so that removing them doesn’t have to be an abrasive procedure. You’ll really make your life easier if you protect your car regularly, especially the areas that are more prone to insect attacks. It’s not complicated or confusing, just a simple way to relieve the headache surrounding those disgusting innards covering the front of your car.