DIY Remove Dead Bugs From Car Paint

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Summer means warmer temperatures, time for road trips, and lots of swarms of bugs. This means bringing back the wrong souvenir from your vacation. Drive anywhere in the summer and it is more than likely that you will return with a lot of bug carcasses lodged in your car’s paint. Insects contain acidic enzymes and the summer sun will only help embed those damaging fluids into your vehicle’s paint. Here are some at home detailing tips to help hard to remove dried bugs from your car’s paint.

Warm Water and Ivory Soap

Insects contain enzymes that eat away at the vehicle’s paint. The longer you wait the harder it can be to remove dead bugs. Your number one tool in your bug removing arsenal is  patience. It is better to apply the more gentler options to preserve the clearcoat and paint protecting your car’s body. Start by washing with a body paint safe soap and warm water. Ivory is an oil based soap that has shown results for some, and is something you may have at home. This may take several rinse and repeats, making sure you rinse from the top down. Make sure you try several rounds of washing before moving on to the next step.

Second Bug Removing Tactic, WD-40

WD-40 is an oil based solution that can help gently remove dried on bugs. This penetrating oil and water-displacing spray has many uses, and removing dried on dead bugs from your car hood is one of them. Apply a generous layer of WD-40 after you go through several gentle but elbow scrubbing washings. Allow a film of the solution to soak over the hardest to remove insects for no less than ten minutes. You can then use a detailers sponge available at local automotive supply stores, a microfiber towel, or even Magic Eraser by Mr. Clean to safely rub out the last of the dried on pests. Believe or not drier sheets are also a great way to safely scrub of stuck on bugs. Just make sure whatever you use to wipe or gently scrub won’t scratch the paint.

Make Sure You Protect Your Car’s Paint

There are other solutions if patient washing or WD-40 are not removing those dried on hard to remove bug carcasses (sorry a bit graphic). Your local automotive store can point you in the direction of a ton of products made for such occasions. Just be aware that there is a harmful difference to your car’s paint and clearcoat when it come to the difference between “bug removing” and “bug dissolving”. Unlike most bug removing options, bug dissolving can eat away your clear coat at the very least. This could mean having the extra step of reapplying a protective wax coat to your car’s paint.

Hi Star Auto Center are five star rated experts when it comes to detailing services. As a local Las Vegas shop, they understand what the desert can do to destroy your car’s body paint. If you understand time is money, bring down your vehicle no matter how many bugs are melted into the paint and allow the professionals to help preserve your sweet chassis.