Getting bugs out of clear bra?

[OCDetails]

I ran into a grizzly situation this weekend. A client just got back from a 3 or 4 thousand mile road trip and he was kind enough to bring back a sample of the wildlife from the entire trip in his clearbra. His neighbor was smart enough to wipe them off at the end of the day, but this guy let them sit there for the whole two weeks. I tried everything to get them out. Bug Squash didn't work, WD-40 didn't even work very well, degreaser didn't work... He told me to do whatever it took to get them out. If it ruined the clearbra in the process he said that was fine because he was probably going to just replace it anyway. So the gloves came off and I pulled out every big gun I had with me. Nothing seemed to get them all out.

Fortunately it didn't appear that I did any damage to the clear bra after all was said and done. I think I got lucky because I really did my best to get those suckers out of there. But even after I did everything I could think of, there were still bugs that I could scrape with my thumbnail. Some of them had stained the clear bra and left their mark forever, but others were definitely still stuck to it.

So short of a blow torch, what should be used to get bugs out of clear bra that have sat there for a long time? Most of my clients with this stuff on their car don't find themselves driving through clouds of bugs, so this is really a first for me.

[Bamaboy007]

I have never found a solution to your problem

[OCDetails]

I'm glad I'm not the only one then. Getting them off paint is something I can handle, but once these little suckers embed themselves in the clearbra material, I'm pretty much at a loss.

[Bobby B.]

Have you tried the Detailer's Plex-All? This product works great on Clear Bras.

http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/autogeek_2215_88025150
DP Plex-All aerosol plastic cleaner,plastic polish,clear plastic cleaner polish,DP plastic polish,plastic protectant,headlight cleaner (http://www.autogeek.net/dp-plex-all.html)

[OCDetails]

Nope. I have not tried that one. I also didn't have Tarminator available to try, so I don't know if that would have worked either.

Would Plex All really do something for bugs in a clearbra? I can see it helping with something like waterspots, but I need organic material dissolved without damaging the vinyl. I actually hit the clear bra with a blue pad and XMT360 and that didn't do much at all. The DP all purpose cleaner seemed to do more to clear these suckers out than anything.

[Morphiusrt]

Try a little tarminator. But that could be risky as some don't take well to being treated like paint. I have researched for hours on end about polishing clear bras and cleaning and still have yet to come across any solid answers.

This past weekend I have a few scuffs from trying to get bugs out and decided to try a very light polish (PB PWS) and it seemed to work pretty good I don't know if it was just the sealant masking it or if it fixed it.

I have no idea what brand my bra is, I am assuming it is 3M based off of the orange peel look to it and the rubbery feel.

So pretty much try a test spot and see what happens. Kind of sucks to say it.

[OCDetails]

I tried to tell him that some things are just plain ruined and can't be fixed. I told him that clear bras are only meant to protect the paint and then he asked me 'so what protects the clear bra then?'. I said "You do." lol I'm sure if it had something like 303 Aerospace on it before he left that the bugs wouldn't have stuck as badly. I've tried to tell him this for years, but he buys these brand new vehicles and forgets that just because they are new doesn't mean they are bulletproof or protected.

I can't even tell you how much better I feel knowing that this is a problem for more than just me. I have been doing this a long time and I was really racking my brain trying to figure out how to make this job come out right for the customer. I know he knows I tried everything I could think of and he was cool with it, but I'm just glad to know that when I told him it may just be a lost cause that I wasn't just giving up and was telling him the truth.

[Buckskincolt]

So a little trick I learned from my Harley riding is to mix hydrogen peroxide (over the counter stuff) and distilled water 50/50. Make sure the paint is cool and spray on and let dwell for 5 - 10 minutes. For really tuff bugs use straight. MAKE SURE TO DO A TEST SPOT, don't know what it's effect will be on the Clear Bra? The bugs are made of protein and the HP eats Protein and will make if soft. Then wash. Works awesome on Motorcycle bug screens!:dblthumb2:

[OCDetails]

Hmmm... now there is an idea. I'll have to give that a shot next time. Thanks for the tip!

[Morphiusrt]

:bash:I know rubbing alcohol is safe on paint but is like sandpaper to a clear bra so just be careful. Make sure to test a spot out of sight.

If you can find out the brand then you can contact the manufacturer and they will be more then willing to help you. My problem is mine came from a third party installer who uses different brands and they went out of business :bash:

[Flash Gordon]

Try using a heat gun. Hold the gun about 4" away from the area you're working on

[Morphiusrt]

I know rubbing alcohol is safe on paint but is like sandpaper to a clear bra so just be careful. Make sure to test a spot out of sight.

If you can find out the brand then you can contact the manufacturer and they will be more then willing to help you. My problem is mine came from a third party installer who uses different brands and they went out of business :bash:

I don't know why I had 2 bashing smileys not bashing you at all. I want to bash myself sometimes trying to clean this thing lol. I have thought of removing it a few times already.

[loudog2]

I use stoners with the pressure washer and it usually does fine. Alcohol softens the bra which can help loosen, just be careful not to rub hard. Alcohol is a last case senerio.

[LuvMyM2]

I just tried the Hydrogen Peroxide method on my car- the results were immediate and appear to be fantastic. It's been overcast here for the past couple of days so I can't see if the surface of the ppm is impacted by the HP, but boy does it eat bugs off of it! I used HP on a q-tip, then gently applied over affected areas. Not the fastest method but it removed every single bug splatter. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[FUNX650]

I just tried the Hydrogen Peroxide method
on my car- the results were immediate and
appear to be fantastic.

I’ve had phenomenal success getting
embedded bugs out of Paint Protection
Film using XPEL’s Film Cleaner, or
PF1’s Film Cleanse. Of course: YMMV.


Bob