Tips & Tricks: How to remove dried bug spatter or bug guts

[Mike Phillips]

Tips & Tricks: How to remove dried bug spatter or bug guts

Bug Spatter can actually eat through and remove paint if left on too long...

Tip: Water soften the dried bug guts and splatter with water first.

Trick: Use a towel to hold water in place on a vertical panel.

Here's a tip 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.



Another variation for headlights and fenders...



Big Picture
The idea being to use some type of bath towel or microfiber towel or even wash cloth or wet chamois to trap and hold water onto the dried bug splatter in order to soften and re-liquefy it so you can more easily remove it without causing damage to the delicate, scratch-sensitive clear coat finish.

[Becciasm]

Tips & Tricks: How to remove dried bug spatter or bug guts

Tip: Water soften the dried bug guts and splatter with water first.

Trick: Use a towel to hold water in place on a vertical panel.

Yeah, but what about if the bug fights back? this one was still kickin!

[Mike Phillips]

I created this thread to share on our YouTube Channel.

You cannot post html links in messages on YouTube so I"m always sharing articles by the Title of the article and then ask the person asking the question to do a search for the title using Google.

I just created this article and it's already listed as the number #2 link on Google.


Amazing...

[shoeless89]

Great advice Mike! Pre-soaking bugs with something like Ultima Waterless Wash + prior to washing also helps to remove bugs if someone doesn't want to use a dedicated bug/tar remover that will probably strip an LSP

[Waxy]

power washer works great

[Mike Phillips]

After you have softened the bug splatter then it's time to remove the bug splatter...


How-To: Diamondite Bug Eraser™ Waterless Bug Remover


This car was driven down the I-95 Freeway here in South Florida and as a result accumulated Love Bug splatter over the front clip of this 2006 Mustang GT Convertible.









How To Safely Remove Bugs and Bug Splatter




Note: For best results always apply to a cool surface in the shade.

Step 1: Spray Diamondite Bug Eraser and Waterless Bug Remover directly onto Bugs and Bug Splatter and allow to dwell for approximately 30 seconds.

Step 2: Wipe the area clean using a soft microfiber applicator or foam applicator pad. Wipe any remaining residue off using a clean microfiber towel.

Step 3: Mist on the Diamondite Crystal Gloss™ Surface Protectant. Use a clean, soft microfiber towel folded 4-ways to provide 8 wiping sides and plenty of cushion to spread the sealant over the freshly cleaned area. After spreading the sealant over the surface, fold the microfiber towel to a dry side and buff the paint to a high shine.

After allowing the Bug Eraser to penetrate for 30 seconds wipe off the bug residue using a clean microfiber or foam applicator pad and then wipe the panel with a clean dry microfiber towel.





Here are the results...





Products Used

Diamondite Bug Eraser™ Waterless Bug Remover

Diamondite Crystal Gloss™ Surface Protectant
Also available in a complete kit

Diamondite Bug Eraser™ Kit
(Save over $20.00)


Note: If bug splatter remains on your car's finish long enough it will actually eat into and remove both the clear layer of paint and the basecoat layer of paint and the only way to fix this will be to apply touch-up paint, (hard to do all over the car), or have the area re-painted, or have the entire front clip repainted.

Bug Spatter can actually eat through and remove paint if left on too long...


Warning
It's a lot less expensive to save your car's factory finish by removing the splatter as fast as you can and thus stop any damage before it's too late. If you live in an area where bugs are a problem or if you're taking a road trip where bug splatter will be a problem, prepare an Emergency Bug Removal Kit and pack it in your car.