How long can you safely leave dead bugs on front bumper?

[G37]

I wash my car every Saturday unless it rains. Almost after every wash I take it for a weekend drive and I usually get about give or take 5 dead bug splatters on the front bumper. I have been using Optimum Opti Clean to remove them as soon as I get home.
I am concerned about touching the paint to remove the bugs so my question is is it safe to leave the dead bugs on the bumper for a week until it get washed again?

[SeaJay's]

If it's me and I had just washed the car and got back with bugs all over it, I'd remove them asap. Bug guts can cause etching in the paint. I don't know the exact amount of time that they would have to sit there but it can etch the paint. So your better off safe than sorry and just take the couple minutes to remove them.

[Mike Phillips]

If it's me and I had just washed the car and got back with bugs all over it, I'd remove them asap. Bug guts can cause etching in the paint. I don't know the exact amount of time that they would have to sit there but it can etch the paint. So your better off safe than sorry and just take the couple minutes to remove them.

Ditto...

Remove them as soon as possible...


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.

[Scott DeBrun]

Until you get hungry then just scrape them off and chow down.

[G37]

Ditto...

Remove them as soon as possible...


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.

Thanks, My bug cleaning kit includes Optimum Opti Clean and a plush MF towels.
I prime the MF towel with Opti Clean first then spray generously the area with the bug and gently wipe making sure not to wipe with a previously used section of the towel.

BTW you thread on how to remove bird poop is really good. When I was 17 my first car was a 1994 Honda Civic and the first time I cleaned bird poop I made a huge mistake I accidentally used a part of the towel that had some of the bird poop I removed and it left quite a few scratches behind.

[jpegs13]

That's just wrong

[Setec Astronomy]

Um...how about you wash the car after your drive...then you'll remove anything that got on the car during the drive and it should stay clean in the garage until next week.

[Mike Phillips]

BTW you thread on how to remove bird poop is really good. When I was 17 my first car was a 1994 Honda Civic and the first time I cleaned bird poop I made a huge mistake I accidentally used a part of the towel that had some of the bird poop I removed and it left quite a few scratches behind.

Thanks...

For those reading this thread, they are referring to this article,


How to safely remove a dried bird dropping





Here's a related article...

Two Types of Bird Dropping Etchings

[jslym777]

they will be safe there forever if you dont get them off quickly!

[Cruiser57]

Eventually the bird droppings will go away on their own, then we call them Ghost Stains!