Anyone who has ever driven longer than twenty miles on the open road can attest to the annoyance of bugs sticking to the front of the car. Whether it’s on the grille, the hood, or the windshield, those pesky bugs are equally pesky when it comes time to try and remove the platter. Why is it so difficult to get them off your car? Well, most bugs contain acidic substances that, once adhered, can become one with the paint job, making them almost impossible to remove without taking some of the paint away in the process.
There are two main ways to remove the devious bug carcasses from your vehicle, and the best route depends on where exactly they are located and personal preference. Some choose a mechanical option, using brute force and rubbing and scrubbing to get those pesky critters off. Others choose the chemical route, picking substances that help dissolve the bug without too much elbow grease.
One great solution is spraying WD40, a penetrating oil sold at almost every hardware or auto supply store, directly on the dead bugs. After a few minutes, the oil should have penetrated the bugs’ bodies and they can simply be wiped away. Some people have suggested to me to purchase the traditional bug and tar removing products from the store shelves, but they often don’t live up to their hype. They can also be very expensive, which makes them doubly disappointing.
If the bugs are on the windshield, it can cause a more perplexing problem as you cannot use oil based products. Some elbow grease and traditional cleaning soap can often do the trick, but if not, try using a little bit of coca cola. The chemical composition of coke is quite abrasive and can help break down the bug carcass without damaging the windshield. However, it will damage paint. So, don’t use this technique on other areas of your vehicle and be careful of drips.
When all else fails, you can try either some more elbow grease, just keep rubbing and scrubbing, a professional cleaning, though these are often less effective than cleaning it yourself, or scrape them off and resign yourself to a brand new paint job. A new paint job is quite extreme and expensive, so take the time to try these alternatives. Some may work for you and others will not, but they are all worth a try.