Freaking BUGS!!!!

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03Black1.8t

New member
Man I am having a hard time getting bugs off the front of my car. I had some bug and tar remover but its like a thicker spray on that you leave on and then you have to wipe it and then buff. Can APC or Simple Green get rid of them? I guess its there last revenge to us. :shocked



What do you guys use on customers. Can you really get them all off??? I might be setting my goals too high.
 
Yeah, they advertise in Professional Car Wash and Detailing magazine. I assume Bug Bloc is more or less their equivalent of Bug Guard.
 
Heres what I do when doing a detail, I pre soak with poorboys bug squash (great stuff IMO) then wash as nomal and clay and the clay seems to get what hasn't been etched into the paint.



For me personally, I just pay special attetion to the front end when washing and try to get every bug splatter. I will lightly clay as needed. If I have time I will re-seal or wax the front end and that helps the bugs come off easier at wash time. Regardless they are a PITA.
 
03Black1.8t said:
ok so this is like a cleaner not something that just protects.
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PB's Bug Squash is a cleaner for pretreating bugs, etc. on a vehicle to help remove them.



The Bug Guard/Block products are a clear gel-like solution that is sprayed or applied over the clean paint/bumper/hood area. It dries and leaves a kind of thick surfactant type of layer behind. It is a sacrifical layer (will be removed by rain or a heavy spray) so that when bugs hit it, they can be washed off fairly easily.
 
Ok...then I guess you would want to pre-treat with something, Bug Squash, APC...I would try to use some sort of foaming sprayer to keep the stuff on the bugs, rather than running down the front of the car. Then you could try one of those bug scrubber sponges that are sold at several places, they have a little bite to them to get the critters off. The short answer is that there is no "easy" way to get those bugs off, they get plastered on there and seem to stay stuck.
 
A decent layer of LSP, a decent shampoo and elbow grease is my method. Works fine for me, but on client's cars that haven't seen any attention for a while i sometimes just resort to getting the most of them off and then cracking out a polish.



Ben
 
03Black1.8t said:
Man I am having a hard time getting bugs off the front of my car. I had some bug and tar remover but its like a thicker spray on that you leave on and then you have to wipe it and then buff. Can APC or Simple Green get rid of them? I guess its there last revenge to us. :shocked



What do you guys use on customers. Can you really get them all off??? I might be setting my goals too high.
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I've used some bug removers in the past, and they seem to do pretty well, but one thing I have learned is that no matter what you use, the purpose is to soften the bugs to aid in removal, which means the products need to soak for a while. Do NOT under any circumstances try to do this in direct sunlight. You will end up with a mess.



Another trick I have learned is to take a few damp towels and drape them over the bug covered areas and let the moisture from the towels soften the bugs up. For the most extreme cases, spray some bug remover on the area, then drape a wet towel over it, and then finally scrub away with a bug remover sponge like the one from Pinnacle. I've never had to do this, but if you can't get them off using this method, there's just no getting them off.



The wet towel trick usually works 75% of the time for me.







To add to the discussion of products like Bug Guard, this stuff is great, but don't make the mistake of getting it on anything plastic. I find that it stains bug shields, headlamps, or anything clear. I usually concentrate on trying to only get it on the chrome and painted areas only.
 
Topoftheline.com De-bugger cut 50/50 with water. Let it presoak for a few minutes and bugs will come off with ease with a wash mitt. I have used the bug scrubs with this stuff too on horrendous front ends and it works great. As noted above do not let it sit in the sun or dry on the car.
 
papi_jay said:
Poorboy's Bug Squash or even Stoner's Xenit citrus work well . Make sure you use one of these sponges http://store.yahoo.com/classic-motoring/saf-scrub.html . Cut in into smaller 1/4's and moisten it before you start .

Clay afterwards and wash ..
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I have used the sponge product several times on my car. It does work as long as the bugs have been softened up first by a bug remover. I will say that I am always in fear of swirling the clear coat when using the sponge because of the way it feels on my skin. Oh well, maybe just my paranoia about scratching paint!
 
I personally haven't tried it, but what about meguiar's pro line "body solvent". I've seen it on autogeek, supposed to remove tar/bugs. Also try a pressure washer at low settings if you're not against using them. I spray a little apc and pressure wash my grill/bumper (05 f-250) and it seems to remove the majority of bugs with little effort.
 
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