Front end bugs. help!

[WildHorse]

Just came off the highway (well a few hours ago) front end caked in bugs. Pressure washer (cold this time) took them all off. Fish flies, mosquitoes, flies, grasshoppers, butterflies, and various unidentified species that went splat. No problem.

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[falcongtho3]

Windex. Discovered it by accident, and it's worked for me for years on the bugs. Doesn't hurt the paint finish.

 

[Garfy]

Windex. Discovered it by accident, and it's worked for me for years on the bugs. Doesn't hurt the paint finish.

Just be sure it's the "ammonia free" Windex.

 

[shogun32]

Just be sure it's the "ammonia free" Windex.

Doesn't that defeat the point of Windex?

 

[falcongtho3]

You want the ammonia, it helps to neutralize the acidity of the bugs 'blood'. That's what etches the paint.

 

[AZ_Ryan]

Speaking of ammonia, rubbing compound, and peroxide, I hear brake fluid works great too.

Some of you really must hate your front bumper.

 

[67go]

I really screwed up. Tried the turtle bug remover twice - still epoxied to the front end. Have to go another root. These bugs are made of epoxy glue.

 

[67go]

Gonna try the wet dryer sheet after soaped up then with the bug remover. Love this car but health crap got in the way. I'll getter done without damage.

 

[falcongtho3]

You certainly want to address the issue as quickly as possible. Not being a chemist, I can't fully explain the acidic values of the bugs 'blood', or whatever is is technically called but I do know from year of experience in living in a region that normally sees two seasons of the love bugs every year that this does work and doesn't hurt the bumper or paint. Once cleaned, you obviously want to get the area in a neutral state and re-dress it with whatever protectant you use on a normal basis.
The same concept work on anything splashed with battery acid. I had a shirt get such on it, and I quickly soaked in Coke. I had a two hour drive ahead of me to get home, and the Coke stopped the acid from ruining the shirt and still have it to this day.

 

[AZ_Ryan]

You want the ammonia, it helps to neutralize the acidity of the bugs 'blood'. That's what etches the paint.

Are you running over xenomorphs or mosquitos?

 

[Johnny Rockit]

Bug and Tar remover.

 

[Garfy]

You want the ammonia, it helps to neutralize the acidity of the bugs 'blood'. That's what etches the paint.

I was always worried that the ammonia could damage the clearcoat if left on too long.

 

[Skye]

Regarding the comments of Hydrogen Peroxide and effects on organic material: I'm organic. I've been using Hydrogen Peroxide for years with no apparent degradation.

Yes, Hydrogen Peroxide makes for a fine disinfectant (it's highly oxygenated. bacteria, by and large, don't like oxygen), among other things.

pH values of common, household items (lower number being more acidic):

6-8. Isopropyl Alchohol
7. Water
3-6. Hydrogen Peroxide
4. Beer
2-3. Vinegar
2. Lime

If looking to degrade organic material, the most common household product I've found is bleach; it has a pH value of 11-13. As a reference, we often see the use of lye in movies to destroy body evidence. Lye has a pH value of 13-14. Both of these products are heavily alkaline. I recommend using neither on your car's surface.

Several have commented that brushless car washes use liquids which are alkaline.

 

[DFB5.0]

I really screwed up. Tried the turtle bug remover twice - still epoxied to the front end. Have to go another root. These bugs are made of epoxy glue.

A targeted bug remover, especially if treated twice, should easily remove the actual bug remains. But if you have not attended to it soon enough, you may have etched the clear coat, in which case no amount of bug remover will solve that. If you can't feel the bug spot with your fingernail, then you will need to progress to polishing.

 

[falcongtho3]

Are you running over xenomorphs or mosquitos?

The mosquitos down here require a baseball bat or light anti-tank rockets (LAWS). The so-called love bugs are the biggest threat with their internals very much on the same level their Alien-like cousins as far as their relationship to car finishes.

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