With summer has been and gone by this year, it’s now that you might start to notice that the front of your car is covered in bug splats. Apart from looking grisly, if you leave dead bugs on your car for a long period of time, they can prove to be very difficult to remove and in some instances can even damage the paintwork. Unfortunately, removing bug splats from your car does require a little more than a quick wash, so the key is to remove them as quickly as you can.
However, if you find that you’ve left it too long, then here’s how you can clean up the mess:
1. Choose a bug remover
With several different types of bug removers out there, there’s certainly not a shortage of products. From sprays and wipes to aerosols and cleaning paste, whichever one you choose should do the trick as opposed to just using water and soap.
The key to choosing and using any cleaning product is to read the label first so that you know how to use it. Here are just some of the specialist products that you could use:
- Best Bug-Off Bug Remover Spray
- Turtle Wax Bug and Tar Remover
- WD-40
- Dryer sheets
- Bug sponges
2. Remove the splats
Now that you’ve chosen your cleaning product, your next step is to get stuck in there and start cleaning. As stated above, the sooner you clean the bug splats, the better as this can minimize any potential damage to your car’s exterior.
Firstly, soak your bug-stained areas with your chosen cleaning product. If you opt for a spray, you can just simply spray it onto the bug-splatted area and leave it there for a period of time before cleaning it off with a damp cloth. On the other hand, you could damp cloth with cleaning product and lay it over the splatted area, allowing it to soak in the stained areas for a couple of minutes.
After you’ve applied your specialist cleaning product, grab your microfiber cloth or bug sponge and apply firm pressure to wipe away the splats. If you don’t manage to remove all of the splats, you may find yourself needing to add more cleaning product until it wipes off easily, and don’t forget your windshield.
3. Wash your car
This part is easy as all you need is a bucket, a sponge, a towel, and some car cleaning product. Once you’ve removed the bug splats it’s a great idea if you soak the affected areas with a hose, or even better if you soak the entire car. In doing this, you can be sure to rinse off any loose debris that may be leftover from your cleaning product and that you’ve removed all the bug splats.
Remember to use a fresh bucket of soap and water and clean towels as this will help you to avoid transferring any dirty substances back onto your car and make sure that you don’t skip the final wipe down as hard water can stain your car and etch your paintwork if you’re not careful.
4. Apply some wax
Before applying any wax or polish to your car it’s crucially important that you allow your car to dry. If you decide to apply a car wax solution, this could be beneficial for cleaning any future bug splats from your car as the coating is easy to clean off.
When applying car wax, make sure that you spread it evenly across the surface of your car. After a couple of minutes, when it begins to look a little cloudy you can then wipe it off. Do not feel tempted to use the wax on other areas of your car such as the wheels or windscreen, ensure that it’s just the painted areas.
When wiping off the wax, it’s best to use a microfiber cloth as this will buff out the dried wax and leave your car with a polished shine. After a while, the wax you’ve applied will begin to wear down so it’s a good idea if you top it up and wax your car every two to three months. If you wax your car regularly, it’s less likely to attract any bugs and will also keep your car looking fresh.
