Suggestions for Bug Guts Splatter Removers/Cleaners

L

Lonnie

Active member
This is another detailing task that seems to be multi-faceted because there are really three parts to it:
1) Protective products to prevent the bug guts from sticking to or etching the clear-coat paint in the first place;
2) Cleaning products to dissolve and loosen bug gut splatter during a vehicle wash;
3) Bug-specific mesh-type wash pads or microfibers to aid in the removal
My main concern are the later two: bug splatters dissolvers/cleaners and bug pads, since bugs end up on the front of any vehicle when driven during the late spring, summer, and early fall months, at least here in the Upper Midwest around the Great Lakes area and with the countless lakes, rivers, and streams elsewhere. I know those of you in the Great Plains deal with grasshoppers and those in Florida have your Love Bug season.

For myself, I`ve used Poorboy`s World Bug Squash with great success and my bug pad of choice has been a soft-nylon mesh-type covered sponge to "abrade" off any stubborn bug guts, grasshoppers being some of the worst. (Accumulator is cringing at this method and rightfully so.) No, I have not used Poorboy`s World Mesh Bug Towel, which seems to be a forum-favorite amongst many of you Autopians for bug removal. Wish it were available through PB resellers, as it seems you can only buy it direct from PB.
I have also used OPT Power Clean diluted 1:3 with some success, but that seems a little over-kill and worry that I may be removing some of the LSP on a vehicle if doing a maintenance-type wash.
And yes, I have used any number of the solvent-based Over-The-Counter (OTC) Bug and Tar removers over the years; Turtle Wax being a primary staple in my early years. Another OTC product is made by Sea Foam (Yes, the gas treatment company) called Bug-B-Gone, but I do not remember if it was effective or not.

My question is, what other bug removal products and pads have my fellow Autopians used for bug gut splatter cleaning.

I must get back to item one about bug protectants because I see that Diamondite is currently (September 2nd,2021) on sale in the Autopia Store and they make a product called Insect Armour just for that purpose and that product piqued my interest , which in turn prompted starting this thread topic. No, I have never used the long-ago suggestion to use the spray cooking oil PAM on front bumpers, lower hood and fenders, and grills to act as a temporary barrier/protectant against bug gut splatter that could easily be washed off later with a strong soap (Dawn comes to mind, since we are using kitchen-based products). I would think today`s coatings and even spray-on SiO2 ceramic protectants (NO, they are NOT true coatings despite what the manufacturers` label states) would offer some type of bug barrier. Just my 2-cents worth and background to this thread topic.
 
Blackfire has a pretreatment that you apply and it remains greasy on the surface. Bugs come right off.
 
Dryer sheets and water and to follow with a spray wax.....youtube dryer sheets for bug removal

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk
 
My favorite has always been Kenotek Anti Insect.....but can not find a U.S. source for it any more. I`ve been using 3D Bug Remover, diluted at 4:1 and it has worked very well for me.
 
I`ve used the 3D product, I purchased the Poorboy`s product several times and I believe I`ve still got something from Duragloss. Personally, we deal with almost no insects, maybe it`s the time of day we travel. OTOH, my son is in bug country and his car is covered in bugs all the time regardless how much he tries to stay ahead of it. He said he likes the Poorboy stuff the best when diluted 1:1 with water. He needs something that strong to rid the front end of the mess.
 
First, Lonnie, I`d like to thank you for tossing out some really thought provoking questions lately that really drive discussions whether it`s a new thread or simply questions in others posts.

On to the topic:

I`ve been a long-time user of Bug Squash too. It`s a great product and served me well. Recently I started to run out of Bug Squash, so I decided to try something new for the purpose of education, and picked up a bottle of 3D`s bug remover. I`ve found 3D`s product to work just as well, but it seems to be a bit thicker so it clings to surfaces better than bug squash. One thing I`ve not been able to figure out is whether the spray bottle (16oz?) is actually diluted to the ratio recommended when you get a gallon jug, or if it is concentrated and I should dilute it in a different bottle.

I also keep one of the Sonax bug scrubber pads on hand. After using the hard, yellow, bug sponges for a few years I moved to the green, nylon scrubber pads. They are just as effective, but more gentle on the paint and seem to last longer as well.

Since I started using coatings on all of my cars I use less bug remover and rarely need to use the scrubber pad. Minor bug messes seem to wipe right off with QD or with normal wash soap. Big messes, like after a road trip, require some bug remover to soften everything up, but I`m still able to wash everything off with my mitt with little effort. When I used sealants, I knew I`d be in for a fight trying to get all the bug guts off a car, especially if it had been a couple days. With coatings, it`s always easier and I`ve not scrubbed at bugs in years.

I`ve always wondered if the bug protection products really work. There seems to be quite a few out there. I`ve been curious to try one out, but since I really don`t have too much of a problem with removal, I`ve never been very motivated to try one out.
 
I use carpro bug out, formally used bug squash. I find bug out to be much more effective than bug squash for love bugs. For a bug scrubber, I use the sonax bug sponge. I find both bug out and bug squash will eat right through a non ceramic coating lsp.
 
PearTree said:
I use carpro bug out, formally used bug squash. I find bug out to be much more effective than bug squash for love bugs. For a bug scrubber, I use the sonax bug sponge. I find both bug out and bug squash will eat right through a non ceramic coating lsp.
Click to expand...

How do you think carpro`s multix cut 10:1 would work on bugs on a relatively well maintained high solid ceramic coating? I only have one dedicated bug and tar removed from turtlewax actually, it helped on my father nissan a few days. Stronger then multix 10:1 for that task.

I might just go with another favorite company of mine and get 3D bug out, it very cheap. I will be trying multix though first to see if i even need a dedicated bug remover. Mostly just small flies here.
 
Added Bug Out to my last order. Bugs haven’t been sticking as bad to a coated car even on a 10 hour round trip. However, I figured having something that would be strong and worked with my coating would be a good idea.
 
noorth said:
How do you think carpro`s multix cut 10:1 would work on bugs on a relatively well maintained high solid ceramic coating?
Click to expand...

I`m not sure if Multix is stronger than Bug Squash, but when I used sealants I noticed areas treated repeatedly with bug squash would degrade faster an those that have not. With a high-solid coating, I`ve never had a bug remover or APC ever have any effect on the coating, even after multiple uses.

In the spring and fall my wife`s car is constantly covered in bug splatters, so I have to use a remover fairly frequently.
 
Cadfael said:
Added Bug Out to my last order. Bugs haven’t been sticking as bad to a coated car even on a 10 hour round trip. However, I figured having something that would be strong and worked with my coating would be a good idea.
Click to expand...

Yeah i`m bit of a carpro fan boy, but if i can make things simpler and use multix i will. Multix really helped clean the back end of my father`s nissan rogue earlier. And i finally had a good experience with an iron remover, i guess the bleeding is easier to see on white. But i spend a lot of time claying, it really needed it. First time the car was ever clayed besides the front clip. About 3 years old and 25k miles. I thought of breaking out the course purple clay i got from tac systems which marred up my blue car real bad earlier this year but worked great on what i believe was overspray from a new paint job. But i stuck with their pink soft clay and the mothers speed pad 2.0. Next time i will have the purple stuff is my pocket for difficult spots.

My iron remover was fireball`s iron burn extra diluted 3:1. Worked great. Great value product. I bought a liter last year, i still have well over half left. It stinks!!

Polished out with i think might be my favorite pad - Lake Country`s SDO orange - with gyeon primer on the first generation G15 from Griots. Finally gyeon panel prep wipedown after 15min or so after polishing and topped with polish angel rapidwaxx 15min after the panel wipe. Looks great. :D
 
Fellow Autopians:
Thanks for your responses. I know there are a host of car-care manufacturers who make some type bug splatter removers/cleaners and that is what I am looking for, as well a bug-pad or mesh-type microfiber clothes (the fore-mentioned Poorboy`s Mesh Bug Towel).
Bugs are big problem here in Wisconsin due the proximity to bodies of fresh waters and the abundance of grassy farmlands and crops that they thrive in. If you ever come to Wisconsin and drive at dusk near Wisconsin`s largest inland lake,Lake Winnebago or the Bay of Green Bay on the central-western side of Lake Michigan in late spring during the lake/bay fly hatch, you will find out what bugs can do. These black over-grown mosquito-like flies fill the air in swarming clouds, so much so they actually make the roads greasy when run over and your car`s front end looks like its has been tarred and feathered profusely. It also makes seeing out your windshield almost impossible and requires stopping to clean it off after a few miles of travel. My wife rain into a hatch of bay flies coming back from Southern Door County along the Bay of Green Bay side during the late evening. It was scary trying to drive and look out the windshield at times to her and using the wipers and windshield wash only created a very greasy opaque film. As stated, it required stopping to clean the windshield at the nearest available gas stations with their bug squeegee and window wash buckets along the way as she traveled. Her baby blue Nissan Maxima was BLACK on the front end when she got home. I should have taken a picture, but I did not. I just cleaned it off the next morning with Meg`s Professional Car Shampoo and Conditioner and water, Meg`s D101 APC, and the mesh bug-pads. They are not super sticky or messy, like grasshoppers, but the shear number means they were EVERYWHERE. You know you`ve run through a bug hatch along the bay because your car smells EXACTLY like the fishy water in the Bay of Green Bay. Well, that what`s the game fish eat in the bay.
Sturgeon (yes, that ugly, big fish they get caviar from) are the primary eaters of the lake and bay fly larvae and that is why this rare fish exists in these two bodies of waterly. But the flies are a nuisance. Another car-detailing tale from Captain Obvious,
 
PearTree said:
I use carpro bug out, formally used bug squash. I find bug out to be much more effective than bug squash for love bugs. For a bug scrubber, I use the sonax bug sponge. I find both bug out and bug squash will eat right through a non ceramic coating lsp.
Click to expand...

This is pretty much what I went with earlier in the summer and Bug Out works great with the Sonax bug scrubber. Also ordered a gallon of bug squash but haven`t mixed it up yet.
 
When needed I to use PB BugSquash but I also use their Bug MF towel.

Just as a reference Autogeek does actually sell the MF Bug towel. It’s under the PB towels in their “by brand” options.
 
noorth said:
How do you think carpro`s multix cut 10:1 would work on bugs on a relatively well maintained high solid ceramic coating? I only have one dedicated bug and tar removed from turtlewax actually, it helped on my father nissan a few days. Stronger then multix 10:1 for that task.

I might just go with another favorite company of mine and get 3D bug out, it very cheap. I will be trying multix though first to see if i even need a dedicated bug remover. Mostly just small flies here.
Click to expand...

For a high solids coating, I usually don’t need any sort of special apc or bug cleaner to remove bugs. The bugs usually come right off either with the pressure washer or using a Garry dean method of rinse less washing.

To answer your question, I think multi x would work fine. Bug out has a very strong citrus smell, my guess is it is multi x with some type of enzyme added to break down bugs.
 
PearTree said:
For a high solids coating, I usually don’t need any sort of special apc or bug cleaner to remove bugs. The bugs usually come right off either with the pressure washer or using a Garry dean method of rinse less washing.

To answer your question, I think multi x would work fine. Bug out has a very strong citrus smell, my guess is it is multi x with some type of enzyme added to break down bugs.
Click to expand...

Rinseless washes have been a game changer for me. I don`t need lots of running water to clean my car every time. It probably does scratch the paint more then a bucket wash but in the real world that`s how it goes.
 
Tried the 3D Bug Out. You can dilute it 10:1 or 4:1. I did 4:1. Sprayed it on some stubborn bug guts from this summer, let it sit for a few then used the power washer and they came right off. No noticeable hit to my LSP.
 
Lonnie said:
Bugs are big problem here in Wisconsin due the proximity to bodies of fresh waters and the abundance of grassy farmlands and crops that they thrive in.
Click to expand...

I feel your pain.

Not so much the fresh water lake problem, but living in south east Illinois, you are surrounded by corn fields. My wife drives between rural school districts all day long for her job and her car is constantly covered in bugs until the frost starts to kill them off. On the road between here and Chicago if you drive after dark, you will have to pull over at a gas station sometime in that 4~5 hour trip and use the squeegee and solution at a gas station. Wipers and windshield washer fluid simply can`t keep up with the volume and size of the bugs and visibility becomes a real issue. Some are so large you wonder if a boneless bird just exploded on the glass.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top