How To Easily Remove Bugs From Your Car? 4 Quick Ways

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If you are traveling longer distances, especially in the countryside, you’ll find that there are many bug splats on the windshield, bumper, and front grille of the car. Since the insides of the insects are acidic, they will also damage the paint if not removed quickly. Today I’m gonna be showing you how to remove bugs from cars quickly and easily.

When I was younger, I took my dad’s car and went to another city. When I got back home, he asked me “How fast were you driving?”. Not more than 60 miles per hour I said. Then he said, “Bugs don’t stick so much at 60 miles per hour”. And guess what, I was driving over 100mph haha.

It’s a freaking pain when the bugs stick to the front bumper and headlights; sometimes it’s almost impossible to remove them. That’s the reason I decided to show you a few ways of removing the bugs quickly from your car.

Bugs and Cars

The bugs can be a wide variety of insects ranging from flies, beetles, gnats, mosquitoes, and love bugs to mayflies.

The population of these insects will increase during summer when they multiply rapidly.

During winter, these bugs usually hibernate, so car owners will not find any bugs adhering to the car.

In some cases, the insect may fly over the car due to the airflow around the car.

When the insects hit the car being driven at high speed, their body is smashed and will usually adhere to the front side of the car. The insects with a harder exoskeleton could also damage the paint.

In most cases, insects are unaware that the car is approaching them since it travels at high speed. Insects usually fly at the height of between two to six feet, close to the ground.

The car’s front bumper is at the front of the car and is most likely to hit anything in front of the car. It is also at the height at which most the insects are flying.

Since the insect body is hit with great force, it will burst open, and all fluids inside will leak. These acidic fluids are sticky and will adhere to the car bumper, windshield, and grilles.

Best Ways To Remove Bugs From Your Car

The ease of removing the bugs depends to a large extent on how quickly they are removed after the trip and how much they are adhering to the car. So, it is advisable to use the simplest method for the removal of the bugs before trying to use other methods. The method will also depend on the part of the car surface where the bugs are sticking.

Usually, the procedure for removing the bugs from the metallic body bumper will differ from the best technique for removing them from glass surfaces like windshields and windows.

It’s important to follow the basic tips, so you’re able to remove bugs from the car without damaging the paint.

1. Quick Car wash Just After The Trip

For the initial cleaning, shampoo or degreasing soap should be added to the hot water in a bucket to create a cleaning solution.

Wash mitt should be dipped in this solution and applied to the car bumper and other surfaces where the bugs are adhering.

If the bugs hit the car only a few hours ago, the insides will not have become hard, so removing them using a wash mitt will be easy.

In other cases, the person cleaning the car should continue applying the cleaning solution till the bugs become loose and fall off. The surface should then be wiped clean with a microfiber cloth.

2. If The Bugs Can’t Be Removed With Method 1

The bugs may sometimes not come off when the soap-cleaning solution is applied.

In these cases, it is better to use an oil-based cleaning solution. WD-40 or other solutions which remove rust can be used.

The oil-based cleaning solutions should be applied only on the front bumper, and metallic and plastic parts of the car, and left for at least 10 minutes so that they can act on the bugs.

After this, the bugs will become loose and should be wiped away using a microfiber cloth. Since the surface will remain oily, it should be cleaned again, using the soap solution in water, to remove the excess grease.

A better solution than WD-40 or similar products is bug removal products, specifically designed to quickly remove bugs from surfaces.

One of the best products out there is Griot’s Garage Bug and Smudge Remover (check the price on Amazon now). With it, removing bugs from your car will be much easier and quicker.

3. Removing Bugs From Windows

For removing the bug splatter from the windshield or window, oil-based solutions should not be used since they are difficult to remove and affect visibility.

It is advisable to use a vinegar-based cleaning solution or specialized bug remover. This solution should be sprayed on the glass windshield so that it acts on the splatter, loosening it.

Then a wet cloth can be used to remove the loose bug splatter. If all the bug splatter is not removed, the vinegar cleaning solution should be applied again for some time till the remaining bug splatter becomes loose and is removed. This method is also used for cleaning windows.

Also, earlier mentioned Bug remover can be used on all exterior surfaces, as well as windows. So, I think that’s an even better solution than vinegar.

4. Additional Methods For Removing Bugs From Car

Other products are also available for removing the bug splatter from the car surface, especially the front side of the car.

Fabric dryer sheets can also be used for removing bugs. Water should be sprayed on these dryer sheets to make them wet, and they should be placed on the areas which are splattered with bugs.

The sheets will make the bug’s splats lose, making them easy to remove.

There are also other cleaning products like magic erasers that can help to remove the bugs splat from the car.

Preventing Bug Splatter

Since removing the bug splatter after every trip is very time-consuming and tedious, increasingly car owners are using different products to protect the car surface and prevent damage to the paint.

Waxing the car is usually the cheapest and easiest way to protect the car paint. The wax will cover the car’s clear coat and ensure that smaller insects like gnats will slide away. Check my recommendation for the best car waxes.

However, this treatment will usually last only for three or four months, so some owners prefer to get a more expensive ceramic coating, which is more durable lasting for a few years.

Another product to prevent bug splatter is a paint protection film or wrap. This wrap will also protect the car against small stones and rocks.

My Recommendation Is To Use a Bug Remover

Yes, I showed you 4 methods, but I always use Bug Remover products to remove bugs quickly from my car.

I’ve shown you all the methods because I want you to always be able to remove the bugs from your car, with or without specialized products.

Vinegar and wd-40 are good options, but they can’t compete even with the worst bug remover.

If you want the best, easiest and quickest way to remove bugs from your car, get yourself a bug remover and remove them in no time.

Conclusion

As I said earlier, there are two main reasons to remove bugs from your car. They affect the appearance of the car, and also they may even damage the paint. 

After every long trip, you should immediately wash your car thoroughly and remove all the bugs and tar from the car. 

Don’t let them dry out completely; the more you wait, the more they’ll stick to your car. 

With the methods shown in this article (especially with the specialized bug remover), I don’t doubt that you’ll easily remove them from your car and quickly get that nice car look again.