How To Clean Dead Bugs Off Your Car

Tips for Cleaning Bugs off your Car

CAR OWNER TIPS May 1st, 2018

cleaning bugs from car

How to clean those nasty bugs off of your vehicle

After a crazy-long winter, spring is finally in full swing! And while the warm weather is likely a breath of fresh air for the majority of Canadians, it eventually also means more bugs and insects.

Here are five tips for cleaning bugs off your vehicle:

Be in the low-blast Business

When cleaning insects off your car, it's best to be slow and gentle. Avoid using a pressure washer to blast the bugs off your vehicle. Instead, you should soak your vehicle with a low-pressure rinse before beginning your wash. This will lower the risk of damaging your car's exterior.

Go Micro

In order to avoid any scratches, it's vital that you use the right kind of cloth to wash off the bugs. Even something as common as a terry cloth may be too abrasive and could damage your vehicle's paint.

If you want to be safe, you should pick up a few microfiber clothes and use those to clean your car. They won't cause any scratches and also won't leave much lint behind.

Choose your weapon

Before starting, you'll need to determine what product to use to clean off the splattered bugs. While there are specialty bug-remover products available, they are typically overpriced and won't necessarily do the job any better than most household products.

If you want to keep it as simple as possible, mix some water and dish detergent in a spray bottle and apply that to your vehicle. For some people, this can actually work better than some of the fancy products.

Wax On

Once you've cleaned all the bugs off your vehicle, it's important to apply a car wax solution to mitigate the problem in the future. A good coat of wax will create a layer between the bugs and your car's paint, making them easier to clean off going forward.

It's ultimately up to you, but it's recommended that you shell out a few extra bucks for a high-quality wax. If you settle for a cheaper one, you'll probably end up wondering why you spent so long applying it in the first place.

Bug Build-Up

Despite their ugly appearance, most people wait weeks before cleaning the dead insects off their car. While this may seem harmless, you can actually damage your car's paint since bug splatter is acidic. This is especially true with darker cars, as they tend to attract more heat during the hot, summer months.

Get into a routine of clearing off any bugs at least once a week to avoid any long-term damage.