Save Your Paint! Remove Bug Guts Properly.
Bugs on the front of vehicles is something everyone in Saskatchewan experiences annually. To most, the most irritating part of it can be the smearing on the windshield or the smell of burnt bugs after driving on the highway (and the wasps that always follow). What many people don’t know is that bug guts are acidic and can eat into the top layer of your clear coat making it difficult to remove. The longer the guts are left on, the worse it can get. Now we aren’t saying you need to wash your car daily but making sure to remove all the bugs every time you do wash your car is important.
15 years ago, the only option for detailers and car washers would be to use a traditional formulated degreaser to remove bugs and left over bug guts. They would spray the product on to the front of the vehicle, allow it to dwell for up to 1 minute and pressure wash it off. This would almost never get all the bugs off and if the product was left on the paint too long or sat in the sun, it could strip paint, etch the clear coat, and even turn aluminum white.
Today, there are so many products and tools out there to help deal with those pesky bugs that it can be easy to get lost in all the advertisements and promises many company’s make. Will that chemical really take all the bugs off without scrubbing? Is that chemical safe on paint, glass, vinyl, and metals? How long will that sponge last me? Will that sponge even work and/or will it scratch my paint? These are all questions we at Prestige hear every year, usually followed by a story about the last product they bought and how it damaged a vehicle or just didn’t work.
When anyone is in the market for some bug remover we always recommend asking what is in it. Most bug removers and degreasers that are marketed to detailers are built based on the Traditional Formulas used in degreasers for decades. What most people will read or hear is its “water-based”. However, most of these products still contain a large amount of Butyl which can etch paint, glass and metal (Especially Aluminum) if it is left on too long or out in the sun.
After years of trying different products that were “safe” or “water-based”, we found Skeeter Eater . Skeeter Eater is a Clean Health, non-butyl bug remover that is surfactant based and not only works but out preforms traditional formulas. If you are a professional detailer, a car enthusiast, or even just tired of your car coming out of your favorite car wash with bugs still on it the Skeeter Eater is a necessary tool in your arsenal. Use straight or dilute this product 1:1 and allow to dwell for up to 4 minutes than pressure wash or mitt right over it with your bucket soap. If It dries, just respray and continue.
Quick Tip:
If your vehicle is heavily soiled bugs or hasn’t been washed in a while, we recommend purchasing one of our Technician's Choice Bug Sponges to make sure every inch of your car is bug free. The Bug Sponge is hard when dry but after soaking for 2 minutes is completely safe on paint, glass and metals while being aggressive enough to remove the most stubborn guts.
If you wash your vehicle thoroughly and you find gut stains in your clear coat (if you can see it but the surface is smooth). Most of the time a clay bar mitt can help remove those stains almost effortlessly. However, it is not unheard of to need a power polish if the bugs have been left on for an extended period of time which can be done yourself with our power polish or by contacted our detail centre in Regina. Ron's Proffesional Auto Detailing
