Clean Insects Off a Car's Exterior
Dead insects tend to accumulate on car windshields, fenders, radiators and all over a vehicle's exterior when driving any sort of measurable distance. Besides the negative aesthetic effect they have on your vehicle, these pests can also hinder visibility if they accumulate in large numbers on your windshield. Some bugs actually have a high enough acidity that they may even burn off some of the paint on your vehicle. Fortunately, removing these insects is cheap and easy to do.
Steps
- Wash your car. Scrub the bugs off with soap and water. Wet the spot with water, apply soap to a rag and start scrubbing. Scrub in a circular motion at first. If the insect is still there, start scrubbing in a straight line over the insect until it comes off. This may take a few minutes of concentration and scrubbing to get each insect removed. But it is possible that scrubbing may not fully remove the little creatures and may also take some of your vehicle's paint off. If you notice that the scrubbing starts to remove any paint from your car, stop scrubbing.
- Buy and use insect-removal products. You can find these at your local automotive or hardware shop. Typically these products involve spraying the cleaning fluid onto the insect and rubbing them off. Look for insect-removal products with labels that state that they will not chip the paint on your car's finish.
- Spray your car with WD-40. This substance that is typically used as a lubricant is actually a superb way to clean insects off your car. Spray the problem areas and let them soak for about 30 seconds. Wipe the solution off, and many of the peskiest remains can be removed with great ease.
- Add baking soda for the toughest stains on your windshield. Find a micro-fiber cloth that does not leave much lint (so you don't smudge your windshield), and use a combination of water and soap to wash off the bugs. For especially annoying stains, add a little baking soda to the solution.
- Apply cola to your problem areas. The chemical combination and carbonation make it an excellent solution for removing these pesky little creatures. When using this method, though, make sure you don't get any on your paint job and that you wash the windshield off with soap and water following use.
Tips
- The quicker you clean your vehicle, the less time the insect residue has to set in. There will also be less of a chance for acid from the insect to eat away at your vehicle's paint job. This can save you a lot of money in the long run if you plan on maintaining an unscathed exterior coat of paint.
Warnings
- Be careful not to scratch or chip your vehicle's paint job when cleaning your car.
