"In Case of Emergency" bug/bird poo cleaner.

[Don]

I was in a situation where I had several cars to detail, and it was in the middle of bug season. Of course my luck, I wasn't able to get the bug juice from another forum (bills come first) so I had to think of a plan.

I had a gallon of "Bug Cleaner" windshield washer fluid and in my research for bug removal tips, I came across using fabric softener sheets & water-which seemed to work really well. I thought: "What if I combine the two?" The wife doesn't use dryer sheets, but she does have liquid fabric softener. So I took a cap full of fabric softener, put it in a 32 oz spray bottle and filled the rest with the bug wash, washer fluid and shook well.

Travelling to and from the job site put more than a few bug on MY front end, so here went the test:

I sprayed the areas of concern with the mix, until it was dripping wet (front end, mirror fronts, windshield etc). Then like always I started with my tires and rims, letting the juice soak. Then I started rinsing off the car with a strong jet of water from the hose, saving the treated areas for last. When I hit those areas with the hose, the bugs all came off with just the spray of water, washing the areas with Gold Class shampoo and another rinse took care of any lingering bits - not that I could see any, and the Ult Fast Finish seemed to be untouched by the home made bug remover, it beaded up just like the day it was applied.

I also used the mix on a few bird bombs that had accumulated during the road trip and dried After letting them soak, they too came right off with no manual wiping or scrubbing.

Just thought I'd offer this up in case you ever find yourself in a buggy situation, with no "real" bug remover.

[Nick Winn]

Re: "In Case of Emergency" bug/bird poo cleaner.

Interesting test. I have just a couple friendly comments. I would imagine the bug cleaner windshield wiper fluid could potentially knock down if not strip off a coat of wax, even though Ultimate Fast Finish seemed to not be affected. Which if you think about it is really is not that big of deal, since most automotive paint specific bug removers will remove or knock down a majority of wax protection as well. The kicker for me here on this is that I would imagine the bug cleaner washer fluid is not recommended for use on paint. Just thinking out loud, I have no idea how strong the product is, but it very well could have the potential to stain paint, which would not be fun. On the same subject as my first friendly comment, fabric softener is not automotive paint specific either, and could potential stain. Just be careful. IMO it's always best to find an automotive specific product.

Nick