Depending on the season and where you’re driving, hitting a swarm of bugs at 70 mph can do a number on your vehicle.
While you’re not likely to experience any immediate damage to your vehicle, it can cause quite a mess. Getting the remains of the bugs off your vehicle will only be more challenging the longer you wait.
So how can you easily get bugs off your vehicle? Let’s see.
Bugs Are a Nuisance on and off the Road
When it comes to our relationship with bugs, it seems like there’s never an ideal time or place for them. They always seem to come around at the most inopportune times when we want to enjoy nature. If you’re spending all of your time outside swatting away bugs, you’ll be heading indoors in a hurry.
Likewise, the front of your car can get covered in the lifeless remains of bugs too. There may never be a time when these bugs are anything other than a nuisance to you.
Pro Tip: Avoid bugs unnecessarily sticking to your RV by not using These RV Lights That Attract Massive Amounts of Bugs.
Are Bugs Attracted to Clean Cars?
There are very few things worse than taking your car for a joyride after giving it a good cleaning and then discovering all of the bugs you hit. Many drivers even think that their bright and shiny car seems to attract more bugs. These drivers actually might be onto something!
Many of the waxes, polishes, and cleaners owners use on their cars have strong scents. Bugs often can smell these chemicals and want to check them out. Much like a warm batch of cookies will draw us to the kitchen, bees are the same way with the smells of chemicals on clean cars. However, that’s not all that attracts bugs to a clean car.
Those same chemicals will also create a very shiny vehicle that reflects the UV rays from the sun. Some bugs are attracted to these rays. As much as you’re excited to have a shiny car, these bugs are excited to see it too.
Why You Should Clean Bugs Off Your Car ASAP
The unfortunate reality of hitting a bug with your car is that their entrails splatter all over the front. Their entrails contain high levels of acidic juices that can eat away at the paint and protective coatings on your vehicle.
Lovebugs, cicadas, and locusts often travel in swarms all across the country. Driving through a swarm can litter your vehicle with acidic bug guts. Don’t delay removing them from your windshield and the other exterior parts of your vehicle.
Pro Tip: Use these 5 solutions to Keep Those Dang Bugs Out Of Your RV!
The Best Methods to Clean Bugs Off Your Vehicle
You might think that running your car through the local car wash will be good enough to clean your car, but that’s not always the case. While it’s often better than nothing, automatic car washes will often leave gunk behind. You’re going to need to use some elbow grease if you want to get the stubborn gunk caked on your vehicle.
Get a microfiber cloth and a bucket of water and start attacking those bug entrails. If that’s not doing the trick, pick up some bug-removal solution from your favorite auto parts store or big-box retailer.
Here’s the best of the best for easy removal:
- Best Microfiber Cloth
- Best Delicate Scrubber
- Our Favorite Bug Remover Solution
- Best Wax for protection after you remove bugs
No product will magically remove the bugs from your vehicle. But, the tools mentioned above will simplify your task.
You’ll need to do a little bit of manual labor to remove stubborn bugs. Using a microfiber cloth will help you avoid scratching your vehicle when cleaning it.
How Often Should You Wash Your Car?
Drivers who pride themselves in driving a spotless car will typically wash their cars at least once a week. It may be a part of their weekend routine to keep them looking and smelling like new. However, most drivers can get away with washing their car every couple of weeks.
It’s important to factor the driving conditions into the picture too. If you’ve been driving on roads treated with salt or live near the saltwater from the ocean, you’ll want to wash your car more often. Extended exposure to salt and other deposits can cause vehicle components and the car’s body to rust.
How to Keep Bugs From Sticking to Your Car
If you want to keep bugs from sticking to your car, you might want to keep a layer of a high-quality wax coating on your vehicle. Many drivers will have several layers of ceramic coating to their vehicles when they first purchase them. This will provide years of protection for their paint and make it very easy to remove bugs and other gunk.
A vehicle with a high-quality coating is very easy to clean. All you’ll need to do is spray it down with a hose or drive in the rain. The coatings make it very difficult for bugs and other debris to stick to the vehicle. They’ll likely wash away, and your car will be looking like new.
Don’t Delay Your Next Car Wash
You don’t want to spend more time than necessary cleaning the bugs off your car. However, if you delay washing them from your car, it’s likely not going to get any easier. This is especially true when the hot sun can bake them to your vehicle during the summer months.
Be proactive, wash your car every couple of weeks, and keep a wax or ceramic coating on your vehicle. Your vehicle will look new, and it will be much easier to remove bugs and gunk.
How often do you have to clean bugs off your vehicle? Drop a comment below!
Discover the Best Free Camping Across the USA
To be honest with you, we hate paying for camping. There are so many free campsites in America (with complete privacy).
You should give it a try!
As a matter of fact, these free campsites are yours. Every time you pay federal taxes, you’re contributing to these lands.
Become a FREE CAMPING INSIDER and join the 100,000 campers that love to score the best site!
We’ll send you the 50 Best Free Campsites in the USA (one per state). Access the list by submitting your email below: