# Flies & bugs



## kmpowell (May 6, 2002)

The new daily trip from Bristol to Chippenham (and back) has resulted in huge amounts of flies/bugs splatter themselves over the front of the Mini already, and I'm only two days in (i realise this won't be as bad in the winter)! As this is done at motorway speeds they are welded on, but I won't have time to wash/remove them each day. This will mean that I shall be doing a weekly wash on a saturday or sunday when they have been welded to the front of my car all week. So;

1) Does leaving them damage the paintwork like bird sh*t does?
2) What's the best way to get them off?
3) Is it safe to use diluted Virosol to soften them before washing them off?

Ta


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## Wallsendmag (Feb 12, 2004)

Damp cloth left on the area to soften them up and plenty of wax once clean to help it stay that way.


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## ResB (Apr 17, 2005)

wallsendmag said:


> Damp cloth left on the area to soften them up and plenty of wax once clean to help it stay that way.


Agreed. I also find that if you treated the car to Swissvax wax prior to fly splatter that also helps quite a bit.

You can get a microfibre cloth with MF one side and a soft mesh on the other side and I've used these and still do. You only have to wipe the area softly with the mesh side and the flies come right off. No problem with the paintwork either.

I hate flies. 

[edit]

Halfords do them for about Â£3 or Â£4


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## gadgetboy38 (Mar 9, 2005)

I know your pain i used to travel from bristol to corsham every day and the bug splatter was terriable. I just used to soften them first with wash solution (johnsons finest) then give them a blast from the pressure washer about 90% will be removed this way and the rest will come off with a few passes of the wash mitt.

P.s are you enjoying your daily blast up tog hill as much as i did!!!!!! 8) :wink:


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## YELLOW_TT (Feb 25, 2004)

wallsendmag said:


> Damp cloth left on the area to soften them up and plenty of wax once clean to help it stay that way.


Seconded 
Never tried it but a few people have said you can use the pan cleaners made to clean teflon non stick pans :?


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## davidg (Sep 14, 2002)

Even dilute virosol will remove the wax so no to viro ,,, quick blast with jet wash .


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## Wallsendmag (Feb 12, 2004)

ResB said:


> wallsendmag said:
> 
> 
> > Damp cloth left on the area to soften them up and plenty of wax once clean to help it stay that way.
> ...


I've got one of those sponges m/f one side mesh on the other.


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## J55TTC (Apr 25, 2005)

I know a few of us including J-I-A-B think that snow foaming is a bit of a gimmick, but as these snow foams get developed they are actually getting better.

I couldnt help myself and had to buy a foam lance for my pressure washer, just because it looked like fun and so far I have been quite impressed.

It worked wonders on the front of my fly splattered TT and my mates Z3. Just foam it up and the foam clings on for a good 7-8 minutes, quick rinse with the pressure washer and they were all gone  Another area where you could see it working well was the wheels, it doesnt take long and the foam turns grey / black from all the brake dust and rinses almost prefectly clean. Saying that my wheels are waxed so that will help somewhat.










Its not everyones cup of tea but I find it quite usefull for prewash purposes. Lastly, it works wonders on the windows of the house, foam up - rinse off - job done


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## Wallsendmag (Feb 12, 2004)

I've heard the snow foam strips the wax off though :?


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## Hammer216 (Apr 28, 2008)

If its helpful....I got some Armourall wipes from Halfords dedicated for removal of flies, work really well and only a minute to get rid of them all. If you manage to to do that every other day stops the build up!!!


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## J55TTC (Apr 25, 2005)

wallsendmag said:


> I've heard the snow foam strips the wax off though :?


Some snow foams have road traffic film remover in it and this can strip wax with constant use however, many of the snow foams available now are PH neutral and less aggressive on the wax.

The foam I use has not stripped wax after 3 applications (done over a period of 6 weeks - washing the car every 2 weeks or so). Below is a picture showing beading after the third application of foam and a quick rinse - before hand washing with a wash mit.


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## kmpowell (May 6, 2002)

Great suggestions guys! Thanks [smiley=thumbsup.gif]


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## Jac-in-a-Box (Nov 9, 2002)

You've SV'd the Mini haven't you? In that case, an old towel soaked in water and JBB layed over the affected area is usually sufficient to loosen up the bug debris so that it's easily hosed/wiped off...works for me and a few others.

I don't favour the scouring bug pads - bugs have "sharp bits" in/on them, rubbing them over the paint is a good way of marking the paint and removing the wax!

J55TTC - What snowfoam stuff are you using? Still have my doubts about the stuff (at least those I saw last year) - still time to teach an old dog a trick or two though :wink:

Dave


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## J55TTC (Apr 25, 2005)

Jac-in-a-Box said:


> You've SV'd the Mini haven't you? In that case, an old towel soaked in water and JBB layed over the affected area is usually sufficient to loosen up the bug debris so that it's easily hosed/wiped off...works for me and a few others.
> 
> I don't favour the scouring bug pads - bugs have "sharp bits" in/on them, rubbing them over the paint is a good way of marking the paint and removing the wax!
> 
> ...


Hi Dave, hope youre well.

Ive tried 2 lots of snowfoam, one from elite car care I think it is and another called valet pro ph neutral. I find the valet pro a bit better as it seems to have better cleaning properties.

I use electronic ph meters at work that I know are calibrated regularly, the valet pro was definitely ph 7, (7.1 actually) I didnt test the elite stuff as I kicked the bottle down the driveway by accident :lol:

Heres the way I see foam: before I used foam I would rinse the car with water to loosen the dirt etc, most of the time the water runs straight off due to the wax and doesnt really do anything, its the pressure washing that got rid of any loose dirt. Now, with foam it actually clings to the car for a good 7-8 minutes sometimes 10 keeping all the dirt wet and the detergent in the foam actually starts lifting a lot of the dirt off as well. Pressure wash and a lot more dirt is lifted off the car before a mitt makes contact with the paint.

Just my 2p's worth 

Joss


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## mav696 (May 21, 2006)

wallsendmag said:


> I've heard the snow foam strips the wax off though :?


Depends on which foam you use I think Andrew, I must admit I've been tempted to get one of these


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## kmpowell (May 6, 2002)

Jac-in-a-Box said:


> You've SV'd the Mini haven't you? In that case, an old towel soaked in water and JBB layed over the affected area is usually sufficient to loosen up the bug debris so that it's easily hosed/wiped off...works for me and a few others.


Well, today I hit the motorway in the torential rain and when I had got to work nearly all of the flies from the previous week (in baking hot weather) had loosened up and washed off! I'm presuming the SV was the prevention to them sticking firm?


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## Jac-in-a-Box (Nov 9, 2002)

J55TTC said:


> Hi Dave, hope youre well.
> 
> Ive tried 2 lots of snowfoam, one from elite car care I think it is and another called valet pro ph neutral. I find the valet pro a bit better as it seems to have better cleaning properties.
> 
> ...


Well(ish) - but more than a little knackered Joss!

I've had a play recently with a foam attachment that came with my pressure washer years ago, just using ordinary shampoo...it foams reasonably well but seems to do little in the way of removing too much muck after allowing it to soak and p/washing. Part of the problem was doing it on a sunny day and the foam started drying out in a couple of minutes - how does your version of foam standup to direct sun?
Ideally I should be doing out of the sun, but little choice when under pressure of time!

I'll track some of your stuff down and see I how I fare, still remain sceptical that it provides too much in the way of a touchless "wash" I'll remain opened minded though :wink:

Dave


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## Jac-in-a-Box (Nov 9, 2002)

kmpowell said:


> Jac-in-a-Box said:
> 
> 
> > You've SV'd the Mini haven't you? In that case, an old towel soaked in water and JBB layed over the affected area is usually sufficient to loosen up the bug debris so that it's easily hosed/wiped off...works for me and a few others.
> ...


Torrential downpours, hosing or wet towel...and a drop of SV = bugless car 

Dave


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## J55TTC (Apr 25, 2005)

Jac-in-a-Box said:


> J55TTC said:
> 
> 
> > Hi Dave, hope youre well.
> ...


I think I would be knackered if I were washing as many cars as you are at the moment 

I have found the foam needs to be quite thick, it sticks to the car better and for longer. If the bubbles are too big it doesnt seem to clean / soak as well. See the foamed up Z3 photo.

As you say ideally foam when the sun isnt about but if I have no choice I will watch it carefully and as soon as its showing signs of drying out I'll rinse it off.

I certainly dont expect the foam to allow for a touchless wash (although it would be nice) but the soaking foam softens up and removes more dirt a lot better than just rinsing with water


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## jam225 (Jun 24, 2003)

I'm a fan of using baby wipes for removing flies and the like [smiley=baby.gif]


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

An old bathtowel wetted, or easier to manage, an old cotton single bed sheet wetted and strewn over front of car for 30 mins usually softens the carcasses. Chuck sheet/towel in wash after for next time.

Moisture is your friend, abrasion not.

Bristish summer is on your side with the weather tho... :x


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## BAMTT (Feb 22, 2004)

garyc said:


> An old bathtowel wetted, or easier to manage, an old cotton single bed sheet wetted and strewn over front of car for 30 mins usually softens the carcasses. Chuck sheet/towel in wash after for next time.
> 
> Moisture is your friend, abrasion not.
> 
> Bristish summer is on your side with the weather tho... :x


garyc commenting on car cleaning what next [smiley=speechless.gif]


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## garyc (May 7, 2002)

? 8)


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## liffy99 (Feb 28, 2007)

Well, I'll try foam next time but right now, what do I do to get rid of bug remains ?
I've washed the car and been going over the marks left by bugs (several times) with Autoglym tar spot remover. Doesn't seem to do much, I still have to pick away with a fingernail here and there and still can't get the stuff off. It seems to be well and truly baked into the paintwork, even to the extent you can easily see the marks but barely feel them.
I wash the car weekly and have waxed the front end 3 times so far this year (rest of car twice).
Any ideas ?


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## beeyondGTR (Jun 16, 2009)

kmpowell said:


> The new daily trip from Bristol to Chippenham (and back) has resulted in huge amounts of flies/bugs splatter themselves over the front of the Mini already, and I'm only two days in (i realise this won't be as bad in the winter)! As this is done at motorway speeds they are welded on, but I won't have time to wash/remove them each day. This will mean that I shall be doing a weekly wash on a saturday or sunday when they have been welded to the front of my car all week. So;
> 
> 1) Does leaving them damage the paintwork like bird sh*t does?
> 2) What's the best way to get them off?
> ...


I grew up in Southern Florida where the bugs carry you off. and an old trick that all drivers of trucks and cars used was first have a clean front end and the spray evenly across the front bumper and side mirrors some PAM cooking spray. and even after several days pull out the hose and they wash right off. Now I would check what is in it today as it might have changed. I put on a custom bar/mirror cover to let them hit during peak times.

good luck


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