Is the Pinnacle Bug Sponge really safe for your paint? (Review and Pics inside)

[Todd@RUPES]

Is the Pinnacle Bug Safe Scrub really safe for your paint?

The Pinnacle Bug Safe Scrub is unique, somewhat rough feeling, honeycomb foam block that claims to remove bug guts and embedded residue from paint with out scratching or dulling the surface. Sounds almost too good to be true and holding the stiff foam block does little to assuage fear.

My car has recently been bombarded with bug remains as I made a 150 mile trip up Florida`s coast somewhat north of the posted 70 mph speed limit.










The Pinnacle Safe Scrub Bug and Tar Remover.





Feeling the stiff honeycomb foam casts serious doubt in this products ability to remove stubborn bug excrement with out scratching the paint.





According to the directions, it is best to let the sponge soak for 5-10 minutes in soapy water prior to use. I filled a Blackfire Wash Bucket with 3 gallons of water mixed with Dodo Juice Supernatural Shampoo.





While the Pinnacle Soft Scrub was soaking I treated the front bumper of my Zoom Zoom 3 with CarPro`s Tar-X.





The Tar-X was left to dwell for 5 minutes...






...then rinsed away. Some of the smaller bugs washed off but the larger stains remained. (They are hard to see in this picture unless you look closely.)




The Pinnacle Soft Scrub had become noticeably softer. I washed the bumper using light pressure and an ample amount of soap/water solution. Amazingly the bug residue came off immediately.









I rinsed the front bumper with care in order to avoid getting the rest of the Speed3 wet.





A Corbra Guzzler made quick work of the water spray.




The result was a predictably clean front bumper.










Finally I spun my car around to check the paint in sun. The result was paint that was literally as flawless as it was before.












Conclusion.

The Pinnacle Soft Scrub Bug and Tar Remover removed the bug residue with ease and when used according to the directions and gently will leave the paint in great condition.

[Dr Oldz]

Your car is happy. It`s always smiling! I neber tried one of those sponges....not sure y not either.....

[DieselMDX]

thanx for review always wondered about that sponge

[Todd@RUPES]

Your car is happy. It`s always smiling! I neber tried one of those sponges....not sure y not either.....

My car is smiling because it is always clean!!!

[TroyScherer]

I got one as part of the Mega Applicator Combo Kit. I have used it a few times but I find that I don`t have the same "Love Bug" problem as some of those down south. I usually just presoak them with my foam gun and they usually wash right off.


I have heard that the Bug Sponge actually works really well for cleaning your foam pads on the fly.


-

[Concours.John]

I`ve never used mine on paint. It came with the mega applicator kit. I had some of the fears mentioned. It has worked well for other scrubbing duties. I now use it to clean my MF discs on the fly along with the brush. Guess I need to get another. Thanks for the review.

[Mr. Gloss]

Using one on a red Mazda is not a big risk.

Let`s demo it on a Classic in deep black, or a black Lambo that is only getting a wash and returned to customer.

I have the one from PAC and it`s not safe to use on black cars, unless you`re going to polish it out soon. I now use it to clean glass and wheels.

Please, don`t tell me you`re supposed to soak it for a day before use.

Soap and water remove the bugs from my black cars. I rarely use a remover and if I do, it`s the diluted CG Bugger.

[AutopiaTech]

Great write-up Todd.

The Pinnacle Safe Scrub is a must-have tool in your detailing arsenal if you live in Florida. Love bug season is horrible down here and we all know that if those nasty bug guts dwell on the paint too long, they can cause permanent damage. I`ve used the Safe Scrub on just about every color you can imagine, including black, and when used as directed it is clear coat safe and will not scratch the paint.

I`ve found that Diamondite Bug Eraser is one of the better products to use to safely break up the bug guts prior to using the Safe Scrub.

Before

After

[Todd@RUPES]

Using one on a red Mazda is not a big risk.

Let`s demo it on a Classic in deep black, or a black Lambo that is only getting a wash and returned to customer.

I have the one from PAC and it`s not safe to use on black cars, unless you`re going to polish it out soon. I now use it to clean glass and wheels.

Please, don`t tell me you`re supposed to soak it for a day before use.

Soap and water remove the bugs from my black cars. I rarely use a remover and if I do, it`s the diluted CG Bugger.

I am not sure how you are defining the term risk? Using a product incorrectly would propose a risk to the paint, whether it is just a red Mazda or a more valuable exotic.

If you use the Pinnacle Soft Scrub to literally scrub the paint and abrade away bug remains, you are going to cause marring. The same could be said when using a microfiber towel...

I just used on a Jet Black M3 in the same exact manner I described in this thread. I pre-treated the bug remains and used the Soft Scrub to gently lift the residue and did not notice any marring. Given that Jet Black is a notoriously soft paint system, I would say that most marring is going to occur from using too much pressure. This is true of just about any product that touches our paint.

I have detailed over 50 Lamborghini`s and the modern ones use extremely hard clear coat. Considering the Soft Scrub did not mar the soft Jet Black paint on the M3, I would have no reservations using it (with proper technique) on a Lamborghini.

As a mid-west guy I can (unfortunately) vouch for the fact that the bugs in Florida, in particular Love-Bugs, are a far different breed and usually require something more aggressive than soap and water tor remove.

[Rocket]

Nice write up Todd. I have a sponge I bought a while back but haven`t used it yet. When I received it I was a little worried but it`s nice to see that it softens up enough once it soaks. I had my doubts about how much it would soften up

Most of the time I can get bugs off without much effort but sometimes when I go on trips some of those bugs can be a pain to remove. Nice to have just in case

[Mr. Gloss]

Todd,

It was a nice write up, but no thanks.


Those who own them and don`t use them or haven`t tried it yet is quite telling.

I`ll admit that I didn`t follow the directions. Instead of soaking for 3-5 minutes, I let mine soak in warm soapy water for 45 minutes.

[Todd@RUPES]

Todd,

It was a nice write up, but no thanks.


Those who own them and don`t use them or haven`t tried it yet is quite telling.

I`ll admit that I didn`t follow the directions. Instead of soaking for 3-5 minutes, I let mine soak in warm soapy water for 45 minutes.

We sell hundreds of these sponges and they are commonly reordered.

However, we appreciate that not everybody likes every product nor does everybody get the same results when using different products. Detailing is very personal and it is best to stick to methods and routines that you are comfortable and you achieve your best results with. That is why forums exist and why we encourage the members of AutopiaForums to post their opinions!

I have used it and it very obviously did not damage the paint or dull it. If this is a system you haven`t had great results with or you find yourself damaging the paint, no big deal. As good friend constantly quipps in my ear, "Find something you like and use it often!" This is why Autopia-CarCare.com offers a plethora of solutions for bug remain removal!

[ca.detailchick]

Its a great bug sponge and I always have a couple on hand . One I keep whole and the other I cut up for wheels .

Ive never seen it scatch yet but I do beleive you Mr Glosss that it can or may,even when used as directed
.
Does that deter me from using this sponge ,no! Just makes me use more caution .

I pretty much use this only on really nasty jobs and I do use with some caution and heavy concentration of a wax infused car soap.

Sometimes you can use a product like lets say for me the BF clay bar that Ive used on hundreds of cars now and never seen marring yet on a new prius I got terrible marring and thats why I always do a test spot first.

Life is full of surprizes! some good,some not so good!

[Crossfire]

I have used this sponge on many occasions and have never noticed any damage to the car finish. I also soaked it for only about 5 minutes. It was a bit spooky using it the first couple of times. I`m not sure whether I would use it on my Jet Black BMW though.

[Crossfire]

Hi Detailchick!
Could you explain how you use it for wheel cleanup?

Its a great bug sponge and I always have a couple on hand . One I keep whole and the other I cut up for wheels .

Ive never seen it scatch yet but I do beleive you Mr Glosss that it can or may,even when used as directed
.
Does that deter me from using this sponge ,no! Just makes me use more caution .

I pretty much use this only on really nasty jobs and I do use with some caution and heavy concentration of a wax infused car soap.

Sometimes you can use a product like lets say for me the BF clay bar that Ive used on hundreds of cars now and never seen marring yet on a new prius I got terrible marring and thats why I always do a test spot first.

Life is full of surprizes! some good,some not so good!