Best (or Your) Bug and Tar remover?

[mcc]

The thing with bugs is, their shells is made out of chitin which is an organic compound, regardless of the acidity of their body fluids, you can't get them 100% removed (with a non organic surfactant) IF the exoskeleton somehow imbeds itself into your clear coat, which is possible. At a decent speed, a bug splattering on your paint will embed it nicely.



So, there's 2 basic scenarios:



The bug is on your paint but only superficially. In this case you'd want to make sure you remove it immediately and/or bring the ph up till the time you can remove it so it doesn't hurt your paint. A simple water based cleaner should be able to remove the bug in this case.



Second scenario, the bug's embedded in your paint. This is a little more tricky.



Let's examine what's going on here: The acid is eating away at your paint slowly, this combined with the velocity of the initial splatter causes the bugs exoskeleton to embed in your paint causing it to *stick*. This is why you get pitting if you leave the bug long enough.



At this point it's important above all to dissolve the insect body, the hardest substance, chitin. Chitin is mainly N-Acetylglucosamine, that is, it's organic , but more importantly chitin on a bug has a highly crystalline structure (it's a protective shell after all). This reduces its solubility in water. Given that, how do we dissolve an organic compound? With an organic solvent. TW contains a few organic solvents: Turpentine, 2-Butoxyethanol, and Stoddard solvent. These solvents will dissolve the chitin in the bug shell lifting it off your paint. Allowing you to remove it.



In and of themselves, these solvents are not abrasive. The TW bug remover would have to contain some abrasive of its own if in fact its causing micro-marring.



There could be another explanation though: It's possible as the solvents dissolve the chitin and the action of you moving the cloth back and forth is causing microscopic pieces of chitin to rub across the paint as you wipe. Chitin being a hard crystalline material has the potential to mar your paint.



There could be more going on, the TW stuff also contains paraffin, but so do some roach sprays and candle stuff , so I don't know if this is having a filler effect or an effect on the bug itself...

Wow, what a great explanation. I want to memorize it and dazzle people when they come up and ask me about bugs on their car and why they hurt the finish. However, I'm sure it would come out something about chitlins, turpentine, micro-organisms, and dropping acid.

 

[imported_rydawg1]

If I was to buy a product from a local store, then I would only use SCGD. It's unbelievable at removing grime, bugs, etc., from paint without any damage.

It kind of smells like Murphy's oil soap...YUK, but it works great.



I personally always hated products like TW bug remover, Tarminator, etc.



A great alternative is Megs SD, Spray-Nune DG. Mix them 50/50 and they will remove the bugs with ease while cleaning the paint to the max. This is my go to 99% of the time.



If my car is coated with a top lsp product, then all I need is a regular wash and they should just fall off with ease.

 

[Xtreme-Klean]

I use gasoline and set it on fire. Just kidding.

Meguiars GC Tar and Bug remover. Works great on stickers as well.

 

[GoudyL]

Second scenario, the bug's embedded in your paint. This is a little more tricky.



Let's examine what's going on here: The acid is eating away at your paint slowly, this combined with the velocity of the initial splatter causes the bugs exoskeleton to embed in your paint causing it to *stick*. This is why you get pitting if you leave the bug long enough.

I think you also have the issue of the proteins in the bug's guts drying out, denaturing and bonding with the paint. E.g forming a tough protein stain.



Ever wonder why alkaline cleaners work so well...

Given that, how do we dissolve an organic compound? With an organic solvent. TW contains a few organic solvents: Turpentine, 2-Butoxyethanol, and Stoddard solvent. These solvents will dissolve the chitin in the bug shell lifting it off your paint. Allowing you to remove it.

No turpentine, just odorless mineral solvents if you read the MSDS. If you look closely the solvents in the formula have low KB values, so they won't strip paint.

In and of themselves, these solvents are not abrasive. The TW bug remover would have to contain some abrasive of its own if in fact its causing micro-marring.

Which it does, looks like kaolin to me.

There could be more going on, the TW stuff also contains paraffin, but so do some roach sprays and candle stuff , so I don't know if this is having a filler effect or an effect on the bug itself...

The mineral oils lubricate the abrasives and help the dirt particles come off the surface. Don't forget this stuff is bug and tar remover. So the mineral oils and mineral solvents really help with tar removal as well.



A good dried out tar particle is going to be very resistent to surfactants, unless you can make the tar particles swell by absorbing solvent/oils.

 

[GoudyL]

Wow, what a great explanation. I want to memorize it and dazzle people when they come up and ask me about bugs on their car and why they hurt the finish. However, I'm sure it would come out something about chitlins, turpentine, micro-organisms, and dropping acid.

They hurt the finish because the bugs themselves may be quite hard, and the bug guts are both proteinacious and acidic.



Ask them them if they have ever seen clothing that was stained with blood. That's a protein stain, and its not coming out w/o a fight.

 

[salty]

"Wow, what a great explanation. I want to memorize it and dazzle people when they come up and ask me about bugs on their car and why they hurt the finish. However, I'm sure it would come out something about chitlins, turpentine, micro-organisms, and dropping acid."



Good one.

 

[jking]

HI-TEMP Debugger its a citrus based bug and tar remover I have had great results with it and a bug sponge. If Im waxing or sealing finish I may use some tarmanitor on the bad tar. Just my 2cents.