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Bug and Tar Removers for Cars: Do You Need One?

Bug season is a hectic time for wash businesses, as customers' vehicles come in with an excessive amount of bug debris on the windshield. To effectively and efficiently handle this problem, having a reliable bug/tar remover solution is key. Using a high-quality, bug scrubber and tar remover can make removing the squashed insects and sticky tar from cars a breeze.

Be sure to use the right bug remover solution for your wash to make this season easier for you and your customers. With the best bug and tar solutions available, you can provide an effective way of removing these unwanted guests from their vehicles. This will give your customers peace of mind that their vehicles are in good hands and that the bug problem will be swiftly and thoroughly taken care of.

Bug Season for Vehicles

Bug season can be a nuisance for both wash owners and customers alike. It presents a challenging cleaning task as dead bugs are hard to clean and interfere with the cleaning process.

As temperatures rise, bugs become more active and are likely to end up on the various exterior surfaces of cars everywhere. This looks messy when it comes to providing a car wash service but can also lead to corrosion or damage to paintwork if left untreated. Fortunately, there are a few ways to make sure that bugs don’t stand in the way of cleaning a vehicle.

Dead Bugs and Bug Splats

Dead bugs on vehicles are often referred to as bug splats. This is the case as bugs physically are splattered against vehicles as they are driving, which leaves their presence on the car's paint.

Bug splatter and bug guts are unsightly but can be treated with the right bug-removing solution.

What about Tar?

Tar is the colloquial term for asphalt or bitumen that can be tough to remove during car washes.

Tar presents the same tough cleaning challenge as bug splats, which is why these terms are usually tied together. Using a tar/heavy-duty car cleaning solution can help to tackle these problematic areas on vehicles.

What about Tree Sap?

Tree sap can be a difficult mess to tackle. If you are dealing with tree sap on car paint, then it is likely that you will need a product designed specifically for the job, which is also commonly used for bug guts and tar cleaning situations.

Tree sap can be especially difficult to remove from car paint, as it is sticky and adhesive, and it can cause permanent damage if not addressed quickly and appropriately.

Tar and Bug Removers for Cars

It is important to use a product specifically designed for tar and bug removal when tackling such tasks. A tar remover/bug cleaning product is usually easy to apply, and with the right technique, you can quickly remove both tar and splattered insects from vehicles in one go.

Turtle Wax Pro offers bug removal solutions for car washes as we understand how big of a challenge it can be. Bug guts are tough to remove with other car cleaning products and can interfere with future products' cleaning power.

If bugs and road tar are not removed before the application of a sealant, the sealant may not properly bond to the paint and will make it harder to remove in the future.

What is the Best Bug Remover?

Car Washes

In general, you will need a bug remover that is strong enough to remove bugs, baked-on tar spots, stubborn stains, tree saps, and similar other contaminants like bird droppings. But also, a product that is safe to use on all vehicles, works with your other chemistry and supports your budget.

Turtle Wax Bug Remover for At-Home Car Washers

For the at-home car washer, Turtle Wax offers consumer-grade bug-removing products that will be sure to get your car's finish back looking great and free of even extreme bug splats.

Are Bug and Tar Removers Safe for Cars?

Bug and tar removers that are formulated for cars are safe to be used. Ensure that the product you are using was designed to work on vehicle exteriors and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Turtle Wax Pro bug and tar removers are designed with car-safe ingredients that don’t interfere with your car's paint job, polish, or wax. Using a product specifically designed for vehicles will ensure that your customers get the best possible results.

How to Use Bug and Tar Remover

DIY Car Wash

Be sure to follow the manufacturer's directions indicated on the packaging when using a bug-removing product and some old-fashioned elbow grease.

In general, you will want to start by applying the product to the affected area using a spray bottle, and allow it to sit for a minute before using a microfiber cloth or car sponge to clean it off with water.

Car Wash Businesses

For wash businesses, you will want to follow your supplier's recommended use instructions and amounts.

This will include the amount of chemical that should be applied by your equipment, when in the wash process should it occur and what water pressure and temperature you will want to use.

How Does Hot Water Affect the Efficiency Of A Bug And Tar Remover?

Hot water can be beneficial in helping to loosen and remove tar and bug splats. The hotter the water, the more effective it will be at loosening up these substances that have baked on or been stuck to a car’s exterior. Things like dwell time, water pressure and temperature should be adjusted to match the bug or tar situation.

Does every Wash need a Bug Remover?

Not necessarily, it will heavily depend on your particular wash and its location.

Some locations are much more susceptible to bug season and therefore, your customers' cars will have many more bug splats on them than a wash in another area.

For the washes that do encounter a strong bug season, a bug remover will prove to be an invaluable step in ensuring your customers' vehicles are cleaned to perfection.

In North America, states like Florida and Texas are known for their severe bug seasons, which can make removing bugs from car exteriors a formidable task.

How to know if your Car Wash needs to use a Bug Remover?

Existing Car Washes

If your wash regularly encounters a high number of bug splats on customer vehicles, then it is likely you will need to use a bug remover. If customers are complaining about bug residue, then this should be another sign to start using a bug remover as part of your car washing process.

New Car Washes

If you're opening a new wash, you can have an idea of the kinds of concerns by working with your supplier.

Here at Turtle Wax Pro, we work with our operators to ensure that the problems your wash will encounter will be handled and that can include knowing if your wash is in an area that will encounter strong bug seasons.

What Kinds of Car Washes Benefit Most From Using Bug and Tar Removers?

Tunnel car washes are the biggest beneficiaries of using bug and tar removers. These washes typically have friction brushes that when combined with a bug remover, can effectively remove bugs from vehicles without damaging the paint.

Self-Serve car washes and automatic touchless car washes will also benefit from using a bug remover, although since these types of washes don't have friction brushes, it will be much harder to remove bug splats with the same effectiveness as a tunnel wash.

Concerned about Bug Splats? Contact Turtle Wax Pro

With decades of experience supporting car washes of all types all over the world, we know the kind of challenge bug splats brings. That is why you will want to be prepared in your cleaning efforts and having confidence that your supplier is behind you is the first step in doing just that.

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