how to clean off bug guts?
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how to clean off bug guts?
So i just moved form the east coast to the west coast. I drove 2400 miles with my bike on top of the car. Now it is covered with millions of little bug guts in hard to reach place. I taped up alot of the frame to protect it, but there are still lots of tiny little crevices with guts in them. Any tips on cleaning. I haven't yet gotten out the Q-tips, but i think that is next.
Can anyone suggest a particular solvent for removing bug parts, that is not to damaging to bike parts?
I have a few brushed aluminum parts that are tough to clean. Suggestions?
Can anyone suggest a particular solvent for removing bug parts, that is not to damaging to bike parts?
I have a few brushed aluminum parts that are tough to clean. Suggestions?
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Mineral Spirits. What is left over will be good for cleaning your drive train. Or paint thinner.
I have used bug and tar remover on my car. It was quite effective. I think it is made by turtlewax and is available in auto parts shops.
Whatever you use, you will need to get the bug spots wet and let them sit while the solvent softens the dried on guts.
I have used bug and tar remover on my car. It was quite effective. I think it is made by turtlewax and is available in auto parts shops.
Whatever you use, you will need to get the bug spots wet and let them sit while the solvent softens the dried on guts.
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Mineral spirits sounds good! I need to get some.
For the record, i don't use things such as bug and tar remover on painted surfaces. It's very abrasive. I'm kinda a psycho about what kinda of cleaning products i use.
A). Because i try to use as few "chemicals" as possible, to try to be more enviro friendly. It's ridiculous how unhealthy and expensive many cleaning products can be, when often something such as baking soda/vinegar/water will work just as good if not better.
B). I'm very particular about paints finish. Even on my bike. This might sound crazy, but trust me. My car is 10 years old and looks like it just rolled off the assembly line. All those microscopic scratches add up over time and result in a dull finish. I've never put my car through a car wash, hand wash only. I bet you've never seen anyone wax their wheels before have you? I bet most people don't wax their bike frame do they?
Thanks for the reminder about mineral spirits.
For the record, i don't use things such as bug and tar remover on painted surfaces. It's very abrasive. I'm kinda a psycho about what kinda of cleaning products i use.
A). Because i try to use as few "chemicals" as possible, to try to be more enviro friendly. It's ridiculous how unhealthy and expensive many cleaning products can be, when often something such as baking soda/vinegar/water will work just as good if not better.
B). I'm very particular about paints finish. Even on my bike. This might sound crazy, but trust me. My car is 10 years old and looks like it just rolled off the assembly line. All those microscopic scratches add up over time and result in a dull finish. I've never put my car through a car wash, hand wash only. I bet you've never seen anyone wax their wheels before have you? I bet most people don't wax their bike frame do they?
Thanks for the reminder about mineral spirits.
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Mineral spirits sounds good! I need to get some.
For the record, i don't use things such as bug and tar remover on painted surfaces. It's very abrasive. I'm kinda a psycho about what kinda of cleaning products i use.
A). Because i try to use as few "chemicals" as possible, to try to be more enviro friendly. It's ridiculous how unhealthy and expensive many cleaning products can be, when often something such as baking soda/vinegar/water will work just as good if not better.
B). I'm very particular about paints finish. Even on my bike. This might sound crazy, but trust me. My car is 10 years old and looks like it just rolled off the assembly line. All those microscopic scratches add up over time and result in a dull finish. I've never put my car through a car wash, hand wash only. I bet you've never seen anyone wax their wheels before have you? I bet most people don't wax their bike frame do they?
Thanks for the reminder about mineral spirits.
For the record, i don't use things such as bug and tar remover on painted surfaces. It's very abrasive. I'm kinda a psycho about what kinda of cleaning products i use.
A). Because i try to use as few "chemicals" as possible, to try to be more enviro friendly. It's ridiculous how unhealthy and expensive many cleaning products can be, when often something such as baking soda/vinegar/water will work just as good if not better.
B). I'm very particular about paints finish. Even on my bike. This might sound crazy, but trust me. My car is 10 years old and looks like it just rolled off the assembly line. All those microscopic scratches add up over time and result in a dull finish. I've never put my car through a car wash, hand wash only. I bet you've never seen anyone wax their wheels before have you? I bet most people don't wax their bike frame do they?
Thanks for the reminder about mineral spirits.
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Mineral spirits sounds good! I need to get some.
For the record, i don't use things such as bug and tar remover on painted surfaces. It's very abrasive. I'm kinda a psycho about what kinda of cleaning products i use.
A). Because i try to use as few "chemicals" as possible, to try to be more enviro friendly. It's ridiculous how unhealthy and expensive many cleaning products can be, when often something such as baking soda/vinegar/water will work just as good if not better.
B). I'm very particular about paints finish. Even on my bike. This might sound crazy, but trust me. My car is 10 years old and looks like it just rolled off the assembly line. All those microscopic scratches add up over time and result in a dull finish. I've never put my car through a car wash, hand wash only. I bet you've never seen anyone wax their wheels before have you? I bet most people don't wax their bike frame do they?
Thanks for the reminder about mineral spirits.
For the record, i don't use things such as bug and tar remover on painted surfaces. It's very abrasive. I'm kinda a psycho about what kinda of cleaning products i use.
A). Because i try to use as few "chemicals" as possible, to try to be more enviro friendly. It's ridiculous how unhealthy and expensive many cleaning products can be, when often something such as baking soda/vinegar/water will work just as good if not better.
B). I'm very particular about paints finish. Even on my bike. This might sound crazy, but trust me. My car is 10 years old and looks like it just rolled off the assembly line. All those microscopic scratches add up over time and result in a dull finish. I've never put my car through a car wash, hand wash only. I bet you've never seen anyone wax their wheels before have you? I bet most people don't wax their bike frame do they?
Thanks for the reminder about mineral spirits.
#10
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Depends upon the particular bug & tar remover product. Some do contain abrasives. There's actually two things to deal with when bugs hit your paint:
First is bug guts are organic and acidic. You need to use an alkaline non-aqueous non-polar solvent in order to dissolve it. Adding some soap to water is partially effective at dissolving the guts on the surface of the paint.
Second, however, is that bug exoskeletons are made of chitin. A very hard crystaline compound that can get embeded in your paint if it hits with any kind of speed. The acids from the guts can get under the paint and start eating away at it from the inside out. This is why you can end up with pits in your paint from bugs if you leave it long enough.
To clean this up, you need to dissolve the hardest substance, chitin. It's made up mostly of N-acetylglucosamine and isn't very soluble in water. You need an organic solvent. TW Tar & Bug remover contains a few organic solvents: turpentine, 2-butoxyethanol, and stoddard solvent. These solvents will dissolve the chitin in the bug shell embedded in your paint, loosening its grip and allow you to remove it. In and of themselves, these solvents are not abrasive.
However, it's possible that as the solvents dissolve the chitin and the action of you moving the cloth back and forth causes 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. So you don't want to scrub too hard.
BTW - I do wax my auto wheels and bike-frame.
First is bug guts are organic and acidic. You need to use an alkaline non-aqueous non-polar solvent in order to dissolve it. Adding some soap to water is partially effective at dissolving the guts on the surface of the paint.
Second, however, is that bug exoskeletons are made of chitin. A very hard crystaline compound that can get embeded in your paint if it hits with any kind of speed. The acids from the guts can get under the paint and start eating away at it from the inside out. This is why you can end up with pits in your paint from bugs if you leave it long enough.
To clean this up, you need to dissolve the hardest substance, chitin. It's made up mostly of N-acetylglucosamine and isn't very soluble in water. You need an organic solvent. TW Tar & Bug remover contains a few organic solvents: turpentine, 2-butoxyethanol, and stoddard solvent. These solvents will dissolve the chitin in the bug shell embedded in your paint, loosening its grip and allow you to remove it. In and of themselves, these solvents are not abrasive.
However, it's possible that as the solvents dissolve the chitin and the action of you moving the cloth back and forth causes 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. So you don't want to scrub too hard.
BTW - I do wax my auto wheels and bike-frame.
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Easiest way... wet a couple of dryer softener sheets and wipe or blot gently. You can even let them sit on the really crusty parts.
Wash off with water. Works fine on motorcycle windshields which are way softer than the paint on bicycles.
Mary aka Krashdragon
Wash off with water. Works fine on motorcycle windshields which are way softer than the paint on bicycles.
Mary aka Krashdragon