Love Bug Removal (Simple & Easy)

blackviper

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Here is something one of our local reps forwarded to us.

I have not tried this procedure but you may want to advise your customers if you find it works for you:

Any of us working in Louisiana, Mississippi, Southern Georgia and Florida know that this time of the year is "love bug" time - this highly acidic creature has basically no link in the food chain because not even birds will eat them. I have seem some chickens pick them out of the air.....but for the most part they end up on the front of our cars, on our windshields and likewise for our customers. Just look at your own vehicles and those coming into our service departments.

Failing to take quick action to remove the "love bugs" and their acidic residue will have a detrimental effect on the clearcoat and basecoats of our paint as well as chromed plastic and even chrome bumpers. It's just that acidic. There are always five to ten people that come into a dealership late in the Fall claiming the paint on our vehicles is "defective" when you can see the "love bug" debris that went ignored and ate through either the clearcoat, basecoat or both and or damages to the grille work or bezels.

What I have tested after being told of it's magical wonders is Downey Fabric Softener Drier Sheets and yes, it works as well as I was told it would.

Process Steps:
1) Wet the affected area of the vehicle with a hose (front fascia, grille, headlamps, windshield, outside mirrors, front of the roof area).

2) take a Downey Fabric Softener Drier Sheet and wash over the area, (it takes very little effort) and the "love bugs" dissolve off of the vehicle contact areas.

3) most important step - using car wash liquid, now go over the area you just cleaned with soap and water to remove the fabric softener residue. Note: it make take more than one sheet depending on how bad your vehicle is....but the most I have ever had to use was two.

Caution: just rinsing WILL NOT remove the softener residue and it will leave a white chalky appearance - so use some car wash soap.

It takes about ten minutes to rid a heavily covered vehicle of the "love bugs" & their residue and another three minutes to wash the affected area of the softener - that is about 1/3 the time it takes to do it the old fashion way - with soap or a cleaner & elbow grease.

It will keep your "costly" company car from experiencing paint damage and trim damage from the "love bugs" during this time of the year. It works!
 
Cool info. I'll have to try that method.:slug:
 
I heard that the dryer sheet can still scratch the paint. Try it on a daily driver or company vehicle first. :D
Nothing beats a good coat of wax, and getting them off quickly.
 
I have been using the dryer sheets for about 2 years now, ever since Earl (Brat) suggested it.

I have not seen any damage to the paint, other than a couple of spots where I left the damn bugs on too long...

Once the sheet is wet, it gets pretty soft. Just about any dryer sheet will work, but it does seem that the better ones, like downy, are softer. I keep a small box in my wash kit, just for this purpose. :rock:
 
Excellent.. I've been using liquid wax and a soft terry cloth to dissolve them off for years. But if there's a better, easier way then why not?
 
SEEN THIS KIT ON LINE.SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD DO THE JOB.:dontknow: :p
DIY.jpg
 
01VIPERGTS/ACR said:
SEEN THIS KIT ON LINE.SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD DO THE JOB.:dontknow: :p
DIY.jpg


Ooooooo, I gotta get me one of those kits to add to my detailing supplies..
 
I employed the most radical solution...moved to Northern Illinois...


Am reconsidering my decision as the temps are dipping below 50 already.
 
Prof said:
I employed the most radical solution...moved to Northern Illinois...


Am reconsidering my decision as the temps are dipping below 50 already.

Yikes!! Get back down here, Pronto!!! :D:D





Hey Roy, how did your house in Marathon do with Ike? I was talking to a customer the other day that lives in Marathon and he said that they lost the roof on theirs...
 
Our roof has been rebuilt so many times that it is solid nails now. We had some water damage from the windows being bowed in and then water getting pushed around them...but very minor...

I need Florida bad...just going to have to come down for some time on the water.
 
Prof said:
Our roof has been rebuilt so many times that it is solid nails now. We had some water damage from the windows being bowed in and then water getting pushed around them...but very minor...

I need Florida bad...just going to have to come down for some time on the water.

Sounds good! Glad the house stood up to Ike!
 
dryer sheets work excellent, I've never had a paint issue:rock:
 

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