Every spring and summer, bugs end their short lives by splatting against the front of our RVs or tow vehicles.
Here are a few ways to ease the nasty chore of cleaning up afterwards.
(1) Prepare ahead. Before you head off on your trip wash and then wax the exposed forward surfaces of your vehicle to offer up the slickest, cleanest surface to the intrusive bugs. They may “splat” but they won’t be so inclined to spend eternity there. You’ll find them much easier to remove.
(2) After your trip, apply a thin coating of baby oil on the front surfaces to create a slick surface. A rub down with a wet rag at the end of your trip should remove most of them without too much hard scrubbing.
(3) Many RVtravel.com readers rave about a mesh bug cleaning wash sponge from Viking Car Care. It costs less than $4 at Amazon — a small price to pay for helping get rid of ugly, oily insects that dared to die on your pride and joy.
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I read about and tried using moistened dryer sheets – works fine for me.
Spray the bugs with peroxide, the cheap drugstore brand. Let it soak for a few minutes and the bugs will wash away. The peroxide is harmless to paint finish. Motorcylclist’s have used this for years.
Dryer sheets on a Swiffer to reach up there
Another “trick” for easier removal of bugs is regular household Hydrogen Peroxide.
It helps to “dissolve” bugs. I use a spray bottle pump to squirt it on. I add a splash of car wash to the mix to help the liquid cling to the surface longer.
Also, before a trip, I spray the front of the RV with Lemon Pledge polish and leave it on. Again, this makes a slick surface for easier bug splat removal.
I found an ad for “Bugs N All” somewhere about three years ago and have used it ever since. Spray it on and let it set for about 60 seconds or so and then wash the rig. It works better than anything else I have ever tried. I even give bottles of it to my friends for Christmas gifts so they can use it the following summer when we all go camping. Its a little spendy but works for us and my diesel pusher is always clean now after a trip. I also use it on our cars and my pickup truck. I love it!! I also wax the rig after trips to help make it easier to clean next time. Works for me!!
We’ve just returned home for a brief period before heading to the west coast ending up in Winchester Bay OR, for three weeks in Aug/early Sept. I was washing down the bugs this morning when an elderly neighbour came down the alley, and started a chat. She told me the best way to get the bugs gone, was to use foam shaving cream. I haven’t tried it yet, but I will just for the heck of it. It’s cheap like Peroxide at dollar stores.
Currently I employ two other common products, which may or may not be available south of 49.
I wet the unit lightly then apply via hand pump atomizer, liberal portions of Fantastic all purpose cleaner or Spray Nine. The bugs very quickly disappear before your eyes, with a light spray from the garden hose.
I have used both for many years.
One word of caution. If you have an older RV with either lacquer or old enamel paint which may be chalked out, Get the aforementioned product on quickly and off as quick, as it may discolor what’s left of that old paint. Manufacturers at least in the last 20 years have been using base coat clear coat on their products which easily handles both cleaners with zero ill effects.
A product I used years ago, was called BUG-Off. I bought it in gallon jugs, fairly pricey if I recall correctly. One day quite by accident I found that BUG-OFF was simply Fantastic cleaner mentioned above repackaged and selling at somewhere around twice the price. Very clever!
When I used to go on long motorcycle roadtrips I always carried a spray can of Lemon Pledge furniture polish to clean splattered bugs off the face shield of my helmet. It just takes a quick spray and an immediate wipe with the hand towel I also carried, and the bugs would be gone and a clear waxy coating that repelled both bugs and rain would be left to make the next cleaning just as easy.
I’ll have to mention that to my son, Carson. He and his renter just took their big Harleys on a 1000-mile, 24-hour Iron Butt (Association) run. (Lynnwood, Washington, to 100 miles beyond Missoula, Montana, and back. 😯 ) I’m sure they were looking through lots of critters on their face shields! Oh, and besides all of their subsequent aches and pains, and barely being able to move their muscles after all of that, they get a certificate and a pin (not to mention bragging rights!). OY! 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Beast Wash, by Duratain. You advertise it on your Newsletter. Just take some, full strength, in a spray bottle, spray it on the Bugs, let it set a couple of minutes and they will wipe right off. Just be sure to wash off any residual Beast Wash from the surface you just cleaned. It is the best RV cleaning product I have ever used. It will also remove Black Streaks from the RV better than anything else on the market! I use it on my Car, Boat and Exterior of our home. Try it sometime.
Interesting Carson, doesn’t Pledge leave a greasy film?
I use Rain X car wax it works great and also Rain X windshield treatment. I apply it before we go on any long trips. I also use the treatment on my motorcycle helmet and visor. Makes all that junk come off real easy.
For years I use non abrasive Go Jo waterless hand cleaner and also a non abrasive scrub pad. Put a little on the pad rub it on the bug guts , let it sit and wipe them off. Rinse the front with water and let it dry. Does not hurt the paint. There are other brands of hand cleaner you can get, just make sure it is non abrasive.
Bugs. As I was preparing to spend time outside, my can of OFF was not handy, but I saw a free sample spray bottle of Bug-B-Gone. Just before I sprayed it on my face, I grabbed my glasses and read the label. Oops. Ack! It’s for the front of the RV to make bug removal easier. Maybe the mosquitos would have slid off my exposed skin.
From Florida the bug capital.
During bug season they can be so thick that you have to pull off the road to clean your windshield as they are too thick to see safely.
A worker at a car rental lot showed me a way that I have been using for 40+ years.
Wet the front of the vehicle and wait a few minutes. Then using a soft brush go over the bugs once not to remove all the bugs but to break the lacquer that is created by their crushed little bodies. Wet and again wait (usually while you are cleaning the rest of the car.) then they simply wash off. No harm to paint. Oh yes, I always wax the vehicles during season and will often hit the front with spray wax just before a trip. There are many successful ways to clean off bugs and this is the one I prefer.
Most people now-a-days need instant gratification. If something does not make their lives a little easier in the same amount of time, they could not be bothered.
I too do the once, twice… maybe a third round with the brush and I will hand wax the front of the MH.
I like the baby oil idea. Pam would also work.