Insects in oil. What is the best way to clean the car from them so as not to damage the paint?

Let’s start with a little biology lesson if you don’t remember everything from school. The bodies of insects, of which we break thousands along the way, are covered with a cuticle (this is called a cuticle). This is the outer skeleton or layer of the skin. The cuticle is mainly composed of chitin. And chitin - a hard and durable layer - is a glucose polysaccharide produced by the hypodermis. The chitinous shell has a structure similar to cellulose (a component of wood), but stronger than it. However, it can’t handle a moving car, as you understand when you look at your cars after a ride.

complex machine

So how can you safely wash off those insect corpses that have dried on cars? First, it is worth realizing that cars are made from more than one material. The windows are made of glass, the radiator shrouds are metal and plastic, the headlight shrouds are polycarbonate, and the masks are lacquered steel or aluminum. Each of these substances needs to be handled slightly differently.

Glass is easier. Glass, which is crucial in terms of safety (it must be clean), can be washed with anything without the risk of scratching it. Cleaning your windshield with a brush at a gas station will be as safe as a sponge. You don’t need to handle it in a special way.

However, headlight lenses should be handled more delicately. The brushes at the stations are often dirty and gritty. Drivers wash windows with them, as well as, for example, rims. The grains of sand, even invisible ones, act like sandpaper. They can scratch the smooth surface of polycarbonate. As well as chrome and plastic grille elements.

Lots of water and liquid

It is known that the most vulnerable part of the car is the paint. You don’t want to damage the paint and scratch it. First of all, do not forget to wash the insects with a damp cloth. Regardless of whether you use special preparations, car shampoo or other home methods, the car must be soaked, rinsed with plenty of liquid or water. The water or chemical cleaner solution should dissolve the chitin. Only after that you can start washing. The temperature of the car body is also important. In the heat, it can even reach several tens of degrees. Humidification of the car will then be ineffective, since the water will evaporate before the chitin softens. And brushing will actually be an attempt to wear off the hard shells, as if no water had been applied at all.

clean sponge

Secondly, if the car (and really insects) gets wet, you should pay attention to a rag or sponge for washing. First of all, they must be clean, you can not use old sponges and rags with sand particles. They will act like sandpaper, leaving micro-damages on the varnish that will grow and become impossible to remove. Do not use “sharp” sponges, kitchen washcloths and hard brushes. Many people who wash cars with their own hands, sponges fall to the ground. It happens, but then you need to thoroughly clean and rinse the instrument. Sand and earth pose the greatest danger to the paintwork.

The problem is wax coatings, which are used by many of us who care for cars. Harsh chemicals, and only such chemicals are used in the production of car cosmetics used to remove insects, destroy these coatings. Therefore, it is worth re-waxing the car after washing. By the way, a car protected in this way will “collect” insects less.

Finally, note that automatic car washes destroy paintwork and do not remove insects. The chemicals used in them are extremely aggressive. So if you really care about your cars, try applying the limited trust rule to them. However, sometimes it pays to roll up your sleeves.