Love Bug Removal

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. For the most part they end up on the front of our cars, on our windshields, mirrors, hoods and bumpers. They cook onto the front of the car and very difficult to remove as you know! 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 may 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 beautiful car from experiencing paint damage and trim damage from the "love bugs" during this time of the year. It works!