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With all this nice weather we’ve been having lately people are hitting the road to visit family and friends or maybe take a much-needed vacation. Here at Discount Auto Glass we know all too well what happens to our cars after these road trips. You’re stuck, literally, with bugs and road residue all on your bumper and windshield.

So, how can you get your car back in shape? Our experts have put together a recipe for a do-it-yourself bug residue remover. Follow the steps below and you’ll be able to remove that nasty gunk with a little time and some elbow grease.

Step 1: Gather materials

You’ll need:

· Hot water

· One or two large towels

· Bug remover (found at most automotive stores or hardware stores)

· Ammonia-free auto-glass cleaner

· Microfiber towel

Step 2: Soak

Start by taking your large towel(s) and soaking them in the hot water. Then, place the towels over the areas of your car with the heaviest concentration of bug residue, and leave them in place for five minutes. This will loosen the bugs, which will increase the effectiveness of the bug remover and glass cleaner.

Step 3: Use bug remover

Spray bug remover on any residue stuck to the car’s paint. Let the remover sit on the grime for 30-60 seconds, then wipe with the microfiber towel – not a scraping tool or regular towel, which can chip or scratch the car’s paint. This step may need to be repeated to remove all bugs.

Step 4: Use auto-glass cleaner

Once you’ve removed bug residue from the car’s paint, focus on the windshield. Take an ammonia-free auto-glass cleaner and spray down the entire windshield, focusing on bug spots. Wipe down with a microfiber towel or newspaper.

Step 5: Wash car

You’ve probably gotten most of the bugs and grime off the car with steps 1 – 4, but we recommend taking it one step further. A full carwash, followed by a wax will help remove the most grime while also preventing buildup later.

Now that you know how to beat post-road trip bug and grime buildup, we hope you’ll be able to enjoy this nice weather with a cleaner vehicle. If any of that road residue or debris caused a chip, scratch or crack in your car windows, give us a call at 501-377-9575 or use our online form to get a free quote. We can take care of you at any one of our eight locations throughout Arkansas and our one location in Joplin, Missouri, or we can come to you at no additional cost.