Bug and tar removal

[rgrugg]

Any suggestions about what to use for removing bugs and tar? Obviously has to wait until spring since it was 0 here this morning. Thanks

[Glenn Baglo]

Turtle Wax Bug 'N' Tar.

[rgrugg]

Plus elbow grease. Right?

[RV Doctor]

I’m sure some will criticize but Unleaded Gas is GREAT!

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Turtle Wax Bug 'N' Tar.

+1.. I found it works even better than Acetone.

[Jack L]

WD-40 for small spots. Follow up with acetone to get the WD-40 residue off the gel cote.

[rgrugg]

Bugs and a large amount of tar. Found myself on a street with fresh tar. I drove very slowly until off it. No way to avoid.

[John in Santa Cruz]

I use WD40, it takes most bugs and tar spots right off. In fact, this is really about all WD40 is good for. Then I wipe with a bit of isopropyl alcohol on a clean rag to remove any oily spot left behind by the WD40. If I need to do this over a big enough area, I'll probably follow up with a quick/light waxing with Meguiars marine cleaner/wax.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by rgrugg

Plus elbow grease. Right?

Nope. That would be Bug 'N' Tar 'N' Sap.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Nope. That would be Bug 'N' Tar 'N' Sap.

Oh. pine tree sap.. the worst, right!? Multiple applications of isopropyl alcohol mostly works, followed by a buffing wax.. but even that is not a great solution. I hate pine tree sap!

[Carl Pa]

I use a little dab of mineral oil.

[k0wtz]

hot water and soap elbow grease. work work work!!!


bob

[mszabo]

Dollar Store

Awesome cleaner $1.00 cleans everything!

[Andrew Morris]

Bounce sheets (dryer sheets). Soak a few in some water and use them to scrub off bugs, etc. They have just the right amount of abrasive, without scratching the gelcoat, and something about the fabric softener in them that helps with the bug removal. I always carry a few in the trailer

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by RV Doctor

I’m sure some will criticize but Unleaded Gas is GREAT!

I would not criticize. I have used lighter fluid, followed by an application of Meguier’s Marine Wax.
For pine sap, I have used hand sanitizer. It is, of course, mostly alcohol, but as a gel, it pretty much stays put.

[Pete Hein]

For bugs, soapy water, or Windex (the "no-run" kind); the Dollar-Store version works as well as anything else. For tar, kerosene. Wipe it on, let it stand a while, wipe it off. Followed by a little alcohol. I wouldn't use acetone because that can attack the gel-coat. For pine sap, that alcohol-based hand-cleaning gel works pretty well, but it's going to be slow, esp. if the pine sap has picked up some dirt/dust/pollution.

Someone suggested "Pine-Sol" (or Dollar-Store equivalent) for pine sap; I'll have to try it; my house is surrounded by old, tall pines.

[RV Doctor]

Normally for sap will use Methyl Hydrate. It works awesome. I can’t get it down here in the US though. The US has Denatured Alcohol. Doesn’t work nearly as well to me. Apparently Methyl Hydrate is an ingredient of Crystal Meth so stores don’t carry anymore. This isn’t my story - From the Home Depot Paint Dept manager.

[skalywag]

I remember using Aldolph's meat tenderizer for the leading edge of a Cessna 172 wing and cowling. Worked great.

[Pete Hein]

Methyl Hydrate is the same as Methanol, also called Wood Alcohol. Used to be able to get it in paint stores here in the US, don't know if it's available any more.

Denatured alcohol - there are probably 100 different kinds of denatured alcohol; they're all ethanol (drinking alcohol) that's been treated with something to make it toxic or unpalatable. (This is because the gov't taxes ethanol; the tax would make it too expensive to use as an industrial solvent, but the tax doesn't apply to denatured alcohol.)

The commonest denatured alcohol contains about 4 % methanol, enough to make it poisonous and also to taste awful. Also called "meths" or "methylated spirit".

I'm not surprised that denatured alcohol doesn't do as good a job as pure methanol/methyl hydrate; it's just not as effective a solvent. (Something to do with the size of the molecule, I think.)

As I write this, I'm looking out the window at my Egg, which has gotten very filthy over the Winter. I think I'll be finding out first-hand which of these treatments works best, before too long.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Pete Hein

... I wouldn't use acetone because that can attack the gel-coat....

Maybe if left on it for a long time, but it is commonly used on gel-coat for the more difficult cleaning jobs. Very common in the marine maintenance world. Still, for bugs and tar I would agree there are safer and healthier options.