Removing sap, insects and road debris from your paintwork

• What causes the problem?
• So, how should you safely remove it?
• Then what should you do?

What causes the problem?

Although the paintwork on the body of your car is almost constantly assaulted by all sorts of residue whatever the time of year, it is often more obvious in the summer when the weather is hot and the offending substance can get baked on, rather than remaining a little softer and being partially washed off by rain.

Sadly, along with their regular servicing and repair, many motorists somewhat neglect the outside of the vehicles they rely on for their daily transport and rather than using specially designed cleaning products, specifically formulated to make removing residues easier and more effective, they resort to unsuitable solutions or to using inappropriate household items instead.

Particularly if your car is regularly parked under trees, there are two substances that are likely to find their way on to the paintwork and the windows: bird lime (droppings) and sap, and both can become dried on and be very difficult to remove.

Another residue that can regularly find its way on to the paintwork, especially around the wheel arches and the bottom of the doors, is tar, which is actually minute pieces of asphalt from the surface of the road, that appear as tiny black specks on the paint. Finally, everyone will be familiar with the bugs that are forever being squashed, not only on the paintwork, but also on the windscreen. These two residues can also be a challenge to remove.

Incredibly, the encrusted nature of all these various residues has led some motorists to use domestic paint removal products, like turpentine or white spirit, beauty products, such as nail polish remover in an attempt to rub it off, or even razor blades or other sharp tools, to actually try and scrap it off!

 

So, how should you safely remove it?

Rather than resorting to these desperate measures, you should make a trip to a motor accessory shop where you will find a range of highly effective solutions that not only make the job of removing these residues quicker and easier, but which are also designed for the job and to protect the paint in the process.

Naturally, every product will differ in its use, so always follow the instructions, but it’s generally helpful to first wash your car using warm water, ideally with some detergent/shampoo specially intended for vehicles, as this will help soften the residue ready for a specific automotive product – insect/sap remover, glass cleaner, clay bar etc. – to be applied.

 

Then what should you do?

As with many things in life, prevention is better than cure and although nothing will completely stop some sort of residue finding its way back on to your paintwork, by using one of the numerous car waxes, polishes or sealants that are available to you once it’s clean, will reduce it significantly and make the job of removing it considerably easier the next time.