Combat Insects and Pollen: A Guide to Cleaning Car Stains

During spring and summer, with rising temperatures and increased wildlife activity, insects and pollen become abundant. When driving, especially on highways or at high speeds, they collide with the windshield, headlights, and other car surfaces.

Insect remains can be quite difficult to remove once dried, as they contain proteins and other substances that adhere strongly to surfaces and can even damage the paint if not cleaned promptly.

Pollen, often visible as a yellow or greenish dust, settles on all exposed surfaces, including car windows. Although not as abrasive as insect remains, it can reduce visibility and, when combined with moisture (dew, light rain), can form a sticky layer that is hard to remove with just the wipers. Additionally, it is an allergen for many people.

Another common but less frequent element that can impact and stick to our car is tree sap, especially if parked under certain trees like pines or lindens. These trees can release small drops of sticky sap that adhere to the bodywork and windows. It is very difficult to remove without specific products.

To keep windows clean and visibility optimal during these seasons, it is advisable to use windshield washer fluids specifically for insects and pollen, and to wash the car more frequently. In any case, consider these guidelines:

One of the factors that makes them difficult to remove is that they dry out with the wind and heat. The best way to avoid losing visibility on the windshield is to fill the washer fluid tank before a trip and use it as soon as there are some insect remains on the glass. Do not wait until visibility is completely lost; use the wipers frequently to prevent them from drying out and becoming impossible to remove with just the wipers.

Glass cleaner foam is very effective at removing insects from the windshield.

If this product is not available, the best way to remove insects from the windshield is to first wet them with warm water and then use a high-pressure hose to spray water as if it were a spatula.

To prevent insects from embedding too deeply and to make windshield cleaning easier, it may be a good idea to pre-treat the windshield with a rain repellent. The film these products form on the glass also prevents insects from sticking too much and makes subsequent cleaning easier.

One of the most common habits is to add dishwashing liquid to the water normally used to fill the windshield washer tank. Although it is a powerful degreaser, this practice can cause some problems.

Unless absolutely necessary, we should avoid it, as this type of soap tends to produce a lot of foam, which is not good for many of the components in the windshield washer system.

The foam is mainly composed of air bubbles. The electric pump that draws the cleaning liquid to spray it on the glass suffers a lot with the foam, as it causes it to heat up more than usual and also reduces its lubrication, accelerating wear.

According to experts from Autocasión, in the circuit that the windshield washer fluid travels, in addition to the pump, the hoses that carry the liquid to the nozzles and these, there are small non-return valves. These keep the circuit filled with liquid so that there is no delay from when we activate the switch until the water starts coming out of the sprayers. These valves consist of a spring and a rubber membrane that can be damaged by soap. If perforated, in addition to leaks, the circuit becomes unprimed.

The foam also causes, when sprayed on the glass, a significant reduction in vision until the wipers pass over the windshield, leaving us blind for a few moments, which can be dangerous. Additionally, dishwashing liquids are not usually effective at removing insect remains, which are the main cause of reduced visibility.

The front of the car, especially the edge of the bonnet, is the part that suffers the most from insect impacts. The best way to protect it is to use sealants and waxes that, as with the windshield, prevent the remains from embedding too deeply.

The most important thing is not to scrub insect remains with a sponge under any circumstances. If we do, we are likely to not remove the stains, and the hard parts of their exoskeletons will scratch the paint. The best way to remove insects from the front of the car, mirrors, etc., is to follow these steps:

Moisten the area to be cleaned with warm water and let it sit for a while to soften. In a pressure wash, use the hot water jet with soap to remove solid residues (be careful with the license plate numbers, as it is easy to peel off the white reflective adhesive with the water jet). Once free of their exoskeletons, we can remove the stains by scrubbing with a sponge or a soft brush.

In pressure washing centres, it is advised to maintain a minimum distance of 30 cm from the tip of the lance to the vehicle to avoid excessive water pressure on the car.

If we want to prevent, to protect the bodywork, we can use wax on the front part where mosquitoes usually settle, which, although it will not prevent them from crashing into that area, will protect the paint and bodywork.