How to Get Rid of Stubborn Tar and Baked-on Bugs Without Ruining Your Paint

This is the golden rule. Never, ever work on hot paint. If the car is sitting in the sun, the chemicals will dry instantly and cause more damage than the bugs did.

Give the car a quick rinse with the hose just to drop the temperature of the metal, especially if you've just been driving.

I always do the wheels first. Why? Because you don't want wheel acid or brake dust splashing onto your freshly cleaned paint later.

Use your pressure washer to blast off any loose red dust or mud. Focus on the wheel arches and the front bar. Don't get too close to the paint yet.

Get your buckets ready and put your bug remover in a spray bottle if it isn't already. I like to dilute my APC (All Purpose Cleaner) about 10:1 for the door jambs while I'm at it.

On a dry (but cool) car, spray your bug remover directly onto the affected areas. I find it works better on dry bugs because the product isn't diluted by water on the surface.

Give it 3-5 minutes. You'll see the bug guts start to soften and maybe even run down the bumper. Don't let it dry! If it starts to dry, mist a little water or more product over it.

Take a soft detailing brush and gently stir the product around the bugs. You aren't scrubbing; you're just making sure the chemical gets into all the nooks and crannies.

Use the pressure washer to rinse the front end thoroughly. Most of the bugs should just fly off now.

Now that the bugs are gone, look for the black spots on the lower doors and behind the wheels. Feel them with your finger (gently!), if they feel like little bumps, they're tar.

Spray your tar remover directly onto the spots. Give it about 2 minutes. On white cars, you'll actually see the tar start to 'bleed' brown or yellow. This is a good sign.

Take one of your older microfibre towels and gently wipe the tar away. It should melt off. If it's a big chunk, don't force it, give it another hit of product.

Now we do a full snow foam. This helps neutralise the tar remover and picks up any leftover residue. It’s also just satisfying as hell.

Wash the car as you normally would, using the two-bucket method. Start from the top and work down. Leave the front bumper and lower skirts for last.

Rinse the whole car down. Run your hand (inside a plastic sandwich bag is a great trick) over the paint. If it feels like sandpaper, you've still got contaminants bonded to the surface.

If the paint still feels rough, use your clay bar or mitt with plenty of lube. Work in small sections (30x30cm) until the paint feels smooth as glass.

Rinse off the clay lube and dry the car using a large microfibre drying towel. I like to use a leaf blower to get water out of the mirrors and lights.

Mist the cleaned areas with your 50/50 IPA mix and wipe. This removes any leftover oils from the tar remover or clay lube, ensuring your wax will actually stick.

Because you've used solvents, your previous wax is gone. Apply your favourite sealant or wax now to make sure the next lot of bugs don't stick as hard.