Dead Bugs

[Muleears]

I love my new Cee Bailey windshield but how do I get the dried, hardened, concrete like dead bugs off of it? I know I can't use anything harsh like amonia. I've tried dish soap and trying to keep them wet to soak in but I still have little bumps all over my windshield. Is there anything I can gently scrub them off with without damaging my windshield? I have some scrubbers for non-stick cookware but I'm afraid they will still be too rough. Suggestions are welcome.

[SgtSlag]

I use Lemon Pledge: it will remove wax, crayons, and other gunk. For dried bugs, apply a couple of times, using a micro-fiber towel, and elbow grease. It works, but it is not a quick-and-easy job. I've read other posts on what to use, but I can't remember what was said -- sorry. I'm sure someone will chime in with easier methods.

The green scouring pads will scratch the plastic, so do not use those... The inexpensive micro-fiber towels have never scratched anything for me, yet. I pack them, along with Lemon Pledge, on every tour. Cheers!

[Steve do]

Yea, some of them 747s are rough, I ran into some june bugs the other night, I use glass plus, you will have to let it soak a few times till they soften up. I haven't tried anything else. Good luck!!

[Muleears]

Yea, some of them 747s are rough, I ran into some june bugs the other night, I use glass plus, you will have to let it soak a few times till they soften up. I haven't tried anything else. Good luck!!

Glass Plus won't damage the plastic? I was afraid it would.
I have only used micro fibre stuff on it so far. I'll try the Pledge, I had heard that before. Maybe it will make future kamikazee's easier to take off too.

[mountainman]

Best thing I've found is to have Plexus on shield first makes removal easier. I use a large towel and put hot water on one corner of it sort of like 1/4 the towel. Gently squeeze to stop dripping but leave water in towel apply to shield and bugs come right off. Use dry end to gently help dry shield and after air dry apply Plexus. I clean immediatly after returning home, or if on the road as required and upon hotel arrival. On the road I use Honda spray cleaner polish small can which they quit selling. Now I will be using this- http://www.originalbikespirits.com/prod ... er-polish/
I use this Original Bike Spirits Polish on whole bike now to clean but still use Plexus on shield at home, Orig Bike Spirits just does such a gret job its hard to beat and the antistatic repels dust. Plexus is to expensive to use on whole bike for cleaner polish.

If you have a real tough clean up job just wet a whole towel with hot water and drap over the shield surface and let it sit for a few minutes, bugs will come right off.

[Muleears]

Best thing I've found is to have Plexus on shield first makes removal easier. I use a large towel and put hot water on one corner of it short of like 1/4 the towel. Gently squeeze to stop dripping but leave water in towel apply to shield and bugs come right off. Use dry end to gently help dry shield and after air dry apply Plexus. I clean immediatly after returning home, or if on the road as required and upon hotel arrival. On the road I use Honda spray cleaner polish small can which they quit selling. Now I will be using this- http://www.originalbikespirits.com/prod ... er-polish/
I use this Original Bike Spirits Polish on whole bike now to clean but still use Plexus on shield at home, Orig Bike Spirits just does such a gret job its hard to beat and the antistatic repels dust. Plexus is to expensive to use on whole bike for cleaner polish.

If you have a real tough clean up job just wet a whole towel with hot water and drap over the shield surface and let it sit for a few minutes, bugs will come right off.

Thanks, those are all good ideas. I have some stuff called Plast-X, which is a headlight plastic polish, think that might work? I could try an inconspicuous spot and see.

[96desertXII]

Havent tried it on a windshield, but a wet bounce dryer sheet takes them right off on my camper.

[Mr Jensee]

Save yourself a ton of labor and keep a small spray bottle of good old generic hydrogen peroxide in your saddle bags. A bottle is only a few cents. Spray the windshield liberally and let it sit for a couple of minutes and wipe it gently with a soft cloth. The peroxide will dissolve the bug bodies the same way peroxide attacks blood. It will leave the surface of the windshield alone. It will work on chrome and painted surfaces also without damaging it. The great part, no scrubbing.

[cushman eagle]

I have been using Plexus for several years,and have been very satisfied with it.

[grumpin]

Good ideas! One thing I learned from an old Huey crew chief is, if the plastic is really bad i.e. sitting outside for a long time not cleaned and the like. Clean it with denatured alcohol, this step cleans out all the little scratches and it looks horrible, then clean it with the lemon Pledge (he told me had to be lemon!) and it will be nice. I did that on one of the Hueys and at an airshow a guy hit his hand on the chin bubble while saying " I thought there would be glass here" I usually do as mountain man does and use warm water and occasionally Plexus.

[Muleears]

Wow, great ideas all! I like the peroxide idea best, it's cheap! I'll give the others a try too and post which seems to work best. Thanks again to all.

[doug of so fla]

Havent tried it on a windshield, but a wet bounce dryer sheet takes them right off on my camper.

I also use the fabric softener sheets (dryer sheets) works very well on our infamous "Love Bugs" here in Florida.

[Muleears]

Save yourself a ton of labor and keep a small spray bottle of good old generic hydrogen peroxide in your saddle bags.

So far the only cleaner I have tried (not much time to ride lately) is the peroxide Mr. Jensee suggested. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked. It was a sunny (no shade) and breezy day so I wasn't able to spray it on and let it sit as he suggests, but I soaked a small portion of a microfiber cloth and wiped it on and rubbed it back off. I was pleased with the amount of "bug" that came off with it. Were I able to let it soak, I'm sure it would have worked better. No residue either. I'll try the PlastX polish next and see how that works out.

[Scott-(Altoona, PA)]

Cal, should you find yourself in that situation again where there is no shade just lay the microfiber cloth on the "affected area" and spray till it's saturated. Let it remain against the area requiring cleaning and re-apply your spray if needed till you fell safe cleaning the spot.
I've taken an old T-shirt (I keep my old 1's for cleaning the bike and covering the windshield) and pulled it over the windshield if the bikes left out side over night, it collects the dew and also helps to safely clean any bugs off as the dew soaked shirt softens the bugs and guts!

[voyager55]

peroxide user here to-- I also use it to clean bugs out of the radiator

[Furchin]

"Havent tried it on a windshield, but a wet bounce dryer sheet takes them right off on my camper."

Just last week I was cleaning the front of my car to remove all the dead bugs and was getting disgusted with poor results from other products and I came across this remedy. Amazing is all I can say. It really works and is easy to do with little effort. Make sure you keep the dryer sheet wet and replace when necessary. I then cleaned the front of my wife's car and thought I will try it on the bikes windshields and other parts. It worked just as well on the bike shield without scratching.