Cleaning bugs from windshields

[Lighthiker90]

What do you all use? The current stock windshield seems to collect more bugs than the rest of the bike combined. I am real good making a nice smeared mess with sponge soap and water. There has to be something faster and easier out there.

[Albert]

Not sure about faster but if you soak a towel in hot water, then drape it over the shield for about 5 minutes, you'll find almost all the bug guts melt away.

[eddd]

When traveling or if you keep your bike outside the morning dew is your friend, softening the bugs and making cleaning much easier.

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

Recently tried Plexus, worked better than my other solutions.

[Selden]

What do you all use? The current stock windshield seems to collect more bugs than the rest of the bike combined. I am real good making a nice smeared mess with sponge soap and water. There has to be something faster and easier out there.

Faster and easier may be contradictory goals. I generally drape several paper towels on the windscreen, soak them with a window cleaning spray, and let things marinate for 30-60 minutes. Bug guts wipe off quite easily this way. More difficult on the back side of the screen, which seems to accumulate nearly as much bug guts as the front.

[mrduck]

I just steal the wet hotel towels

 

 

 

 

Don J

[RTinNC]

Not sure about faster but if you soak a towel in hot water, then drape it over the shield for about 5 minutes, you'll find almost all the bug guts melt away.

 

Yep this has worked for me for years! Then a good coat of Original Bike Spirits Spray Polish!!

[basilr]

Lemon Pledge spray. With water or without, it's the cheapest and the best. After a few coats, rain just runs off the windshield. Also works great on the tupperware and headlights. I also use it on the chrome.

 

Available at the supermarket and half the price.

[kltk165]

Sprayway non-ammonia glass cleaner. Very nice write-up on WebBikeWorld. I've been using it the last two years and I'm pretty happy. For home use standard size cans can be had at Home Depot. For traveling, Sprayway sells small cans on their website. Unfortunately, they charge as much to ship as it costs to purchase. I bought a couple cans so I'd have it then got on their mailing list. Around Christmas time they had a free shipping sale and I bought a bunch of it. Works fine for me.

[Dave_in_TX]

Recently tried Plexus, worked better than my other solutions.

 

+1

[Rougarou]

Use wet Bounce dryer sheets. I have a buddy that works for a body shop and they found that Bounce sheets pull off the love bugs/bugs in general the easiest. I've been doing that for years and it works for me.

[RAMBLIN RED]

I guess you guys are worried about the coatings on your windshields. My old Aero flow must not have any special treatment so windex works just fine.

[mickeym3]

Recently tried Plexus, worked better than my other solutions.

 

+1

 

+2

[Lighthiker90]

Thanks. The hot towel worked wonders. Never occured to me to let it soak. It did end up being faster. Less gentle scrubbing was necessary.

[Michaelr11]

Yep, wet hot towels - then either Plexus or lemon Pledge.

 

Be very careful of window cleaner sprays. If they have ammonia or other harsh chemicals they may cloud the plastic.

[HeliMark]

Lemon Pledge spray. With water or without, it's the cheapest and the best. After a few coats, rain just runs off the windshield. Also works great on the tupperware and headlights. I also use it on the chrome.

 

Available at the supermarket and half the price.

 

+1

 

Costco 3-pack is a nice cheap way to buy also.

 

Mark

[litigator]

Put hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle. Spray it on, wait a little while, bugs dissolve, wipe them off. No harm to any surface.

[Huzband]

Not sure about faster but if you soak a towel in hot water, then drape it over the shield for about 5 minutes, you'll find almost all the bug guts melt away.

 

+1! Worked like a charm on this love bug infested bike.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Don't ride without the slide!

[RAMBLIN RED]

I guess you guys are worried about the coatings on your windshields. My old Aero flow must not have any special treatment so windex works just fine.

 

I guess I should 'fess up. Out of curiosity I used lemon pledge to clean the bugs from yesterday's ride. Not only do the bugs come off easily, my windshield is clearer than I ever remember. I guess the windex was fogging things up but it happened so slowly that only a newly clear shield allowed me to see. In my case the windex did no permanent harm, but, lesson learned

[Sailorlite]

Somehow it doesn't seem quite right to just spray Pledge or Plexus onto a bug-coated windscreen. Isn't that like trying to polish dirt? Shouldn't some kind of water based solvent, even water itself, be the first step? Then you go to the Pledge?

[Fightingpiper]

Always made my own and kept in a small spray bottle: recipe from the Calsci windshield website.

 

Cleaning your Windshield

 

We make our own cleaning fluid. When you buy a windshield from us, we give you a small spray bottle of cleaning fluid and a micro-fiber cleaning towel. Here's our "secret" washing fluid recipe, the result of testing about 25 different formulas:

 

Makes 1 quart = 1 liter windshield washing fluid 1/2 cup = 100ml ammonia (double this if you have a lot of bugs)

2 cups = 400ml isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol

1.5 tsp = 8ml car wash detergent (don't substitute dish soap or laundry detergent)

2 cups = 500ml water

 

 

We recommend using only micro-fiber cleaning towels on your windshield.

[Dave_in_TX]

Somehow it doesn't seem quite right to just spray Pledge or Plexus onto a bug-coated windscreen. Isn't that like trying to polish dirt? Shouldn't some kind of water based solvent, even water itself, be the first step? Then you go to the Pledge?

 

I don't know about Lemon Pledge but Plexus will dissolve bugs quickly - much better than water or any water based solvent I've encountered.

[patsmith]

I use Pledge on my visor before and after every ride.

 

[RTinNC]

For anyone using Pledge I would really suggest you give this product a try! It works better than pledge, is made expressly for use on motorcycles, windshields, etc. and costs about the same. It does not smear or streak as much as pledge too!

 

[Sailorlite]

Plexiglass vs. polycarbonate? Are BMW's OE windshields made of polycarbonate, whereas aftermarkets are of plexiglass? If so, is ammonia bad for one but not the other? How about alcohol? Even more to the point, what about Plexus or Lemon Pledge? And then, what's better for my helmets' face shields?

 

It just seems that the materials may be so different from each other that they could react differently to some cleaning chemicals.

[Unclebudintx]

Put hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle. Spray it on, wait a little while, bugs dissolve, wipe them off. No harm to any surface.

 

I just learned this a few weeks ago... works well and big big bottle is only $1.00

[rdwalker]

Put hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle. Spray it on, wait a little while, bugs dissolve, wipe them off. No harm to any surface.

 

I just learned this a few weeks ago... works well and big big bottle is only $1.00

 

Wow. That's great. Will try tomorrow.

[Deek]

What do you all use? The current stock windshield seems to collect more bugs than the rest of the bike combined. I am real good making a nice smeared mess with sponge soap and water. There has to be something faster and easier out there.

 

Bounce dryer sheet, wetting down thoroughly, then dabbed, not rubbed on the windscreen. Then let it sit for maybe 10 minutes, then the bug remains come off easily. I generally take out a couple of cups of water and wash the bug/Bounce remains off that way. The Bounch does leave a residue that washes off pretty easily with lots of water.

[flat_twin]

The best advice I ever read on this topic was to use the wet towel trick. Lay it over the windshield for several minutes. Leave one corner lifted up so the bugs can crawl off after they rehydrate! Much easier than scrubbing!

[Fubar]

And then, what's better for my helmets' face shields?

Well, I wear a Shoei with their shields and use just a few drops of liquid dishwashing detergent, enough water to lather it up and my bare hands to remove everything that has ever gotten on them. No residue and only takes 30 seconds. Fingernails for stubborn, stuck on bug guts (lovebugs suck!). Been using this method for over 20 years and no ill effects at all, even leaves the electrical tape strips at the top unaffected. Dry with a clean, soft, cotton towel.

[SWB]

Bugs? What are bugs? We must not have bugs in arid California.

 

Naw ... we get 'em too on So. Cal., but not like in the South East (man...need to mount a "bug plow" on the front of vehicles out there!).

 

Plexus is great for a clear, scratch free, buffed finish, and it seems to protect the plastic too (i.e. bugs and dirt seem to "float" off easier if the shield has Plexus on it). Using Plexus on a dirty screen just smears the dirt, and it feels like it's scratching the shield.

 

So, I use a good quality glass cleaner including Ammonia to clean the shield, then finish with Plexus. Usually, 60 seconds of the cleaner on the shield is enough to loosen the dirt, but I'd probably soak paper towel if I had a shield that looked like the above operators.

 

The goal, of course, is to minimize scratching while maximizing visibility. I can get everything off quickly with 220 grit sandpaper, but it kind of messes with that visibility thingy (don't ask me how I know this ...).

 

I've tried a plastic polish to reduce scratches, but the plexiglass seems to be too hard to clean up, even with polish and a buffer. Plexus is really the best thing I've seen to preserve or restore a scratched shield. I use it for both the bike and my helmet face shields.

 

- Scott

[Dave_in_TX]

Bugs?

Plexus is great for a clear, scratch free, buffed finish, and it seems to protect the plastic too (i.e. bugs and dirt seem to "float" off easier if the shield has Plexus on it). Using Plexus on a dirty screen just smears the dirt, and it feels like it's scratching the shield.

- Scott

 

Your shields must get much dirtier than mine. Plexus is all I've used for years to CLEAN and polish shields. It lifts the dirt better than anything else I've tried including soap and water. For a really dirty shield, I might use two applications of Plexus. The first application is to get the dirt off and I simply wipe it off without buffing. Then I use a second application to polish the shield.

[tallman]

Ammonia, and products containing ammonia, are not recommended by any manufacturer I know of.

But maybe things have changed in the last couple years w/new windshields.

On older ones it could cause damage over time.

YMMV

[Dundee387]

Recently tried Plexus, worked better than my other solutions.

 

+1

 

+1

 

[BeemerBerg]

What happened to Plexus recently? I seem to remember it costing about $10/can---now ~$22. OMG!!

Switched to Lemon Pledge--seems to work great & smells lemony fresh.

[GregsARed]

Thanks. The hot towel worked wonders. Never occured to me to let it soak. It did end up being faster. Less gentle scrubbing was necessary.

 

Hot Wet Towels work great, HOWEVER...

I read it either here or in the MOA mag that the hot moist heat may be damaging that clear protective coating on our windshields. This film is what's protecting the soft plastic from scratches. You don't notice that coating until it begins disappearing and then it's too late.

 

True or not, I don't want to take the chance. A less that hot, wet towel just takes longer.

I'm on my second windshield now because of this disappearing film.

 

And then it's Plexus to polish and coat.

 

 

 

[DiggerJim]

What happened to Plexus recently? I seem to remember it costing about $10/can---now ~$22. OMG!!

My last can I bought has a $12.99 price sticker & I haven't bought one in more than a year (I usually get mine from Max BMW while on the Minuteman Max bonus since I'm there anyway). I see it online for up to $22 but Amazon has it for $15.99 w/free shipping for Prime members.

[longjohn]

I use the honda cleaner and polish almost every time I wash it. takes off bugs and the occasional shoe scuff on the side cases.

 

http://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p/46/83/216/942/-/-/187367/Pro-Honda-Spray-Cleaner-%26-Polish-12-oz.?ref=gmc&gclid=CJbf5v6CprcCFelxQgodMkMAxg

[Fubar]

What happened to Plexus recently? I seem to remember it costing about $10/can---now ~$22. OMG!!

Switched to Lemon Pledge--seems to work great & smells lemony fresh.

Water and dish washing liquid might cost a penny. For bike windscreens I use regular car specific products. For difficult spots, "rehydrating" with a wet towel first is a great idea.

[BULLman]

Not sure about faster but if you soak a towel in hot water, then drape it over the shield for about 5 minutes, you'll find almost all the bug guts melt away.

 

+1! Worked like a charm on this love bug infested bike.

 

 

There's no proof... how, about post the AFTER pic

[FLrider]

The cheapest, most effective, non damaging cleaner...

 

Hydrogen peroxide....spray on..watch the bugs bubble up white and wipe off with clean wet towel...

[texasaggie97]

Plexus is the best no doubt. Plus it cleans your bike as well and your helmet windshield to boot.

[Jagman]

I use Novus plastic polish for the windshield and all the other plastic.... it really makes a fast job of cleaning the shield and getting the bugs..... got it at a Harley shop but you can get it lots of places.

 

www.novusplastic.com

[thebluerajah]

Just have to watch out for bees when using lemon pledge, they are attracted to the lemon.

 

[U-Turn]

A lot of +1's for Plexus and a few honorable mentions for Original Bike Spirits. I just bought a couple of cans of OBS but have not tried yet. Question, are Plexus and OBS essentially the same type of product? Does one do anything that the other can not? For example, a lot of references to using Plexus on helmet visors, but OBS can does not mention anything about using on glass or plastic windshields, etc.

[Dave_in_TX]

I use Novus plastic polish for the windshield and all the other plastic.... it really makes a fast job of cleaning the shield and getting the bugs..... got it at a Harley shop but you can get it lots of places.

 

www.novusplastic.com

 

I haven't used Novus since I discovered Plexus. Unless the formulation has changed, it's a lot more time consuming and less effective than Plexus.

[Jake]

I just tried hydrogen peroxide on some of those famous Florida bugs that have cement for guts, and was astonished as how effective it was. I'm not wasting any more Plexus on those critters ever again. If you haven't tried it, please do.

[Dundee387]

A lot of +1's for Plexus and a few honorable mentions for Original Bike Spirits. I just bought a couple of cans of OBS but have not tried yet. Question, are Plexus and OBS essentially the same type of product? Does one do anything that the other can not? For example, a lot of references to using Plexus on helmet visors, but OBS can does not mention anything about using on glass or plastic windshields, etc.

 

I think OBS is basically carnuba wax in a spray form....