Does Bug Spray Damage Car Paint? [And How to Fix It]

Bugs and mosquitos abound at the garage, workroom, and vicinity. You would use bug spray to protect your skin and unknowingly spray droplets on your car’s exterior. The next day, you notice stains on your car’s paint and wonder how to remove those. We consulted the experts, and here’s what they say.

Bug spray contains corrosive and acidic chemicals that can damage your car’s paint. However, there are several ways to remove stuck-on bug spray and restore your car’s paint:

Wash with soap and water
Use commercial cleaning agents
Do car detailing

Bug spray can be friendly to your skin but not to your car’s paint. It can effectively repel insects but has damaging effects on your car. Keep reading to learn what causes the damage and how to remove the chemicals and fix your car’s paint.

How Bug Spray Damages Car's Paint?

Bug sprays contain strong chemicals that can effectively repel, if not eliminate, insects. More often than not, while spraying insect repellant on your skin, you unknowingly drop a few sprays onto your car’s body.

You won’t notice until the droplets turn into stains and speckles on your car the next day. It is because when the spray droplets fall on the paint’s surface, they will not react immediately. There is a lapse of time until the stains become visible.

Likewise, the car’s paint is also a chemical compound. Upon contact with the insecticide, the bug spray undergoes a chemical reaction. The paint’s initial reaction is that its outer coat gets altered due to the corrosive and acidic elements of the insecticide. In this instance, the paint loses its shine and luster.

Bug sprays make unsightly stains if left unattended. If they aren’t cleaned or removed for around two days, the stain will adhere strongly and harden. It will then be difficult to remove because the chemicals have seeped through beyond the surface.

Beyond the surface, the clear coat layer could incur substantial damage, which results in costly repairs. Most likely, the base coat will bubble, which calls for sanding and repainting a wider area of your car’s body. If you run your hands over the car paint, you will feel a bubbly, bumpy surface.

Hardened bug sprays can cause permanent damage to the car’s paint. The quality and long-term durability of the car’s paint are significantly reduced. Therefore, it is a must that these stains should be removed at the soonest time.

You might be interested to learn more about car paint, this post is for you: "Does Gas Damage Car Paint? [And How to Clean It]."

How to Remove Bug Sprays from Car's Paint

Fortunately, there are several ways and techniques to eliminate the stains of bug sprays on your car’s body. Here is the list:

Wash Off With Soap and Water

With mild soap and water, you can remove stain droplets from bug spray. Simply wash the affected area, and the chemicals will loosen from the surface and can be readily washed away. You can repeat this process until you have completely cleaned the areas.

A bucket of water will do, or you can hose the water while washing whatever is convenient.

This is the least expensive and most straightforward way of cleaning spray chemicals. The water acts as the lubricating agent. This method is useful if you do the cleaning regularly and stains don’t adhere strongly. Clean as soon as you notice the stains. Weekly cleaning can be sufficient.

How about using laundry detergent instead of mild soap to use? Read this post for the answer: "Does Laundry Detergent Damage Car Paint?"

Use Commercial Cleaners

In the automotive industry, commercial cleaners have become the go-to option to restore your car's paint. The cleaning compounds that are widely used aren't confined to bug removers but also include degreasers and all-purpose cleaners. They all share common steps to apply for cleaning.

Step 1: Spray on the affected area.

Let the compound settle for a few minutes. In this instance, the compound gradually loosens or lubricates the hardened spray stains.

An aerosol spray or a sprayer is perfect for convenient application and wider coverage in just one spray. If you have bought a cleaner in liquid packaging, you need to separately purchase a sprayer.

Shop for this bottle with sprayer on Amazon.

Step 2: Wipe dry the surface with a microfiber cloth.

A microfiber cloth is always recommended for car cleaning due to its soft, non-abrasive elements. It won't scratch the paint and coat. It is highly absorbent and best complements with cleaning compounds. Rub it gently against the hard surface, leaving no lint, and streak-free.

Shop for these microfiber cloths on Amazon.

Step 3: Second application on the stained area.

Repeat the above steps until you have completely removed all the stains and the car's paint is streaking bright, smooth, and shiny.

How to Remove Stubborn Bug Spray Stains

There are instances when bug spray stains are overly hard to remove by simple surface spraying. This happens if you haven't cleaned your car for a long time, like two weeks or more. The stains have developed too much adhesion. Use this technique in cleaning in case stains can't be removed through the above steps.

Spray the cleaning compound directly on the microfiber cloth. Ensure to dampen the cloth.
Completely spread the damp microfiber cloth over the car paint with stubborn stains. Let it rest for a few minutes. In this way, the stains get soaked while at the same time lubricating and gradually loosening.
Remove the microfiber cloth. You should see the stains removed from the car paint and stuck on the cloth. This will give the car paint a clean, streak-free surface.
Hose the surface with clean water. This ensures that the strong chemicals of the cleaning compounds are washed away from the car paint that may otherwise do further damage if not completely removed.
Wipe dry your car paint with another clean microfiber cloth. You will get a sparkling clean and restored shine on your car paint.

Do Car Detailing

This step is the final touch-up to your car’s body. Car enthusiasts are keen on their car paint’s glow and luster. They think that bug spray droplets have greatly altered the quality of their car’s paint. They prefer to bring their car to the detailing shop for professional care, or they can DIY with the following steps.

Apply Car Wax

After thoroughly cleaning the affected area with the above steps, apply car wax for a protective layer. This helps to preserve the paint and gives it a shiny look.

Shop for this car wax on Amazon

Buff the Surface

Buffing the paint surface will help retain the brightness to further enhance the shiny look of your car. It will help diminish swirls and other marks on the paint.

This rotary buffer wool polisher with a polishing wheel disc is ideal for car enthusiasts. It has a powerful and efficient motor for a great polishing effect. It features variable speed control to adjust according to your needs. The handle is detachable for convenient portability and storage.

Shop for this buffer polisher on Amazon.

Apply Paint Coat

A clear coat is needed as the outermost layer to protect the paint. This shields the paint from damage and gives more glow and luster.

This detailing step can be costly to some budget-conscious car owners. It can also be time-consuming as it is viewed as car pampering. As such, it may or may not be done, provided the stains are removed by the commercial cleaners mentioned above.

If you wish to read more on maintaining a car's exterior, we have these posts: "How to Remove Bees from Car Mirrors" and "How to Remove Overspray From Car."

What Are the Recommended Products to Remove Bug Spray Stains?

To restore the luster and shine of your car paint from bug spray stains. here is a list of products automotive experts recommended that have proven highly favorable results.

Schaeffer's Citrol Cleaner and Industrial Degreaser spray form with citrus-based solvent. The product is designed for industrial use and is water-soluble. It can effectively dissolve spray stains on car paint without damaging the surface.

Shop for this degreaser on Amazon.

If you ask most car owners what cleaner they use to remove bug spray, the Turtle Wax Bug & Tar Remover is widely popular. Typically, it comes in a spray-on solution for economical use. Spillage and waste of materials are less likely to happen.

Shop for this bug & tar remover on Amazon

The most economical and budget-friendly commercial cleaner is to get an all-purpose cleaner specially formulated for car cleaning. It is concentrated, so dilution is necessary. You have control over its cleaning strength depending on the severity of the bug stains to be cleaned.

Shop for this all-purpose cleaner on Amazon.

Final Thoughts

Be cautious when using bug spray, as it can damage your car’s paint. While the most logical thing to do is to step back away from your car when applying it to your skin, bug spray droplets are inevitable to your car's exterior.

It is a good practice to wash with soap and water as soon as you notice the stains and when they haven't yet strongly adhered to the car paint. But when the stains have stayed for some time, commercial cleaning agents come in handy, which include degreasers, and all-purpose cleaners, aside from bug and tar removers.

To complete your car cleaning regimen and restore your car's paint luster and shine, go ahead and pamper with car detailing.