Found this tip on the internet.
"A trick to remove baked-on bug debris from my car's front end. I get a pair of my wife's old pantyhose, dip them in Sprite soda and rub liberally. The gunk comes off with relative ease."
Anyone ever try this before?
Patrick '93 Cobra '83 LTD
Never tried that -- in fact I have never heard of that method before.
I would be concerned that the acidity of soda might attack the paint, and that pantyhose might be too abrasive. I remember an experiment where one leaves a tooth in a solution of soda. The tooth ends up dissolving.
I have found that a good quality petroleum based wax (like 'the wax shop' can do wonders when trying to remove road tar and bugs.
What ever you do I would strongly suggest that you make sure you use a clean non-abrasive cloth and make sure that the debris that is removed does not stick to the cloth or you may grind it into the paint.
Patrick wrote:
snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (Patrick) wrote in news:a523f33e.0405211057.4e429f4 @posting.google.com:
Makes sense. I guess the pantyhose acts as a semi-abrasive on the bug guts, but it's still soft enough not to hurt the car's finish. The Sprite probably has stuff in it to break down the bug guts so they come off easier.
The Sprite thing reminds me what I heard about Coke - if you leave a tooth in a glass of it overnight, the tooth will be gone by morning. Totally dissolved.
Joe Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC
Good point. I'd proceed with caution. I don't know the effect it has on clearcoat. I remember the Coke experiment that turned a bone rubbery, dissolved a nail, yet had no effect on the plastic container it was in. The sci.polymer group may be able to respond to the effect on paints.
pantyhose is still (I think) nylon. Nylon alone may be safe, but any additives used to give the plastic the properties for its intended purpose may make it abrasive to the finish.
try the clay bar method,non abrasive & will remove most anything from paint including bugs,stains,overspray,etc.
I remember when I was a kid in Philly and Mischief night, always was told to me that if you pour Coke on a car the paint will be trashed when the owner washed it off the next day...never had the guts to try, was a bad kid but not that bad..eggs are bad too, that I have experience with...arrg..
-s-
Don't believe everything you hear!
T: There was never any evidence this was true. Coke (and other soft drinks) have very little acid in them. Recently (October, 2003) this particular myth was put to the test on a new show called "Myth Busters". While straight phosphoric acid (the acid in Coke) did in fact dissolve part of a tooth and a piece of meat, the same two items in Coke did not dissolve."
Nevertheless, I would hesitate to deliberately apply soda to my car's finish.
That would be very noisy, unless you remember to first remove your wife.
Something I do know about Coke is its ability to eat rust off metal. Recently I had some rusty old nuts/bolts from an old wooden/cast-iron park bench that I was redoing. I dropped the nuts and bolts into a cup a coke overnight and the next morning they where as clean as a whistle.
Patrick '93 Cobra '83 LTD
snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (Patrick) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com:
Sort of like Naval Jelly.
Joe Calypso Green '93 5.0 LX AOD hatch with a few goodies Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC
"Joe" wrote steve wrote
My understanding is that coke or grape kool aid strips rust but not the cad plating on the bolts. Naval jelly will.
Phosphoric acid will dissolve rust but not the base metal. That's why Coke does it. Not sure about the ingredients in navel jelly stripping cad. I've noticed "real" etching solutions will really take off galvanizing, though.
Personally I am partial to black lacy panties with cotton 'floss' pieces. I can honestly say no harm has been done to any finish in my presence with panties... :-)
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