Bug Cleaners Tested

A specialist cleaner will help you win the summer fight to shift dead insects from your car - and we pick from 10 top buys

Auto Express Car Reviews

May 2011

The warm spring has already brought out the swarms of insects that plague summer driving but don’t let the bugs bug you by using a specialist cleaner.

Left on your screen or paintwork for any length of time, dead bugs are beyond shifting with shampoo and sponge and require something specifically designed to soften and release their grip on your glass or paintwork.

Makers have yet to decide the best approach and some products also claim to shift bird droppings, road tar and tree sap. So which is the one to ensure it will not be a bug’s life for you this summer? We tried 10 top sellers to find out.

HOW WE DID IT:

Two cars not cleaned for months provided the ideal test for our cleaners with bumpers heavily spattered with baked on insect remains. We tried all the cleaners on both cars using limited wiping to find the most effective solution. Price was factored in plus we looked at how they were used with simple spray and wipe cleaners getting top marks.

Contacts:

Gunk 01709 890099 www.granvilleoil.com
Turtle Wax 01695 716610 www.turtlewaxeurope.com
Autoglym 01462 677766 www.autoglym.com
Simoniz 0161 491 7391 www.simoniz.co.uk
Halfords 0845 762 6625 www.halfords.com
CarPlan 0161 764 5981 www.tetrosyl.com

Verdict

There’s a familiar look to our podium as the previous top two (Issue 1075) are still there with the simple but effective Simoniz Bug Shifter still at the top. Gunk’s versatile Tar n Bug was narrowly pipped to the runner up spot but the cost-cutting Bug Blitz from CarPlan which combined an ultra-low price and decent cleaning to take second.