Q: dirty windshield & grill after a road trip

Although bird droppings and smashed highway bugs might not seam like a big deal, it can do end up doing serious damage to the paint of the car costing hundreds of dollars in repairs. Because bugs and bird droppings do not have a lot of acid in it, the longer it sits on the surface of the vehicle the deeper it eats through the finish.

One way to soften up the harden dried mess on the windshield is to place a microfiber cloth soaked with alcohol on top and let it pre-soak the droppings and bugs. Avoid scratching the surface by rubbing the spot as this can cause unintended scratches in paint. Alcohol neutralizes the acid and softens the debris. If the droppings are too hard, try to soften it with microfiber towel and warm soapy water and then treat the spot with alcohol. One other trick that usually helps is to fill a spray bottle with hot water and some dish soap and mist the spot for one minute and let it sit for about 5 minutes.