Yep, it’s bug season at Tommy’s Express

Spring is springing across America, and that means communities nationwide are facing a fresh wave of springtime bugs smeared all over our cars. And whether you’re up against Florida Lovebugs or your own neighborhood moths and mosquitos, Tommy’s Express has you covered!

So, what’s the problem with bug splats anyway?

Bug splats will eat at your car

It turns out that liquified insects, along with the bacteria that try to decompose them, are quite acidic. This means that over time (and not all that much time either!), bug splats will begin to chemically cut into your car’s clearcoat, dulling your car’s appearance and putting your paint at risk.

Bug splats can mess with your vision

When you’re behind the wheel, anything that gets in the way or increases the risk of an accident is a big problem. And bug guts can absolutely obscure your vision, diffusing light across your windshield at night, smearing when you turn your windshield wipers on in the rain, or just building up until they become a distraction.

Bug splats look SUPER gross

Need I say more?

Keeping it clean with science

Unfortunately, bug splats are hard to wipe away, even if they’re relatively fresh. As a natural, organic material, bug guts are naturally oily and sticky and won’t easily mix with water. Even a good high-quality automotive soap might not cut it without some elbow grease.

And if they bake on your windshield or hood in the sun and harden up, they can be even harder to get off.

Fortunately, Tommy’s Express has you covered with a variety of wash services specifically designed to break down and remove stubborn soils like lovebug splats and other insect splats.

These include:

• Presoak treatment: Ever notice that Tommy’s Express doesn’t have a dude out front spraying down cars? That’s because our washes use a specially-engineered presoak arch right at the front of the tunnel, which applies an even, targeted coat of concentrated presoak solution to each high-soil area on your car without wastage. This presoak solution is quite alkaline, and during bug season we adjust our concentrations to make sure it cuts through thick layers of bug guts even better, along with other common car soils like road tar, dirt, dust, and more.
• Friction & pressure: After the presoak, we have stages of high-pressure body soap applications and repeated contact with soft cloth brushes to help agitate, scrub, and lift bug guts away. And because our body soap is mildly acidic, it really does a good job getting in there and getting rid of the bug slime first loosened up by the presoak application.
• Ceramic Body Wax®: One of the best ways to control bug splats on your car is to add a protective layer between future splats and your clear coat. We do this with our high-quality Tommy’s Express Ceramic Body Wax® service, which helps give your car extra sheen and, with repeated visits, can build up to provide a slick protective coating that makes removing bug splats noticeably easier in the future.

Please mind the fingernail rule

If you can rub bug guts off with the pad of your finger, our wash will probably be able to get them off as well. And if we don’t completely get rid of loose splats on your car, feel free to let our cashiers know so we can send you through the wash again no charge.

However, if you can’t rub a bug splat off with your finger, and you need to use a fingernail to chip or scrape it off, then our wash system probably won’t be able to get it off either.

In this case, you should spot-clean your bug splats with a microfiber cloth or some other automotive-safe cleaning tool. We checked with some experts, and they recommend specialized bug and tar remover products if you have them. And if you don’t, you can try laundry pads, WD40 (not safe on plastic elements!), and even cola to help break down and loosen stubborn splats.

Clean cars are easier to clean!

It’s true! The cleaner you keep your car from day to day the easier it is to clean the occasional spot here and there when you notice them. So protect your clearcoat and keep your car looking clean, fresh, and slick year-round with TommyClub, an unlimited car wash subscription only available at Tommy’s Express locations!

Why join TommyClub?

• Unlimited on-demand washes at your chosen service level as long as your subscription is active
• Contactless, express entry through the wash in our members-only APP lanes
• Wash entry based on your license plate number, no membership cards or RFID stickers
• Manage your account any time using the Tommy’s Express app, no phone calls required
• INCREDIBLE VALUE! A full month of washes starts at only $19.99 at most locations

Start today!

To get started, just download the Tommy’s Express app on your personal device, provide payment information, choose a service package, and register your vehicle.

Your subscription starts right away, so feel free to stop by and let Tommy’s Express help with your bug splats today!