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How To Clean Bird Poop Off A Car

How To Clean Bird Poop Off A Car

Bird droppings are abrasive and acidic, with acidity levels ranging from a pH of 3.5 to 4.5. The high acidity damages your car paint and results from a chemical known as uric acid produced from the bird’s kidney.

The bird will then relieve itself and eliminate solid and liquid waste as bird poop. If you’re unlucky that a bird drops its poop on your car, your best course of action would be to mop the mess immediately. Otherwise, you’ll risk permanent damage to your car’s paint. But how do you clean bird poop off your car?

Some of the most effective ways to clean bird poop off your car is to use WD-40, baking and hot water, or bird dropping wipes that are made specifically for this dilemma.

Read on to learn more about how to safely clean your car of any droppings.

How To Clean Bird Poop Off A Car

The faster you mop up any bird droppings, the better. Let’s look at ways you can safely clean bird poop from your vehicle. 

Using WD-40

WD-40 is a powerful lubricant, penetrant, moisture displacer, and preventative compound that works well in cleaning bird poop from your vehicle. To use it, spray a small amount onto the bird droppings and gently wipe with a microfiber cloth or a soft sponge. 

However, WD-40 may react badly with some surfaces, primarily when you use it under immense heat or sunlight. Therefore, to avoid damaging your car’s paint, use the compound under a shade or on a cloudy day. 

Baking Soda and Hot Water 

Using baking soda and hot water is probably the most popular method of dealing with bird droppings. It’s cheap, uses readily available materials, and is safer on the paint than other methods in this list. 

Mix one liter of hot water with four tablespoons of baking soda (bicarbonate soda) and transfer the mixture to a spray bottle.

Next, spray the mixture generously onto the affected area and let it sit for 10 minutes. Doing so is essential, as you need to ensure that the bird droppings are loose enough that you can wipe or spray them off without scrubbing your car paint. 

Once the 10 minutes elapse, spray the wet bird poop with fresh water. 

Spray-On Dropping Remover

You can’t remove bird poop on your car with just soap and water without running the risk of damaging your car’s paint.

The good news is that most spray-on dropping removers are non-abrasive, non-toxic, and won’t harm your car’s paint. All you have to do is spray the compound directly on the droppings and let it sit for 10 minutes. 

Afterward, rinse the surface with fresh water and inspect to see if there’s stubborn bird poop remaining. If so, you can opt to run a microfiber cloth or soft towel over the surface to wipe off the stubborn stains. 

Clay Decontamination Products

Most vehicle owners have used clay decontamination products to remove contaminants from automotive glasses and paintwork.

These contaminants include brake dust, tar, and substances in brake lining dust, smog, bird poop, and tree resins. 

Here’s the process of removing bird poop from your car using clay decontamination products. 

First, wash and dry your vehicle. Next, apply clay lubricant onto the affected area and gently rub a clay decontamination product (bar, mitts, or towel) back and forth over the affected area.

Wipe the area with a smooth sponge or microfiber towel to remove any clay and bird poop residue. Once the surface is clean, rinse it with fresh water. 

Bird Dropping Wipes

Single-use bird poop wipes are another alternative, especially for fresh bird droppings. They’re designed to soften and remove bird poop without messing up the paint underneath.

To use them, all you have to do is place the wipes on the affected area and let it sit for less than 30 seconds. Next, wipe off the bird poop and throw the wipes into a garbage bin. 

Types of Bird Poop Stains on Your Car

Types of Bird Poop Stains on Your Car

We all know what bird poop is. But, do you know that there are three different types of bird poop stains we commonly find on our cars? We classify bird poop according to the size of the stain and its condition. 

Fresh Bird Poop

Fresh bird poop has negligible effects on your car paint, especially if you clean it immediately or within one hour of the dropping. 

Bird Poop Topical Stain Etching

The topical stain etching is the most common type of bird poop you’ll come across on your car. It’s surface-level deep and easy to clean with common household products.

And as much as you can remove the stains with a machine, doing it manually is better and cheaper.

You can easily focus on the specific area without wasting time setting up a spot paint repair machine or system. 

Bird Poops With Wrinkled or Fractured Etching

You have a tough job on your hands if you get bird poop with wrinkled or fractured etching. This type of bird poop is stubborn and hard to deal with, especially if it has interfered with the paint.

Cleaning it away without adhering to a safe cleaning technique will surely damage your car paint and even expose the inner coat layers.

Final Remarks on How to Clean Bird Poop Off Your Car

The key to removing bird poop from your car’s surface is ensuring that the droppings are wet and free of solid materials. 

Rocks found in bird droppings are the leading cause of scratches on your car’s paintwork. Also, wipe gently using a soft cloth and always clean the surface after you’re done with clean water. 

If your car paintwork is already damaged, your best course of action would be to call in a professional paint restorer. Car paintwork is expensive and labor intensive. 

Sources

https://www.greenzcarcare.com/car-care-guide/claying-decontamination-guide/

https://www.nsford.com/5-surefire-ways-to-get-dry-bird-poop-off-your-car/

Zach Reed

Hi, I'm the founder of VehicleAnswers.com! Having owned a wide variety of vehicles in my life, I was astounded at how hard it can be to find answers to common automotive questions. Rather than sit idly, I decided to create this website to help others!