Do you value your car and strive to keep it clean? If so, there’s little that’s more frustrating than walking up to your car and seeing fresh bird droppings on the paint.
Bird droppings contain uric acid, which is damaging to paint. But don’t lose hope. If you jump on that bird poop right away, you can get the poop off your car and damage can usually be avoided. In this article we’re going to explore some options you have to win the battle with bird poop.
As much as it may be tempting to just run your car through the automatic car wash, don’t even think about it!
The spinning brushes and large hanging sponge towels can “automagically” scratch up your paint, by smearing the gritty bird poop or whatever is on those brushes/towels around on your paint.
How to Clean Bird Poop off Your Car
The methods below will provide a fast solution to many bird-dropping situations. However, do keep in mind that those acidic residues will begin to eat into the clear coat and paint if left untreated.
Keep in mind, as well, that sunlight, particularly on a hot day, will speed up the chemical reaction at the paint surface. You just want to get that bird crap on the hood, trunk, or roof removed ASAP.
Note: Bird waste can contain abrasive dust and grit. So, while cleaning away bird poop, especially after it has dried on the paint for some time, you have to be very cautious not to scratch the paint.
#1. Garden hose and car shampoo.
Scenario: You leave your car parked under a bird’s nest while out on the town. When you return, you find that adult birds feeding their kids have left several large areas of droppings on the paint and glass.
Your best course of action is a rapid counterattack against the affected areas with your garden hose and car shampoo. When the water is sprayed on the mixture of poop and whatever else is in a fresh example of bird droppings, it will dissolve and release the bird poop. Spray as much of it off as the area will allow, and then move on to the next step.
In a shaded location, a quick wash using a good car washing soap (Honeydew Snow Foam and Meguiar’s Gold Class are my favorites) will do the trick. Hand dry your car as needed.
#2. Quick detailer spray.
“Quick detailer” type sprays work great to remove fresh bird poop. Some of the best products are Griot’s Garage Speed Shine and Meguiar’s Quik Detailer. Either one can be kept in the trunk of your car so that you’re able to address the issue when away from home.
Simply spray the droppings generously and let the fluid soak for a couple of minutes. Then spray a second time. Gently wipe it off with a clean microfiber cloth. Then spray the area a third time and polish with a clean cloth.
Note: If the car is generally dirty, cleaning the bird poop only in a small area must be done carefully. If you rub the area with a wet sponge or cloth, any dirt you have trapped in that sponge is going to potentially scratch through the paint or clearcoat surface.
In that scenario, it is better to rinse the area down with flowing water from a hose while gently wiping it down with a wet sponge.
#3. Warm Water.
This is really a subset of method #1 above for if you don’t have car washing capabilities at your house, apartment, or business. Get out a watering can or pitcher filled with warm water. Rinse the affected area on your car generously. Don’t let it dry. Rinse it again.
Immediately follow with a gentle hand wash of the area. Use a small bucket with warm water, car wash soap, and a soft sponge. Refill your watering can and rinse the area again. Gently wipe dry with a soft, clean terry cloth towel or clean chamois.
Note: NEVER use household detergents, including dish soap (even if it’s a small quantity) for any exterior cleaning of your car.
Household detergents are potent and will remove wax or other protective coatings from your car’s finish. Car wash soaps have been specifically developed so as not to strip wax and to be gentle on your car’s paint and clear coat.
#4. Homemade Bird Dropping Cleaner.
You can also use a homemade bird droppings cleaner. Fill a 1-quart (32 oz) spray bottle with distilled water and add two tablespoons of baking soda and a half teaspoon of your chosen soap (see recommendations in Method #1 above), mix it well.
If you do have rinse water available, spray the area with the solution from the spray bottle until it is thoroughly saturated. Let it sit for a minute and then spray it with the solution again. Don’t let it dry! Soak a soft sponge in the solution while it is still wet and wipe the bird poop off. Rinse with clean water and finish drying with a towel.
#5. Spider/Bird Dropping Spray.
If the area is small, using a specific commercial cleaner designed for spider and bird droppings can be effective. Many options are available online, and some auto parts stores even carry multiple types.
Star Brite is a well-known company you can trust that will remove deposits effectively without damage. Follow all the instructions on the container.
#6. Convertible Top Cleaner.
How about on fabrics? Bird poop on cloth convertible tops and upholstery can be cleaned as follows:
First, purchase a suitable convertible top or upholstery cleaner. I suggest buying a cleaner made by Chemical Guys or Meguiar’s (which is commonly found in auto parts stores).
Note: Vinyl fabrics should be cleaned with a different type of cleaner, so check to see if your cleaning product is suitable for the material you are using it on.
First, I recommend you do a color test with the cleaning product on an out-of-the-way spot on the fabric, as some products can dissolve and remove dye, resulting in a bleached-out spot.
First, using a soft, flexible plastic scraper, carefully scrape off the dried deposit. Now, follow the directions on the cleaning product of choice. Typically, you will be instructed to wet the roof (convertible top) with clean water before you apply the convertible top cleaner.
Localized cleaning is not advisable, because it is the cleaning product that actually removes the dirt along with the bird poop and what you will be left with is a visible clean spot. Not good, wash the whole top. Rinse thoroughly with clean water after you are done.
For the upholstery areas, after the poop has been scraped off as described above, you can use a Shop Vac or similar vac to suck up the bits and pieces of poop left on the seat.
Your bird poop spots should clean up nicely without having to scrub the whole interior as the seats and cloth trim will not have ever accumulated outdoor dirt like the convertible top will.
After cleaning the spots, you can dry off the area using the suction of the shop vac or simply patting with a clean, dry towel.
What if you don’t remove the bird droppings?
For the reasons we’ve already pointed out, bird droppings are acidic, and if they sit on the paint, it is bound to get damaged, potentially all the way through the clear coat and down to the body of the car.
Fabric damage may not be as extreme, but that’s why you should first remove the bird droppings from your car’s outside surfaces in a timely manner.
Even bird droppings on glass, such as your windshield or moonroof, could cause etching in the glass that does not come off like water spots will.
If you’ve wrapped or sprayed your car with Plasti-Dip, it is also important to remove the bird droppings as soon as you can, or they may permanently damage the wrap/coating.
A simple polishing/buffing session with a DA polisher, like you would for paint, will not correct the stain.
What you do for bird poop stains that damage your car’s paint
You may be able to fix minor etching or dullness of your clear coat or paint with a polishing compound available at most auto parts stores. Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound is a good, cheap option.
Follow the product’s instructions for use. Major etching, damage from the paint to the metal (or fiberglass) underneath, can only be fixed properly by a good body shop.
Can bird droppings eat a clear coat finish?
Yes, clear-coated finishes provide a first layer of defense against the acid from bird droppings, but if they sit and are not removed soon enough, the bird waste will eat through the clear coat and damage the paint as previously explained.
How to Protect Your Vehicle from Bird Droppings
There are several options you can use to protect the exterior of your vehicle. They can help with the bird dropping issue and serve other purposes as well.
#1. Use Your Garage.
The easiest way to defend against bird droppings is to park in your home garage. I am amazed to see beautiful vehicles over $40,000 sitting outside while a couple of hundred bucks worth of children play outdoors, blowing leaves, and yard tools fill the garage.
I know it is convenient to use the garage space for the kids’ toys, but a car’s first cost seems to warrant some honeymoon treatment. Garaged vehicles are also out of the weather, remain cleaner after washes, and are cooler to jump into on a hot summer day.
#2. Use a Parking Garage.
While in town, use a parking garage over an outdoor parking lot or street. Get that vehicle under cover. You will also keep the vehicle cooler for your ride home.
#3. Do Not Park Between Trees/Lights.
If you are going to park outside, do not park under trees. I know, shade is nice, but birds use them too, and you just created a target for their shiny new car.
If you’re searching for tree shade, don’t forget to consider the angle of sunlight from the tree and where it will go while you’re out of the car. Park the car accordingly. This can frequently provide the benefit of shade without the birds.
In addition to trees, avoid parking underneath light poles when using a parking lot. While you can’t really get that many birds on top of a light pole, they do love to perch on them. Of course, the additional safety factor of being under a light pole at night should be a priority for many.
#4. Use a car cover.
If you don’t have a garage, a car cover may be an option. Ideally, a custom-fit cover would be best. However, they are not cheap. Prices can be in the area of $400 or higher.
There are many cheap universal fit covers available, but that’s simply inappropriate to defend your expensive dream car and might result in paint damage in some cases.
Outdoor car cover materials must be rainproof but breathable to allow condensation to escape.
Outdoor car covers should have several layers, and a soft, flexible material must be against your car’s paint. A snug fit is critical so that the material does not flap in the wind, causing potential paint damage.
Car Cover Benefits
Protection from the birds. Furthermore, you get protection from: fading effects of sunlight; falling leaves and small twig accumulations; frosted windows on chilly mornings; rain, snow, and even hail.
Car Cover Disadvantages
Removing and reinstalling a cover daily can be a pain, especially with your daily work week in high winds. Wet covers are heavy and can be awkward to handle. Wet covers need to be stored drying flat and cannot be folded and thrown underneath your deck.
You need to ensure that when putting your car cover on, the vehicle is clean. If the vehicle is dirty, the act of dragging your cover over it or then taking it off the car can scratch your paint, especially if your cover is wet. Also, since covers are made of fabric, there is no way to make your cover theft-proof.
Depending on your region, summertime flying bugs might also be spending the night cozy underneath your car cover. It is annoying when you take it off on a dewy morning and discover bugs!
#5. Apply a Car Wax or Ceramic Coating.
Exterior protection products can defeat bird crap. Spend some time choosing from the many excellent car wax and ceramic coating products available at your local auto parts store or online.
Some Favorites:
- Chemical Guys Butter Wet Wax
- CarPro CQuartz Ceramic Coating
Many of these products provide a barrier against bird poop when applied properly with a polisher or by hand! Removing bird poop will always be part of your life; however, the chances of rapid clear coat and paint deterioration can be greatly reduced.
Wax
Wax may be a good protector, it’s also cheap and easy to apply. Unfortunately, it only lasts, at best, a couple of months. Whatever products to use will state how long they last on the packaging/container.
Carnauba waxes, silicone-based coating, synthetic surface treatments, etc., all provide a good measure of protection.
In fact, they are easier than ever to apply because you often just spray it on (to a washed and dried car) and wipe with a microfiber cloth. The important thing to remember is that spray-on waxes do not last very long, but the convenience more than makes up for longevity.
Ceramic Coating
The only kind of surface treatment that rivals wax for ease of use is ceramic coating, a treatment that lasts far longer than wax. A wax may last a couple of weeks or months, a properly applied ceramic coating will last a year or more. The biggest disadvantage to ceramic coating is cost, and the application can be tricky in some situations.
Therefore, it is usually advised to let the professionals take care of ceramic coating, along with paint correction prior to the ceramic coating application.
But if you are more inclined to do it yourself, there are several fantastic products on the market. One of the better brands for do-it-yourself ceramic coating is CQuartz.
In general, you want to avoid anything around $20-$30, even if it states “ceramic coating,” as they will not be any better than a traditional wax.
Regardless of the product you choose (wax or ceramic coating), the goal is to have a durable surface that shines. You will notice the evidence of surface protection when the water beads up on the hood, roof, and rear deck and blows away at highway speeds.
Also, properly treated paint surfaces are much easier to wash. Often, the dirt will rinse off with just water from a garden hose.
In summary, you can take bird poop off your list of things to worry about through diligent car care and planning. Take into consideration what is recommended here and do what your time and budget will allow.