Bird poop is among the leading causes of damaged paintwork on your car! I bet you didn’t know that, did you? As cute as they may be, birds can pose a great threat to the well-being of your posh car, especially when you forget to park it inside the garage.
Bird droppings contain high levels of uric acid that can corrode your vehicle’s exterior and leave it looking distasteful. It is best to sooner remove the poop from your car than later as the longer it stays there, the worse the damage!
Luckily, you can address the problem before it gets out of hand! In this post, we look at some homemade cleaning agents you can use to clean bird poop off your car.
What is the Effect of Bird Poop on Your Car?
A car covered in bird droppings not only looks nasty but also smells just as bad. However, that is just the beginning of your troubles, there’s a lot more damage to worry about.
Bird droppings contain a highly acidic uric acid that can be seriously damaging to car paint. With a pH of 3, only two days is enough for this corrosive substance to strip away the vehicle's clear coat and bleach its exterior - further pressure from a visit to the car wash may even cause etching!
Beyond corrosion, some birds also ingest gravel; if these particles remain undigested upon excretion, they could scratch your ride when you try wiping off their poop.
The best way to avoid all this damage and any possible additional costs for repairs, is to get rid of the bird poop as soon as possible!
Removing Bird Poop from Your Car
Got a case of the birdy blues? Winging it with your car's exterior cleaning can be challenging. Let DIY enthusiasts take heart: there are several eco-friendly solutions you can make in the comfort of your home to tackle tricky old avian byproducts – and before any serious damage gets done! Here’s what experts recommend…
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a go-to home ingredient for cleaning and deodorizing just about anything! What you didn’t know is that it makes for an excellent car soap alternative that will safely and effectively get rid of bird droppings, as well as other blemishes.
Place two spoons of baking soda in a spray bottle and mix it with a tiny squirt of dish soap before adding a small cup of hot water. Shake the mixture well until it is fully dissolved to make your cleaning solution.
To clean your car, spray the solution directly on the bird poop patches and let it soak in for around 15 minutes. Rinse away with a splash of water and keep on repeating the cycle until all the dropping stains are gone.
This cleaning process will be great for cleaning bird poop off the paint job, windows, and bumper but can also be used to remove bugs from the front of the car.
Carbonated Water
The other inexpensive ingredient you can readily access at home is club soda. This is not only safe for your car's paintwork but also does a great cleaning job.
If you find your car's exterior has been soiled by bird droppings, try spraying a solution of carbonated water over the area. Let this sit for five minutes to dissolve and lift away dried-on excrement quickly and effectively. Adding extra pressure from a spray bottle can make all the difference!
Take a slightly soaked piece of cloth or wipes and wipe off the softened stains from the car but you can also use wipes. This will get your car looking clean and fresh without affecting the paintwork.
For the poop stains on the windshield, you can simply let the wipers do the wiping job for you!
Ordinary Window Cleaner and Vinegar
Cleaning off car poop doesn't have to involve shopping for expensive commercial solutions. In fact, you can start in your very own kitchen! Combining window cleaner and either vinegar or lemon juice creates a super-cleanser that is highly effective against hardened residues like poop.
The acidity of the ingredients helps break down those tough messes while leaving behind an immaculate finish afterwards – all without breaking the bank.
Take a glass of window cleaner then add a little bit of vinegar. Take care not to add too much vinegar as excess acidity can be counterproductive and end up causing discoloration and other blemishes.
The downside of this method is that you may not like the smell of the vinegar. Adding shampoo or any other sweet-smelling substance will improve the smell of the solution!
Unscented Liquid Laundry Soap
Finally, you can also use your liquid laundry soap to get rid of the bird droppings, especially if they ended up on your car seats. However, let the dropping dry out completely before starting the cleaning process so that you don’t damage the upholstery.
To successfully remove pet stains from car upholstery, start by scraping off the dried matter with a nail file or other suitable tool. Next, apply some unscented laundry soap to the affected area and gently pat it in using a damp piece of cloth.
Once fully absorbed into the fabric, scrub lightly until no more detergent bubbles are produced - you'll know your stain is gone when nothing but a clean-looking patch remains!
Once you have done this for all the pooped areas on your car seat, park the car in a safe place and let it air-dry. Just remember not to park it under a tree!
Alternatives to Homemade Cleaning Solutions
The above ingredients are great for cleaning bird poop off your car but since they are homemade and not specifically designed for this job, you may not get the perfect results.
With this in mind, you can opt for alternative retail products that have been made specifically for removing bird poop. These will typically be available in your neighborhood store and include products like:
- Goo-Gone Adhesive Remover
- Bird-Shit Remover
- Poop-Off Spray
Final Thought
There is no denying that removing bird poop from your car can be a pain in the neck! Most motorists would rather just take the vehicle to the carwash but if you want to save a quick buck, there are easy homemade solutions for this!
This article discusses several methods you can use to clean bird poop from your car using readily available homemade cleaning solutions! Now you never have to worry about bird droppings on your car again!