It has happened to ALL of us sometime or the other – you park your car under a tree for the shade; you leave for half an hour and when you come back – your whole car is covered in a disgusting veneer of bird poop.

It’s unavoidable; whether it’s the pigeons in the parking lot, or the gulls at the beach – keeping your vehicle clean can be tough. So it is common sense to know the basic methods to remove bird poop stains from cars.

Or have you just noticed an inconvenient spatter of dropping on your windscreen, and need to deal with it immediately?

This article is designed to help you with a list of tips and tricks for cleaning bird poop off cars. I will also discuss how to prevent bird droppings on your car, and general hacks for vehicle upkeep.

Got Bird Poop On Your Car Paint?

Imagine this scenario – you roll up to the beach in your new car. It has a custom paint job, you just cleaned it today, and it looks and feels like a million bucks. Not five minutes from after you park, there is a horde of seagulls patrolling right above your car. The worst is inevitable now – you are going to have to deal with all the bird droppings everywhere on the car.

Not only does it completely ruin the appearance of your ride – who likes to see a car splattered with ugly discolorations and marks – bird poop is really quite damaging for the vehicle too. The acidic contents of the excrement can ruin the paint layer and create a permanent stain.

Why is bird poop so harmful to your car?

The major constituent of bird poop is uric acid, which is a strong naturally occurring acid. If left on the car for enough time, it can corrode away at the paint layer and wax coating on it. That’s why don’t wait to clean up the mess (no matter how much you want to avoid it) – just do it.

Note: To stop bird poop from etching into the paint, we recommend that you take action on the stains as soon as possible.

So, how to clean bird poop from your car?

Use A Car Detailer Spray

1. Spritz some car detailer spray onto the poop.
2. Let it sit for 5 minutes. This gives the liquid enough time to dissolve the droppings.
3. Wipe off with a clean microfiber cloth.

How it works: the detailer spray simply dissolves the bird poop without getting through the wax or paint layer of the car. This means that it will not cause any additional damage to the surface.

Make sure not to use any rough surface to wipe off the solution – a microfiber cloth is the best way to do it, though you can also use a clean rag.

Quick Hack: Homemade Cleaner for Bird Poop Stains

It’s not always possible to have detailer spray and car polisher around at hand. What do you do if you’re at home without all the proper equipment to fix the damage?

These tips and tricks are using easily available tools that you have around the house. You will be surprised at just how effective these home bird poop remover strategies are.

Tip 1: Use club soda

1. Pour 1-2 caps of carbonated water or club soda onto the stain.
2. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Once you see the bubbling of the soda stop, you will know when to wipe it off.
3. Wipe off all dissolved droppings with a soft cloth.
4. Repeat once again if the stain is still slightly visible.

How it works: the carbonated water works rapidly on the uric acid in the bird poop and breaks it down. This is why it bubbles instantly on contact with the stain. The reaction stops when the acid is completely neutralized – and then you can wipe everything off.

Tip 2: Baking Soda To The Rescue

Baking soda is the perfect ingredient for a ton of home remedies. It is also a great bird dropping remover from your car. Here’s how you can use it for a quick fix and restore your car in a jiffy:

1. Prepare a solution of 2 tablespoons baking soda, 2 drops of liquid dishwashing soap, and hot water. Mix well till it forms a  thin paste.
2. Dab or spray this solution directly onto the stains.
3. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
4. Wipe off with a clean microfiber cloth or rag.

How does baking soda help you with poop stains: Think of baking soda as a faster and stronger version of soda water. When you apply it to the acidic bird excrement, the same neutralization reaction occurs and the poop is completely broken down. This method is quick – and the best part – it does not damage the paint layer underneath.

Car polisher: Best Bird Poop Cleaner For Small Areas

If you find your car painted with dropping from your annoying avian friends, fret not, you can easily fix it.

This method is best for small bird crap stains (around 1 inch in diameter).

What do you need?

• Car polisher
• Sandpaper (1000 – 2000 grit)
• Microfiber cloth

What to do?

1. First things first, remove as much of the excrement as you can from the paint. You can use the detailer spray method listed above to get dried bird poop off the car.
2. On the discolored area, apply a good quality car polisher on and around the stain. This will restore the original polish and sheen of the car body.
3. Gently sand down the area with some sandpaper (1000 or 2000 grit).
4. Finally, wipe off with a clean microfiber cloth.

For Bigger Stains: Use a Car Cleaner

Just noticed that huge, nasty bird poop mark on the roof of your vehicle? If it bigger than 1 inch in diameter and looks dried up – this is your best bet to remove old bird poop stains from the car:

What do you need?

• Detailer spray
• Microfiber cloth
• Fine-cut car cleaner
• Sandpaper (3000 grit)
• Car glaze compound (optional)

What to do?

1. Remove as much dried excrement from the paint layer using the detailer spray as you can.
2. Wipe the bird poop off with a soft microfiber cloth.
3. Level the area of the stain using the 3000 grit sandpaper. Make sure to be gentle and scrape in a small, lateral motion.
4. Apply a fine-cut car cleaner on and around the sanded-down spot. This will clean all the residual waste from the surface easily.
5. Reglaze the surface if required.

WD 40: The Surefire Bird Poop Remover

In the mile-long list of benefits that WD 40 has for all thing automobile, one is its extraordinary ability to clean any sort of stains from metal, paint, and rubber surfaces.

What to do?

1. If the bird poop has dried onto the car’s body, then spritz a bit of WD 40 directly onto the stain.
2. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
3. Wipe off with a dry cloth.

How To Clean Bird Poop Off Car Upholstery?

If you have had the misfortune of getting bird shit on the car’s interior, first – we are truly sorry, and second – we have some remedies!

Bird poop on the car seat? Or floor mats?

All you need is a pack of wet wipes or special bird poop car wipes. These are specially designed to work on the acidic excrement and dissolve it easily.  You can even opt for biodegradable, all-natural wipes that break down the uric acid without causing any damage to the leather of the seat cover.

Finally, have you ever wondered “how to stop birds from pooping on my car?”

You know how much of a nuisance it is to deal with this an ambush of bird poop on your car. So prevention is better than cure, right?

• The best way to keep bird away from your car and to avoid it becoming a canvass for them is to simply use a car cover.
• Another tip you can try is to wax the paint surface and polish the car frequently. This will protect the exterior from getting corroded easily by the bird poop. But remember that this measure does not repel birds – it will just make cleaning up easier.

General tips to be prepared for the occasional attack of bird poop on your car:

• Keep a car cover in the car whenever you know that you have to park somewhere for a long time.
• Always keep some wet wipes handy in the glove box.
• It is a good idea to also keep a detailer spray in the car too. It can come in handy for any scratches or stains.

So to sum up – these home remedies and professional solutions should make you completely equipped to deal with the inevitable bird poop smears on your car.

Read here: How to Remove Paint Stains Permanently