I read somewhere that Bird Poo is damaging to a car's paintwork. Because of this, one should wash it off quick if it gets on a car. Is this true?
Re: Bird Poo
- Thread starter Flimflam
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Bird dropping are very acidic. The more moist the dropping is, the quicker the damage occurs. Seagulls seem to do the most damage. You could use seagull guano as paint stripper. Their dropping are very wet and also rather voluminous. I've seen asphalt roof shingles damaged by pigeon poop.
Shouldn't most people have damaged paintwork on their cars then? 'Cause very few people have made it thru' a few years' car ownership without bird poo falling on their ride sometime.
I might add that I'm not trying to be contrary. Just something that fascinates me, since we seem to have a bumper crop of birdies where I live now.
Some folks keep a rag/towell/microfiber cloth and a bottle of instant detailing concoction in their vehicle specifically to remove glops of bird excreta.
Anything and some spit if nothing else is available.
The sooner it's off the finish the better.
Splat.
Spit.
Wipe.
Anything and some spit if nothing else is available.
The sooner it's off the finish the better.
Splat.
Spit.
Wipe.
Absolutely!
I took my son to the Palm Springs (CA) WWII air museum last month and on the way (about 115°f) a bird - or was it a pterodactyl? - shat upon my hood the most insanely large dump I've ever seen a bird do. I pulled over before it baked in and used my "instant detail" spray and a micro-fiber to clean it off.
I would have had on *ell of a stain had I not done that.
Scott
I took my son to the Palm Springs (CA) WWII air museum last month and on the way (about 115°f) a bird - or was it a pterodactyl? - shat upon my hood the most insanely large dump I've ever seen a bird do. I pulled over before it baked in and used my "instant detail" spray and a micro-fiber to clean it off.
I would have had on *ell of a stain had I not done that.
Scott
I have a hunch that this is an urban myth. My wife NEVER cleans the bird droppings off of her 2003 Subaru Forester (tho she only gets a spatter every few weeks). By the time I notice it there's no telling how long its been on there. I use a bug cleaner that gets it off just fine. I've never seen any damage to even the clear coat, much less the paint that's under the clear coat. After removing the droppings, the area where the droppings were looks just like the area surrounding where the droppings were.
Sorry, Jmac, but it's no myth.
I have one spot on my new Scion (thankfully, it's small) that did just that.
Newer paints are more "environmentally friendly" and not as tough as they used to be.
Almost every car I've owned in the last 10 years has had a stain of this type - and I wax/clean my cars a lot.
Scott
I have one spot on my new Scion (thankfully, it's small) that did just that.
Newer paints are more "environmentally friendly" and not as tough as they used to be.
Almost every car I've owned in the last 10 years has had a stain of this type - and I wax/clean my cars a lot.
Scott
My wifes old Honda went one day with bird doo on the hood and it actually etched a recessed place in the paint. I was able to flatten it out with rubbing compound and re-wax. I carry a bottle of water and a rag in the trunk of my car for just such incidents. Low sodium carbonated is best but distilled or deionized is ok too. Regular water is fine but it leaves mineral spots which is one more thing to deal with.
Scientific testing omitted due to inability to acquire funding from a government agency so have to rely upon personal observation, intuition, subjective opinion and anything else I can concoct while writing this......
Let's make this a rhetorical question.
Is it possible that insect-eating bird's "end results" (get it, "end"? Bwa hah hah hah... uhhhh)
are more acidic or contain more new and improved "active ingredients" that have a negative effect upon the finish than the "outcome" of a bird that is herbivorous and shuns bugs?
Let's try a comparison.
A big dollop of cow residue resting in the field. Inert. Motionless. Placid. I never witnessed one that smelled horrendous.
Now, mow the lawn and step in the gift from the neighbor's mutt or, pull some weeds and grab a gift from kitty.
Peeeeeeee Ewwwwwwwww
El stinko.
If odor is any indication it seems to me that carnivores produce a more "powerful" digestive process by-product.
Perhaps those who have experienced a feathered friend calling card with no negative effects upon the finish are peering at herbivore poo while those observing staining, pitting or other negatives are seeing the results of avian carnivore doo doo.
It's possible!!!!!!
May have to wait for Consumer Reports to do a long-term study.
Let's make this a rhetorical question.
Is it possible that insect-eating bird's "end results" (get it, "end"? Bwa hah hah hah... uhhhh)
are more acidic or contain more new and improved "active ingredients" that have a negative effect upon the finish than the "outcome" of a bird that is herbivorous and shuns bugs?
Let's try a comparison.
A big dollop of cow residue resting in the field. Inert. Motionless. Placid. I never witnessed one that smelled horrendous.
Now, mow the lawn and step in the gift from the neighbor's mutt or, pull some weeds and grab a gift from kitty.
Peeeeeeee Ewwwwwwwww
El stinko.
If odor is any indication it seems to me that carnivores produce a more "powerful" digestive process by-product.
Perhaps those who have experienced a feathered friend calling card with no negative effects upon the finish are peering at herbivore poo while those observing staining, pitting or other negatives are seeing the results of avian carnivore doo doo.
It's possible!!!!!!
May have to wait for Consumer Reports to do a long-term study.
My dark green bmw will stain very easily. BMW clear coat is fairly soft and does not chip easily. I understand, for example, that Ford clearcoat is very had and will not stain as quickly, yet will chip easier.
Perhaps paints are very different in terms of bird doo resistance.
BTW, I keep a microfiber towel and detailing spray in my trunk.
Perhaps paints are very different in terms of bird doo resistance.
BTW, I keep a microfiber towel and detailing spray in my trunk.
Just remember...bird poo is better than bird flu.
Not an urban legend. Keep in mind that just as in many other things, it depends on some varibles. Like the kind of bird and their diet, either their normal diet or seasonal diet can make a difference. Sparrow poo is a small dry deposit--just about always pretty harmless. Gull poo is like getting hit with a bomb. Lots of it, with a high acid content, high salt content, and unusually wet. The dreaded purple, red, or bluish poo from various birds having eaten various berries, etc., are almost sure to etch paint if left on for very long! So if you see those colors of poo you need to act fast.
Since most of us don't get to see the culprit do the deed, the safe bet is to remove all poo ASAP--and not worry too much about which species did it and what he had for lunch.
And, just for the record, I'd like it known that I have an advanced specialized degree (with honors)in Bovine Scatology from Pisson U, so I assure you that I am qualified to offer this expert and scientific opinion.
Since most of us don't get to see the culprit do the deed, the safe bet is to remove all poo ASAP--and not worry too much about which species did it and what he had for lunch.
And, just for the record, I'd like it known that I have an advanced specialized degree (with honors)in Bovine Scatology from Pisson U, so I assure you that I am qualified to offer this expert and scientific opinion.
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Well, feel free to look at my neighbors' cars that aren't garaged and somewhat neglected. Seagull krap will eat the clear coat, then the paint.
Car finishes vary greatly in quality. The best protection is a clean finish with a protective layer of polymer sealant. Bird **** eats through wax, in my experience. The same thing goes for squished bugs, which are also acidic and damage paint easily.
Based on my previous cars, I'd say birds prefer sniping red cars. My red cars were always more pooped on than my white, cream or silver cars.
Sure thing!
Hot dang, I'd never have guessed that there was so much to bird sh*t.
But seriously though, I have had many white cars, they have been poo'ed on a-pleny by all sorts of flyin' critters, and I have not noticed any damage to the paintwork.
I would not want to enter it in here for fear of encouraging Vandals, but stuff ______humans_______ put on cars can be much more damaging. You would never imagine the type/kind of chemical stuff delinquent kids can put on cars to damage the paintwork. Makes the baddest bird weep in envy!!!!!!!
SaturnIonVue is right on. Birds that eat berries have very acidic fecal matter, whereas birds that eat insects (like Purple Martens)have feces that is relatively harmless to paint. I've long known bird dung will etch paint, but last week showed me it will also etch plastic. My car was hit with a dreaded bomb on the A-pillar, and it splattered onto the black plastic housing of my mirror (it was one of those primarily white runny ones). 2 days went by before I could properly get to it, and with only a wash, the etching was very apparent. I had to resort to using a Mother's Mini Powerball and some Meguiar's Speed Glaze to remove the etching.
For those wondering, my mirrors had a relatively new coat (less than 10 days old) of Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection on them at the time. Interestingly, the offending poo did not etch the paint on my a-pillar. I have made an assumption based on this incident, and that is heat, along with acidity, plays a big role in the etching. Living in Louisiana, the temps have been in the low 100's. I have a white car which doesn't get nearly as hot as my black plastic mirror housings. I have also observed that my customers with dark colored vehicles have more etching from bird bombs and insects than my lighter vehicle customers.
Carrying a Quick Detailer spray and microfiber towels in a kit in the trunk for dreaded bombs has always worked for me. However, unlike Scottb, I will usually wait til I arrive at my destination to remove the offending dung. My wife would get upset if I pulled over just to remove bird droppings. She sometimes just doesn't understand....
Dave
For those wondering, my mirrors had a relatively new coat (less than 10 days old) of Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection on them at the time. Interestingly, the offending poo did not etch the paint on my a-pillar. I have made an assumption based on this incident, and that is heat, along with acidity, plays a big role in the etching. Living in Louisiana, the temps have been in the low 100's. I have a white car which doesn't get nearly as hot as my black plastic mirror housings. I have also observed that my customers with dark colored vehicles have more etching from bird bombs and insects than my lighter vehicle customers.
Carrying a Quick Detailer spray and microfiber towels in a kit in the trunk for dreaded bombs has always worked for me. However, unlike Scottb, I will usually wait til I arrive at my destination to remove the offending dung. My wife would get upset if I pulled over just to remove bird droppings. She sometimes just doesn't understand....
Dave
There was this one apartment complex I lived at briefly in Raleigh, N.C. in the mid-1990's. I had this white car then, but whenever I used my shiny fold-up sun-blocker screen that prevents parked cars from heating up under the hot sun, I would always find bird poo when I returned to my parked car.quote:
Originally posted by moribundman:
Based on my previous cars, I'd say birds prefer sniping red cars. My red cars were always more pooped on than my white, cream or silver cars.
Sure thing!
I kept using the fold-up screen anyway, because I did not want to end up with a cracked dashboard from too much sun exposure and heat.
I never noticed any difference in my paint. Maybe I am just not observant enough.
But definitely, I agree that flashy objects get poo'd on more.
Thanks. I'll try wearing a hat and see if that helps.quote:
Originally posted by Flimflam:
But definitely, I agree that flashy objects get poo'd on more.
Sometimes, you gotta MAKE them understand!
I reckon bird-poo has a ph of about 1.
One white cars, it doesn't show much, on dark cars - as my new one is - it does if you don't get it off ASAP.
Scott
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PH of bird poo is supposedly about 4.
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