Can Bird Poop Damage Car Paint?

Bird poop is a common problem for most car owners. These situations sound insignificant to others but it’s dangerous for the vehicles. The excretion can cause stains, but can bird poop damage car paint?

Generally, yes bird poop can damage car paint. Their feces contain acids that can penetrate the clear coat. It can reach the metal parts of the car if ignored for a long time.

Car owners should immediately apply proper measures for the bird poop in the car. These are harmful to the paint and hard to remove. Continue reading as we will discuss the effects, types, cleaning methods, and how to protect your car from bird poop.

Why Is Bird Poop So Bad?

Bird poop contains uric acid and has a pH level of 4. It can seriously affect the clear coating of your car due to these components.

Birds don’t urinate instead their pee is mixed in their poop. The substance they excrete can cause damage from the top layer of the clear coat down to the metal surface of the car.

Exposure to heat can increase its harmful results on the paint. It looks harmless but it’s considered acidic that paint coatings can’t withstand over time.

Bird poop is difficult to completely clean. Water can somewhat remove uric acid. Without the proper cleaning solutions, you might worsen the damage to the paint.

How Long Does It Take for Bird Poop to Stain Your Car Paint?

The paint damage will show up within 48 hours after the bird poop came in contact. The deterioration of the coat starts when the feces break down and stain the surface. Once this happens, the bird excretion is hard to remove.

If you try to clean the bird poop stain, it will fade the car paint. These stains are signs that the poop started to dissolve the clear coat. 

A clear coat has a major role in the protection of the paint from harmful outdoor elements. The best examples of these are ultraviolet rays. Without a clear coat, the color of your car becomes dull and exposed to damaging factors.

It’s important for you to immediately apply proper solutions. In this way, you can prevent the deteriorating effects of bird poop on the paint of your car.

Types of Bird Poop Damage

A variety of bird poop leaves different intensities of damage. By knowing these, you can find the right methods of cleaning without harming the car paint.

Commonly, the factors that affect the bird poop’s acidity depend on the time, size, and location. Make sure you read the following information to determine it properly.

Fresh Bird Poop Damage

The first type of bird poop damage is the fresh ones. You either detect it in the bird’s excretion hours or instantly after they left it in your car. Fortunately, if you can find it immediately, you can clean it with lesser chances of damaging the car’s surface.

Wrinkled or fractured etching

Wrinkled or fractured etching is caused by the bird poop’s prolonged exposure. It’s a sign that the car’s clear coat may sustain damage. Usually, these are left unnoticed for about 48 hours.

Wrinkled bird poop occurs due to its attachment to the car paint. They are usually difficult to clean and once removed, they can fade the paint of your car.

Proper tools and solutions or cleaners are highly recommended. Avoid applying harmful substances that can aggravate the bird poop’s component.

If you are uncertain, you can consult your car manufacturer or experts. They can give you effective advice on how to prevent completely impairing the surface of your car paint.

Topical stain etching

This type of stain did not seep into the car paint. With such, you can simply remove the bird poop by wiping it.

Although these may not affect the paint, experts may prefer using strong substances to remove it. They know how to apply it with proper precautions. It’s one of the best options when preserving the coating of your car.

How to Clean Bird Poop off Your Car

Prevention is better than cure. As much as possible, you must protect the outer parts of your car since the paint is vulnerable.

You can use a platinum shield car cover when leaving your car outdoors. It is a highly recommended material to prevent bird poop from seeping into the car paint.

There may be some kinds of damage that you can easily clean. This is not an assurance for you to leave your car exposed to outdoor elements. You can follow these processes when cleaning the bird poop off your car:

Use a wet paper towel or microfiber cloth

You can easily wipe off the bird poop with these materials if it is fresh. It will simply come off without damaging the clear coat.

For the hard stains, you need to put a damp paper towel on top of the bird poop. Leave it for about10 minutes and wipe it with the microfiber cloth.

A mixture of mild dishwashing soap and water is safe when cleaning. If you encounter rigid stains, you can use this solution to remove them.

Cleaning solutions

There are old stains that stayed in the car paint. To dissolve it, you can use cleaning solutions that are recommended for maintenance.

For an alternative, try to place club soda on the cloth you have. This can help remove the hard mess and wipe off the acid.

After the cleaning process, put paint protection to impede the acid movement in the paint. It’s ideal to use it to prevent the damages from escalating.

Go to auto repair shops

Wrinkled or fractured etching damages need professional cleaning methods. In this situation, it’s advisable to bring our car to an auto repair shop.

The experts in the shops will repaint the affected areas. These parts are deteriorated by the bird poop and the acid has penetrated them.

How to Protect Your Car Against Bird Poop Damage

The best way to protect your car from bird poop damage is to use a car cover. Parking your car outdoors can expose it to numerous harmful factors. Covering it can prevent these from damaging the car paint surfaces.

Before buying a car cover, make sure to know the measurement. The place where the park also influences the level of protection that you need. Satin covers are good for indoor parking while waterproof covers are preferred for outdoors.

Choosing a location to park is another option to avoid bird poop. Birds usually stay in trees, building edges, dumpsters, etc. If you can find their presence, you should protect your car immediately.

Conclusion

Bird poop contains harmful elements that can wear out the car paint. You’re fortunate if you found the mess immediately. Instances like being left for more than two days can have a significant effect not only on the clear coat but also on the metal parts. Always guarantee that you cover your car when parking outdoors to prevent the bird poop off your car surfaces.