Bird Droppings and Insects Scratch Paint Before They Come Off

“I use dawn dish detergent and Coca-Cola to clean the windshield. [re: What is on the glass and what can i do to remove it]”

There's a reason they hang. They destroy anything they touch

“While washing my car i noticed those marks for birds poop i didn't saw it before today i think it sat for a few days. What can i do to remove it and restore the paint? submitted by /u/lolw4 [link] [comments]”

“I was on bed rest for 3 months recovering from surgery. I just started walking and took my car to get washed after it being outside for 3 months. It was covered in bird poop. It looks like it’s stained. Any recommendations on how to proceed to remove the stains or make them lighter? submitted by /u/Apprehensive-Anybody [link] [comments]”

it's literally bird shit 😭😭😭

“Both of our cars - one new - are parked outside 24/7 and get the usual dust, pollen, bird droppings, Southern California sunshine, etc. I have a driveway and garden hose and can wash it at home. I’m looking for the best routine to keep the paint clean and minimize scratching without turning every wash into a full detailing session. Everyone says stay away from gas station car washes - point taken. Edit : Thank you for your input. This is extremely helpful. Here is a summary of your comments - le”

Wash your car.

“I parked my '93 Town Car under a tree for about 2 weeks and now it's got these horrible stains in the landau top, I believe from mulberry-dyed bird poop. Absolutely kicking myself here, since the top is otherwise in great shape AND I'm trying to sell it. I wash it regularly and had treated the top in the past with some 303 protectant, but apparently that wasn't enough. So far I have tried to remove these with: -car shampoo -APC -interior cleaner -leather cleaner -enzyme based spo”

“Yeah I was looking for a neighbor with a white car to see if they have any tips, but everyone else is smart enough to have dark colored cars!”

“This weird mark showed up on my hood a few weeks ago. I didn’t use any new products or tools. It looks like a snail crawled across the hood. I’ve washed my car multiple times and it’s still there. It almost water proof as well. Any way to remove it ? Or what it might be ? Please help. submitted by /u/Sandman_potato_man [link] [comments]”

“Hello all, so a friend of mine had his paint ruined by some bird poop. It seemed to really get in there, from the photo it looks like it got into the paint, but I was wondering if there was a DIY we could do to fix this or at least make it look like less of an eyesore. Any help is appreciated! submitted by /u/NotIt22 [link] [comments]”

“i've used a clay bar and it's removed it no problem”

“After washing my car, I noticed these marks. I hadn't been able to wash it for about 5 months. Whenever I saw bird droppings on it, I'd always place a paper tissue over them, pour water on top to soften it, and then clean it off. Still, I can't tell if these are stains/etching left behind, or something else entirely. When I run my fingernail over it, I don't feel any depth difference at all, and I don't feel any roughness either - it feels completely smooth to the touch. I tr”

Water and a microfiber

“First picture is too blurry to tell. Second picture looks like baked on dead bugs. Foamy window cleaner gets that off easy. Or you can take a razor blade and scrape it off. As long as you don’t dig and gouge it won’t hurt the glass.”

“Hello everyone, I have some brown marks on my car that simply will not go away! My car sits under a tree, that drops these little thingys and they have been staining my car. I have run my car through the car wash twice now. I’ve tried isopropyl alcohol on a microfiber cloth. Nothing. Some will scrape off with my fingernail, others aren’t budging. Any products or recommendations to get these stains out?? Any help would be greatly appreciated at this point, tia!!! submitted by /u/FanGl”

“These spots appeared a bit ago that look like dirt spots from rain, but won’t go away. I’ve tried glass cleaner, bug remover and degreaser but nothing worked. Defrost makes them go away temporarily. I really hope I don’t have to polish the windshield. submitted by /u/Pawnzilla [link] [comments]”

“Bird poop that hasn't etched in is usually easy to remove and usually doesn't require a strong cleaner but it does help if it has excellent lubricating properties. If it has etched in you're looking at the need for a polish. To be honest I'm not a fan of Superior Products, they are cheap for reasons. I was trying to come up with something likely to be available locally and not likely to be dangerous in the hands of a novice. Something stronger probably would have been a better ch”

“The roof of my car has these droppings What are they? We normally park in garage and I couldn’t find any droppings in garage so it must have been from when we parked under a tree a couple of days ago What are they and how to clean??? submitted by /u/Flat-Win1447 [link] [comments]”

“Hi all. 1 week ago I parked in a dusty gravel lot and my car got covered in a massive amount of dust. Normally not a big deal, I’d just wash it over the weekend. Someone also wiped…not what on my car. When I got home from the road trip I pulled the hose out and washed down whatever was wiped on it because I was afraid it would wreck the paint. I thought the car was too dusty for quick detailer. Well now there’s water spots from that wash down. So i used a rinse less wash to clean the car the nex”

“First of all I wouldn't use that paper towels, grab some waffle microfibre towel. Second, what glass cleaner is it exactly? Is it maybe not diluted correctly? Third, what ever it is it's ethers hydrophilic, in this case maybe try some plain water, or it's hydrophobic wich means some maybe 70% isopropanol will be a good choice. And get the towel with water/iso really really moist nearly wet. An buff of fast while the glass is still wet with a clean dry microfiber. If it's really r”

“I'd try a few things on this if traditional cleaners aren't working right. Test a few different things here in different spots to see what will work best. Use some isopropyl alcohol on a spot, try some dishwashing soap on another, try an ammonia based glass cleaner on another. If degreaser didn't do it then I would bet IPA will get the film off. Once you get the film cleaned off use a good windshield cleaner on it to remove the streaks.”

tree sap and rotting fruit acids do the same thing bird droppings do, if it's hard, smooth, and won't scratch out with a fingernail that's already etched into the clear, not just…

“either little or none at all. unfortunately I was stupid and relied on that liquid wax stuff at the wash booth which didnt last long.”

Did your car have any kind of coating on it? Wax? Sealer?

“https://preview.redd.it/h2e0810r9gkh1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=0a60b9e87ecad00a2aa618e798200b66f2e6ef70 I came back from a week vacation and there was some bird poop on my car. Most of it cleaned up fine but there was some extra nasty stuff that left an orange stain. It feels smooth and I can't scratch it out so I assume it's etched into the clear coat or something like that. Any advice for cleaning it? My friend is lending me his buffer in a couple days but was”

How else should I clean bird poop?

“A second recommendation on the "clear" ceramic tint (yes, you can get away with it pretty much everywhere these days) - and throwing a towel over your steering wheel when you park it in the sun.”

“White subaru forester. Not sure if from tree or driving and bug splatter. Turtle wax bug/tar remover didn’t work. 1:3 warm water and vinegar got all of the roof clean and about 50% of hood. Rest are very stubborn. Not raised to the touch. Any other suggestions? TIA submitted by /u/Hopeful-Moment-3730 [link] [comments]”

“I recently washed my car and noticed these stains/spots on the paint that won’t come off. They look kind of like dried liquid drops, but there doesn’t seem to be any raised/thick layer on the surface. I tried spraying Meguiar’s Quik Wax and rubbing with a microfiber towel, but that didn’t do anything. I also tried gently scraping one with my fingernail, and it didn’t come off. I sometimes park under trees, so I’m wondering if these could be from tree sap, bird droppings, or something similar or”

Vinegar and ozone

Try boiling water

Taste it.

Only one way to tell. Lick it.

“Long story short, can’t wash out of the garage. Subscribed to one of those touchless car washes that’s 100% touchless for the time being. It sprays cleaners and high pressure water, no spinning marring brushes of death. Obviously it’s not optimal but I keep my car pretty clean so it helps with the dust but doesn’t get the occasional bugs, tar, and sap. I’ve been taking a few things with me for the pre/post wash but is there a “one bottle does it all” that most recommend? Do I bring the Stoners b”

“Hey everyone, A bird left a present on my car that sat for a bit in the sun. I washed away the actual dropping, but it left behind this dull, etched mark/stain on both the white paint and the glossy black trim (see photos attached). How do I actually get rid of this mark or minimize it? Since I'm based in Italy/Europe, recommendations for accessible products would be super helpful. Thanks in advance to everyone taking the time to share their advice and experience! submitted by /u”

“Good info above on wax vs sealant. One thing worth adding since you'll probably be doing the removal yourself: how you get it off matters almost as much as how fast. Droppings shrink and pull tight as they dry in the sun, so by the time it looks "set" it's already tugging at whatever's underneath. Don't scrape or rub it dry, that's how people put fine scratches into a clear coat that would've otherwise been fine. Get it wet first, even just plain water on a micr”

“Recently washed my ceramic coated car and noticed some marks and blemishes. Ceramic coating was applied in April of this year. One spot is from bird droppings that was left to bake in the sun. The other spot is on the bottom corner of the front bumper, don't know where it came from. My main question is, do the spots left from the bird poo look like they damaged my clear or is it all in the ceramic coating? Also, what do you make of the cloudy like blemish on the front bumper? Is it just scra”

“I've been getting a lot of bird poop on my car lately and getting ceramic coating is expensive so I can't afford it right now, so Im looking for a cheaper way to protect my car from bird poop. Is turtle wax seal n shine a good option? Or what other product can I apply to my car to prevent the clear coat damage? Thanks. https://preview.redd.it/nktdqnr6evih1.png?width=2000&format=png&auto=webp&s=de133749404e88d5e2665c98118027b7d440e3c5 submitted by /u/Fer-Nando84 [l”

Yea it seems clear OP didn’t just use wet wipes. More like steel wool.

“You should pressure wash, foam, shampoo + contact with a microfibre mitt, and then come back for a final pressure wash. Any remaining residue go back in with the shampoo + mitt. The shampoo provides lubrication to anything on the surface.”

“I feel pretty stupid right now, so please go easy on me 😅 I had some dried-on bugs and bird droppings on my hood. I first rinsed the car with water, then used car shampoo/bug remover, and after that I used wet wipes to remove the remaining residue. Now, under sunlight, I noticed quite a lot of scratches/swirl marks on that area. Some of the deeper-looking scratches are actually visible even without direct sunlight, and I can slightly feel a few of them with my fingernail. I’m attaching some pho”

“Hi everyone, How do I clean this safely? My new car was parked under a tree for about a week. There seemed to be a combination of sap (or honeydew?) and seed pods that landed on the tree and stained it. The red is from the seed pods. It's all over most of the panels of the car. I tried Meguiar's foam tar and bug remover. 5 mins and waited. Even tried it again. It didn't make the cleaning any easier. The only thing that has worked somewhat is literal scrubbing (rather aggressively) wi”

That’s bird poo.

“Thanks for your reply! I just ordered the Turtle Wax ICE and as soon as it arrives, I'm definitely going to test it out. I hope it works so I don't have to completely re-wash my spotless car all over again just because of the bird poop 😅”

“I don't have a ceramic topper on the car yet. I was still looking for a good option and seeing which one lasts the longest, though I get that in my case I'll have to reapply it more often given the amount of bird poop.”

“Glad I’m not the only one 😂. I recently started carrying a spray bottle of slightly concentrated ONR to use as quick detailer in my trunk for these same reasons. I like stopping by the gas station at night to clean up a few things from earlier that day.”

“I'm not a big car person, but I was very sick a few years ago and was unable to wash/take care of my 2019 rav4 for quite a while. I live in the South and it had quite a bit of pollen sitting on it for a while. I've gotten most of it off, but in the grooves on the hood there is some (that I assume is pollen) stuck that I cannot get off using force, soap, or bug/tar remover. I do park under a tree so some junk does fall off that onto my car. Additionally, there are these star-like lines or”

“Use a can of brake clean soak it and then use a rag they make a plastic razor blade you can put in a scraper to take the heavy stuff off for brake clean should clean it up”

WD-40. It's safe for your fingers and paint. Just let it do it's job.

“Take an air blower to clean it off to see how much paint really is gone”

“I mixed up ONR (well known rinseless) and distilled water in a spray bottle. Make sure the nozzle is in off position if you are leaving it in your car. Use soft towel after soaking the bugs.”

“2 days? Have you lived through pollen season in the South (US) - 15 minutes max.”

“I hate this too, I love my black Lincoln MKZ but every time I wash it the next day it’s covered in pollen, dust etc.”

“As mentioned, quick detailers and rinse less washes, like our EcoWash are the way to go. Always let it soak! spray and wipe might remove the visible dropping but still leave parts of it that keep etching. Spray generously on the dropping, spray on towel and let it sit for a bit. Rinseless washes have an edge over quick detailers as they encapsulate dirt and are actually cleaners, but like said it is far more crucial to get it away, whichever the product!”

“The right product for this is known as “quick detailer.” Keep some of this in the car along with a microfiber towel or two and you’ll be good to go. Some examples of quick detailers include Griot’s Speed Shine, Koch Chemie Fse, and Mother’s Instant Detailer (I have used this last one a surprising amount because it came with the first clay bar I bought).”

“I do not always time to clean my car when its clean shortly before and it get bird dropping. What product is good for removing them from glass and body without making harm and without using water? I am looking for something small and simple to keep in car all the time. Maybe some waterless product or some kind of wipes. submitted by /u/LuckyTNT87 [link] [comments]”

“I went on a road trip which lasted 2 weeks. Did not wash the car during, unfortunately but also there were not many bugs. On the way back, I got a ton of bugs stuck on the car. Came back home and did a proper wash, however there are still a lot of bug stains on the bonnet and front bumper. How can I get rid of those? I pre-rinsed the car with bh touchless at 4% dilution and then did two passes with surfex hd at 5%. Don’t understand how these didn’t come off. Should I try higher dilution of surfe”

“All over my front bumper and rear bumper there are black dots that I’ve learned are likely artillery fungus as well as white residue and bug guts outlines. I tried using bug and tar remover as well as iron remover after a contact wash and jt still hasn’t come off. Is the only way to remove this with a decon towel + iron remover? submitted by /u/yakeefan [link] [comments]”