Bird Poop & Car Paint – Preventing, Removing & Repairing Paint Damage

You parked your car outside for a fun day in the sun. When you came back, the entire vehicle was messed up with bird poops as if a B-52 bomber had circled and dropped its load.

What annoys the most? Your vehicles have never been pooped on when there was a cover on your car. Now no cover on your car and all of a sudden birds begin to poop on it. Like they knew there wasn’t anything to protect and shield your car from their poop.

A bird’s droppings can damage paint because its acidity levels can range from a pH of 3.5 to 4.5. The acid begins to burn and etch the paint’s surface. To to perform a car paint repair and get your car back to its original condition you need to follow the step detailed below or get in touch with us.

 

1. How to prevent bird poop damage from happening?

To avoid getting your car damaged by a bird poop you should always be proactive. Some of the simple things to keep in mind are:

1. Do not park your car near or under trees and bushes where there is chance the bird sitting on the branches may end up dropping their load onto your car. You can tell if that tree or area is being used by bird by looking around to see existing bird poop on the ground or other cars.
2. Wax your car as often as you can to create a barrier between the acids in the poop and the paint on your car.
3. Be proactive about removing bird droppings. Otherwise, you’ll get a dimple in your paint’s surface. That’s as large as an inch or more in diameter! Such damage could be permanent.

 

2. How to remove Bird poop safely?

To remove bird poop from your car which is freshly served by the birds you need to:

1. Liquify the bird poop to make removing it easier. Use a cleaning liquid specifically made for car paint and body. (See Cheap Auto for Car Cleaning Products)
2. Spray twice the amount on your car and let is sit for 25-30 seconds.
3. After 30 seconds use a microfibre cloth to slowly take off the poop. Use lifting and soft motion to slowly remove the poop without damaging the paint underneath. Do not wipe or scrub as the solid particles in poop may scratch the paint.
4. Use you also use a water pipe or hose if it available to lift the bird poop. But this must be done before the poop has dried out.

 

3. What to do if there is Etching because of the bird poop?

The longer the bird droppings remain on your vehicle, the greater the damage it causes. Some bird bomb incidents have caused damage as deep as 1 to 2 mils! As your car’s paint is only 4 to 6 mils that’s like twice the thickness of a notebook paper. This is just for comparison.

If you leave the bird poop on your car paint for a while it will dull the paint underneath. Once you have removed the poop you will notice a duller paint compared to the surrounding area. This is called Etching.

To repair etching you will need to:

1. Use a product similar to Bowdens Own Paint Cleanse and Restore. Using this or similar products you will clean up deeper than just using a simple cleaning liquid or water.
2. After you have washed and dry the poop area, apply some of the cleanser to an applicator pad and use it in a circular motion (follow the instructions for the product).
3. Let it dry and then buff the area up or apply another round if you think the first round did not get it done.

However, sometimes the damage is worse as you may have left the poop on too long. If there is damage that cannot be fix with the above two methods than you either must get a professional to look at it or try the following method.

 

4. How to repair damage to car paint caused by bird poop?

There’s only one way to fix and repair damage caused by bird droppings

1. Polish the paint

You must polish the surrounding of the affected area to blend with the car paint. It works and is very effective in such a condition.

This is what you need:

1. A good dual-action car polisher. Get a Porter Cable 7424XP.

You must keep in mind that these surface repairs make the paint thinner. So, you must be careful not to polish all the way through the colour coat if you have a traditional 2-stage paint. You should also not sand or polish too much.

The goal is simple: do no harm. Avoid making a bigger problem than the one the bird left behind! So, be careful and stay on the side of a conservative repair. Do not try to scratch the vehicle as you make the situation go worse.

Here are the necessary steps to take:

• Wrap sanding paper around a 2’’ flat rubber erasure to use as a sanding block.
• Wet the area to be sanded and lightly sand for several seconds.
• Use a foam spot pad for light cutting. Attach to a car polisher that utilizes Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound to re-glaze the finish.
• Use a fine finishing polish (e.g. Klasse All-In-One) to finish the job.

 

You can also contact us to come and repair your car at your own home or location. We are fully equipped for any type of mobile spraying painting and body repair job with necessary tools to paint and repair your vehicle.

Send us message with the photo of your car and damage area.

 

 

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