How to Remove Bird Poop On Car: The SAFEST Methods 🐦

Understanding Bird Poop: What's In It?

Bird poop is different from everyday mud and dirt. To know how to clean it properly, we need to understand what it is and how it can damage a car's paint.

Bird poop is actually a combination of number 1s and number 2s. Unlike most animals, birds go all at once, and the resulting mess contains both uric acid and sharp grains. What does that mean for us? Well, imagine someone mixing up sand with some acid and then leaving it on your hood all day to dry.

That's what we are dealing with!

The Game Plan: How To Avoid Scratching Your Paint When Removing Bird Droppings

Time is of the essence.

It's critical to deal with pooped-on paintwork as quickly as possible. The moment that acid touches the surface, it will set to work eating away at your shiny paint finish. If it's left to sit for a few hours, the result can be permanent and clearly visible etchings or stains that will take some serious effort to conceal.

No wax or ceramic protection? Then your window of opportunity will be even shorter.

Of course, when you're just getting home late at night, it can be tempting to put the job off until morning, but trust us, your bodywork will thank you for taking action fast!

Proper cleaning can also be difficult if you are on-the-go and don't have cleaning equipment with you. But read a little further, and we have a solution that means you are never left in a fix again.

So, we know we have to move fast. But how do we do it?

The key is to avoid any movement that will drag those small sharp grains across the paint. Especially if you don't have a way to lubricate the surface first. Avoid any wiping or scrubbing actions. Instead, contactless removal is the way to go.

If You're At Home: Try This First

A good old-fashioned garden hose is a great place to start. If the droppings are very fresh, then this might be all you need.

Start by giving it a quick dousing with water to soften the droppings. After waiting a couple of minutes, the water pressure might be enough to blow all the muck and grains from the surface.

If you have access to pressurized air, then this is very handy for targeting those last few grains. Or maybe if spraying a hose around is annoying your neighbors!

Next, look closely to check if all the solid pieces are gone. Then wipe the surface down with a microfiber towel before re-applying your chosen sealant: a wax or ceramic coating. The acid will probably have eaten away some of this layer already, so a re-application will ensure your ride is fully protected. We recommend Ceramic Spray by Torque Detail  for great shine and long-lasting protection

The Turbo Method - Best Way To Remove Bird Poop From Your Car

In reality, however, things aren't always that easy. Even if we have a hose or pressurized air at home, we probably won't have them with us when disaster strikes. Or, we return to our once-pristine car after a few hours and find the droppings have already dried on.

The perfect solution needs to be highly portable while providing enough cleaning power, contactless pressure and lubrication to clean safely and effectively. Lubrication really is the key here.

Spray-application car detailers fit the bill perfectly. We use Turbo Waterless Detailer and have consistently gotten great results.

How to use Turbo Waterless Detailer to banish that bird poop:

• Get close. Hold the spray nozzle about one inch from the droppings and give it a few strong sprays. If it's caked-on hard, wait one or two minutes for the lubricants to absorb and soften everything up, and then spray again. Try to use the pressure to blow the muck away. The lubricants will help the abrasives (seed particles for example) glide over the paintwork without digging in and causing scratches.
  
• Catch the excess liquid and poop by holding a microfiber cloth against the bodywork where you expect the liquid to run off.
  
• If the pressure didn't clear everything, then take a clean microfiber cloth, fold it into a square, and spray with Turbo Waterless Detailer. Lay that section of the towel gently over the droppings. Then pour a little clean water over the towel to make it cling to the bodywork.
  
• Gently roll the towel up and off the surface (Not wipe). Any remaining particles should cling to the towel. If needed, repeat this stage with a fresh section of the towel.
  
• When you're confident that no potentially abrasive pieces are left, give the surface a thorough wipe down with a clean microfiber towel
  
• Then you're ready to re-apply your wax, sealant or ceramic coating and congratulate yourself on successfully dealing with a potentially paint-wrecking problem! Apply Ceramic Spray (recommended) or Mirror Shine.

Ensure that you are always prepared: Store a bottle of Turbo Waterless Detailer and a microfiber cloth in your car. When the birds attack, you will be able to deal with the problem before it gets a foothold!

Is Turbo Waterless Detailer JUST for bird poop?

Hell to the no.
It's got so many great uses. The Swiss Army Knife of car detailing!

Take a look at some of our customer-submitted photos below:

It’s really one of our most versatile products!

It was developed to be the best waterless car-wash product on the market. But, since launching, we have discovered that its cleaning and lubrication properties, combined with the spray-application, and anti-static properties also make it the best solution for many other tasks, including safely removing bird droppings

Turbo Waterless Detailer gives the whole of your car exterior a thorough and easy clean while avoiding the mess of a water wash. With anti-static and hydrophobic properties, it will repel both dirt and water. Unlike many other car cleaning products, it can be used safely on paint, glass, chrome, alloy, plastic and more for a streak-free, high-shine finish. We get particularly stunning results when using it as a final finish on top of wax or ceramic coatings!

In summary, Turbo Waterless Detailer is the swiss army knife of detailing products. Not only will allow you to give a full shine-enhancing wash to your car without having to bust out the hose … but it will also save you in emergency detailing situations such as a bird unloading on your ride. I keep one bottle of Turbo Waterless Detailer in my vehicle at all times along with a clean pack of high quality microfiber towels.

Alternative Bird Poop Removing Products: A Worthwhile Investment or a Pile of Bird Poop?

Dedicated Bird Poop Removing Products? Should You Bother?

We’ve already gone through what we believe is the best way to remove bird poop — The Torque Method. Here are some additional methods for you to try out if you don’t have a bottle of Turbo Waterless Detailer on hand.

I've tried out my fair share of bird poop removing products. From my experience, they aren't all that special. The ones I've tried had similar effects that you would see from Turbo Waterless Detailer or even WD-40. I expected them to better penetrate the really baked-on bird droppings but unfortunately it didn't work out that great. Has your experience been similar with dedicated bird poop removing products?

Once again, I prefer to just keep a Turbo Waterless Detailer in my vehicle as it's a multi-purpose product that doesn't take up much space.

WD-40

Some people tout WD-40 as a useful method for de-pooping paintwork. When tested, the high-pressure spray and lubrication have made it a useful tool for initially removing the droppings.

It’s perfectly safe on paint but when it comes to wax and sealants, that’s another story. Many people have reported it damaging or discoloring their wax jobs. You may very well have to re-apply your wax after using it. From what I have seen, it will not remove your sealant of choice but it might discolor it.

Besides that, the only other downside of using WD-40 as your emergency bird poop remover tool of choice is that it could give your car an oily smell. It’s also no fun to pick up a can that still has oil residue on it.

Baking Soda and Water

This one has to be a no-brainer, but some people still promote it as a good method for removing bird poop!

While it might dislodge the offending gunk, baking soda and water is both a corrosive alkaline (pH-8.3) and an abrasive. Steer clear! This means that you would likely strip your wax and put scratches in your paint job.

Seltzer / Club Soda

Unfortunately, what makes club soda effective – it's acidity – is also what makes it unsuitable for use on paintwork. It could very well strip your car’s wax job. As a general rule, leave household items where they belong: In the household.

Bird Dropping Wipes

There are some wipes available that are marketed explicitly as bird poop removal products. These are definitely a convenient option. They work best with wet droppings as they’re easier to remove.

As we know, wiping is the last thing we want to be doing for hard, baked-on droppings! For a rental car - don't tell the company! - they could be a quick solution to save any embarrassing mess. But for those of us who take pride in keeping our machines in top condition, wipes might not be a great solution long term

How To Get Rid Of Bird Poop Stains On Your Car?

So, despite your best efforts to deal with any bird droppings quickly, you get out to the car in the morning, and the worst has happened! After a careful clean, it becomes clear that the damage is done: bird poop has etched away your paint.

You're less likely to have stains if...

...you use Turbo Waterless Detailer! Here's a clear benefit of using a multi-purpose product. We designed it as a waterless wash that not only enhances your wax or ceramic coatings but also has the ability to remove waterspots. Waterspots are quite similar to the stains left by bird poop and most of the time, Turbo will make them disappear.

What can you do?

The good news is that the damage will probably be only skin-deep. The poop probably won't have eaten through all the paint layers, unless it has been there for a very long time.

The damaged area will need to be polished down to reveal the fresh, undamaged paint underneath. The surrounding area will also need to be polished to blend the two sections together and create a smooth, blemish-free finish.

Polishing can be a time-consuming process and one that takes a lot of care to complete successfully. But, if you feel confident, it is possible to do it at home. Otherwise, we suggest enlisting the help of the professionals at a respected paint or body shop.

If you would like to give it a go yourself, here is an outline of what is involved.

Tools/Materials Needed To Fix Bird Poop Stains & Etchings

• Decon Soap
• Microfiber wash mitt (Included for free when you purchase Decon Soap)
• Reverse: Scratch and Swirl Mark Remover
• Microfiber towels
• Ceramic Spray

The first step is to give your car a basic car wash. It’s important to use Torque Detail Decon soap as it’s important we remove the vehicle’s existing wax, sealant or ceramic coating. You don’t have to wash your entire vehicle — only the affected panel — but hey, if you’ve got a free weekend, go for it!

Mix a bucket of Decon Soap and water. Dip in your wash mitt and begin sudsing up the panel you would like to clean. After washing it good, give it a final rinse.

Dry the area using a clean microfiber cloth. If you notice it’s still dirty, repeat the soap wash process until clean. If you still feel rough bits when running your hand across the panel, you may want to purchase our Clay Bar Kit to further decontamize the surface.

With the panel dry and clean, begin buffing in the Reverse Scratch and Swirl Mark Remover using your microfiber towel. After a thorough hand buffing, use a clean microfiber towel to dry it out. At this point, your bird poop etching should be gone.

Give your car a great shine and up to one year of protection by applying Ceramic Spray. Spray on a little bit (a little bit goes a long way) and hand buff it thoroughly using a clean microfiber towel until you get your desired shine.

Summary

Let's face it. Finding your glossy paintwork spattered with bird droppings is never a fun moment. But now, armed with the information here, the next time your ride gets some unwelcome decorations, you will be well-equipped to stop an annoyance becoming a nightmare!

Here's the ten-second take-away:

• Speed, speed, speed!: You can't ever be too quick to deal with bird poop.
• Abrasion is your enemy: Avoid any dry wiping or scrubbing. Don’t be a noob; use lube.
• Contactless washing: A garden hose and compressed air is a good start. But for quick, consistent and professional results, Turbo Waterless Detailer has got you covered.
• Lift the dirt away instead of wiping: After spraying Turbo Waterless Detailer and covering the bird droppings with a microfiber cloth, gently lift the poop away from your paint slowly and gently.
• Surface preparation: Keeping your car protected with a quality sealant, wax or ceramic coating buys you precious time before the real damage is done.
• Never get caught short: Keep the tools for the job with you wherever you go.
• Etchings can be cured: Don't lose hope! With the right tools and some extra work, you can repair almost any scar that bird poop leaves behind!

Microfiber towels are machine washable: You don’t have to go through a small fortune of them wiping up bird poop. Keep a mini “laundry hamper” in your car (Those free strong cardboard boxes the autoparts store gives you work great) and toss them in after use to be washed.