Bird Poo on car
Mark Higgins14 Aug 2020
ADVICE

How do I remove bird poo from my car

And bat guano or tree sap... plus, some sobering news for owners of matt-finished vehicles

It's happened to all of us at some time; we park our car under a shady tree and come back to find it covered in tree sap, or worse still, large white dollops from our feathered friends.

What's most annoying is that it usually happens right after you've washed your car.

As many have discovered, if the substance isn't removed quickly, it could etch into the paintwork resulting in costly damage.

Sap, like the vehicles that it drips on, comes in many forms. Some saps are tasty and edible, like maple syrup, while others are toxic. Sap produces carbon dioxide and is essentially water, mixed with hormones, sugars, minerals and nutrients from the tree.

According to Dan Bowden of Bowden's Own car care products, sap is actually the secretion from bugs that are feasting on the tree.

"The damage to your vehicle can be almost immediate depending on the species of bug and the type of tree they are gnawing on, as the sap can become acidic," says Bowden.

As prevention is better than cure, the first rule is, don't park under trees. But if you find your car covered in the clear gooey substance, what do you do?

Bowden says the key is to wash your vehicle as soon as you possible, as the longer you leave it, the harder the sap gets, making it more difficult to remove and if left too long, will go black with mould.

"Park your car in the sun for about 10 minutes and let the paint and sap heat up, allowing the sap to become more fluid and easier to remove," says Bowden, "Then wash it with hot water and a double dose of car washing detergent and a soft cloth or sponge".

"For tough and resilient sap, you'll have to use bug and tar remover which is more of a solvent-based cleaner, but that's only in extreme cases".

If left too long, the sap etches into the paint leaving circular "water" marks, even after you've washed it, and the only option then is to have them removed by a professional.

carwash 08 87en

Birds do it... bats do it...

Now for our feathered friends and their penchant for garnishing vehicles with deposits of excrement – or 'poo' by another name.

Like sap, many people have learnt the hard way if they don't remove the bird poo quickly, it can lead to serious damage to the paint.

The reason this happens is that the white stuff is uric acid which, depending on what the bird has eaten, can etch right into the paint, sometimes within minutes.

Dan Bowden says: "The uric acid in bird poo is the culprit. Birds eat different things so the acid levels in the poo varies. Some poo can be left there for a period of time, while others even after 30 seconds, can start to etch into the paint.

"Like sap, the sooner you remove bird poo the better. If all you have at the time is water, splash it on to wash as much off as you can. Even placing a damp cloth over it is better than nothing, as it is important to try and keep the poo liquid".

Bowden recommends keeping a bottle of detailing or car cleaning spray in the car as the cleaning properties within the spray help dilute the poo. A soft cloth, but not paper toweling, is also a good idea to have on board. These materials will make your job a whole lot easier.

Some of it can be pretty stubborn to remove, especially on a hot day and on a hot surface, or if it has been left there for a while.

Prolonged exposure to the uric acid causes the etching and the only way to fix it is by a professional detailer, as there are no off-the-shelf products to do that.

Bat excrement is, by all accounts, worse still, because the diet of the flying rodents can introduce a lot of acid into the final 'product'. It's to be removed at the earliest possible juncture, because you might get away with leaving bird droppings on the paintwork for a few days, but bat poo can do damage almost immediately... certainly within 24 hours.

And Bowden has some bad news for owners of matt-finished vehicles. "They look tough for sure, but if they get damaged or stained, and that includes by poo or sap, the panels have to be resprayed, as you can't polish them".

carwash 11

Tips for owners

  • Protect your vehicle by waxing it
  • Check the ground for evidence of faeces before parking
  • If the poo is dry, hose it or drown it in car washing spray and letting it soak in for a minute or so
  • Remove gently with a cloth pinched between thumb and forefinger

Provided the poo is 'gooey', lift it off by placing a cloth over it and pinch your fingers together as you raise the cloth. Don't wipe it or rub it as the poo may contain seeds and little stones that will scratch the paint. Continue to spray the poo and with a clean part of the cloth pinch and lift until it is all gone, then wash the car using a double dose of car cleaning liquid.

If the bird poo has etched into the paint, which looks like a dull finish, there are body cleaning products available, and if that doesn't work, call a detailer who may be able to mechanically polish the dullness out.

And if the paint is cracked because the poo has been left on too long, all you can do is have the area resprayed.

Related: How to wash your car
Related: How to polish and buff out scratches on a car
Related: How to keep your car's paint pristine this summer
Related: Washing the car at home
Related: Which detergents to use washing a car

This article was originally published in 2016, but has been recently updated
Pictures courtesy of Pexels

Share this article
Written byMark Higgins
See all articles
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Stay up to dateBecome a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Disclaimer
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.

If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
Download the carsales app
    AppStoreDownloadGooglePlayDownload
    App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
    © CAR Group Ltd 1999-2024
    In the spirit of reconciliation we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.