There are many risks that you need to face when you park your car outside, such as the sunlight or, believe it or not, bird poop.
Though it looks insignificant, bird poop can be bothersome because it can damage your car paint. Besides making your car look dirty, bird poop contains acid that is not friendly for car paints.
So, does bird poop damage car paint? According to Car Care Axpert Autoglym in England, bird poop does not immediately damage the car paint.
However, the problem occurs if the surface of the car is exposed to sunlight. When the car is exposed to sunlight, the car paint will expand and the bird poop that covers the paint will be absorbed.
As the weather cools down in the afternoon, the paint will shrivel back to its original position. And this will cause stains. The stains surely make your car paint look not as smooth as before.
What Bird Poop Can Do to Your Car Paint
- It can erode your car’s coating layer: Bird poop is similar to sap. It is sticky. Moreover, bird poop also contains high acidity. If you do not immediately clean it, the bird poop can damage the protective layer of your car paint.
- It can damage the base colour of your car paint: when the coating layer is already eroded, the bird poop will start to damage the base colour of your car paint. This is surely harmful because your car paint will look faded.
- You might need to have your car repainted: If you do not immediately clean up the bird poop, you might need to have your car repainted to get rid of it. Do not wait until the bird poop seeps under your car’s clear coat. Because it will be very hard to clean it manually.
What to Do
The first thing you have to do when having bird poop on your car is cleaning it with warm water and wipe it slowly. Then, give a layer of wax on the surface to get rid of the stain.
If the bird poop on your car is already dried, pour clean water over it. Then, cover the bird poop with a wet cloth for several minutes. It is purposed to soften the hard part of the bird poop. Do not directly rub it because you can scratch your car trying to clean the bird poop.
Then, use a microfiber wet cloth to clean the poop. A microfibre cloth can get rid of dirt from vehicles’ surfaces. Last, clean it with a dry cloth to dry the surface of your car. If it still leaves stains, unfortunately you need to have your car repainted.
It is better to have treatment for your car paint on a regular basis. For example, having your car polished and given a layer of wax to protect the paint layer.
That is what you need to do when you have bird poop on your car. Immediately clean it before the dirt damages your vehicle and causes further problems.