Is fresh bird dropping SAFE?

Z

zey

New member
If I remove fresh bird droppings within 5 minutes' time, will I get any damages? Can anyone confirm with me about this issue? Because I heard that once the bird droppings are in contact with the clearcoat, it'll start to react ASAP. Thanks.
 
I have had bird droppings on my car all day got home cleaned them off and absoultely no damage can be seen. I do have 4 coats of SG and carnauba wax on the car. I just don't see the rapid damage some have noted, in fact I suspect some droppings have sat on my wife's car a couple of days and I don't see damage. It may have a lot to do with how the car is detailed.
 
I think a lot of it depends on several varibles so there's no hard answer:



-temperature

-wetness of dropping

-sun/no sun

-what the bird had to eat!



Also keep in mind when removing it they are gritty and abrasive (unless they're the pure liquid kind).
 
The darn birds have gizzards which mean they eat sand/grit to aid in digestion. THis means you have nice sandpaper ALONG with acids and crap stuck to your car :mad: :mad:
 
I have had bird dropping on my truck for a long time and don't see any damage on my finish. I usually have 3 to 5 coats of Klasse SG w/ a carnauba topper.



The only etching I have is from tree sap which I have no clue how long it sat on my truck. Really left a nice mark though.
 
To me, no no no it’s not safe! I have had some fresh bird-droppings etch the fragile paint of the Passat in less than an hour. As a Ron K. recommendation, I neutralized any lingering acids with alcohol and completed a battery of etch-removal attempts without much sucess.



But then of course, no one could see it in regular lighting and only I could see it under a few halogens and a beam of fluorescents. But it does damage. And I saw it.



~bw
 
A bird dropping on the roof of my 2000 Crown Vic etched the paint job.



You can't really see it but the damage is there.
 
Let me summarize:



1) Depends on the bird, and what he (or she - must be politically correct) ate.



2) If there's sand or dirt in it, then you can damage the paint in the act of removing it if you're not careful.



3) If there's heavy ammonia it will etch the paint fairly quickly. Sometimes there is, sometimes there isn't.



Get it off as soon as possible, but get it off safely.
 
According to the pros, you're better off taking the poop off asap and risk scratching the surface rather than let it etch into the body.
 
4DSC said:
I think a lot of it depends on several varibles so there's no hard answer:



-temperature

-wetness of dropping

-sun/no sun

-what the bird had to eat!



Also keep in mind when removing it they are gritty and abrasive (unless they're the pure liquid kind).
Click to expand...



Oh and don't forget about taste, that's an important factor also:D
 
Took out my GN today for a drive. Bird bomb landed on my windshield and trunk lid. Got home maybe 5 minutes later. Delicately removed all the Cr*p. Litterly!! Anyhow it left like a ring with little etched pits . I was furious!!! I could see it in certain light on my black paint. I used my Meguires scratchX. It worked, it took about 4 applications but i got 98% out.

ScratchX has worked well for me for spot scratch and stain cleaning. It doesn't leave any other sratches or a super clean spot where you used it.
 
Mags GN, I just tried my newly bought Scratch-X today on bird droppings etched marks, it really works! No scratches and swirls left behind...=)
 
Let me confirm and underscore the lessons from above as one with first hand knowledge... those (&**&%#% birds hang out by our parking lot at work, and it is not often that you get by a week without one of them dropping a present on your car.



Be VERY careful as you remove the remnants of the attack, as they can and do scratch the clear coat easily if you are not careful (witness a couple of nice scratches right in the middle of my hood - took forever to get out).



Beware the spring berries.... deadly stuff...very acidic.



Jeff
 
I had a bird dropping a couple days ago that sat for probably an hour in the sun on my newly painted hood, and it left etching marks.
 
I live near the ocean, which means lots of seagulls and lots of seagull droppings. I am not sure which of the following is true....

either the 15 coats of Zaino have protected my car or the fish and shellfish diet of the gulls results in a dropping that is less acidic than other birds. After wetting down the dropping and a wipe off followed by a spritz and wipe with Z6, there are no signs of the dropping even under the halogen lights in my garage. I get bombed several times a week.:sosad
 
The reason bird crap will etch is very simple. As you know bird bombs contain acid, now this in itself will not etch the paint, but when it's exposed to an oxidizer it will. When the paint is exposed to heat and water and there are bird bombs on the surface you are in trouble. The heat causes the clear to expand and the pores "absorb" more, the water acts as the carrier for the acids in the bird poo carrying down deep into the pores of the clear and into the film former/binder. Presto! You have etching.



The point is, remove bird bombs ASAP.
 
We have 5 walnut trees in our Yard. Spring and fall bird bombs are a regular occurance. Less in fall and winter. I always keep a Quick Detailer and towels in the car. Keep the paint well protected and then remove the bomb as quickly as possible. Avoid baking. Droppings can be a real challenge.
 
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