Help, I just got car yesterday. It was raining pretty hard, so I wasn't able to wash it. I got the car with a big long drip of bird shit on the passenger side. I think it may have been there for a few weeks.

I tried wetting a terry cloth and rub it out a little. But once it dries, the white stain come back. I read in previous posts that the Meguiar's quick detailing spray will work the best. But since this bird shit has completely dried, is that still the best way to remove it? Any suggestions?

I just got the car, and that stain is really ticking me off. Thanks for any help.

Wash the car, or just use a soapy soft rag, gently swirl it around the stain, rinse it with a hose...

So you don't think I will need to use the Meguiar's quick detailing product?

To remove a dried bird bomb, you have to hydrate it first. A gentle washing with soap and water, as SilverStreak suggested, is your best bet.

I carry a bottle of water in the car. If I spot a fresh bird bomb, I don't waste any time in flushing the area with water and gently wiping the remaining crap off. Bird crap is highly acidic - the sooner you remove it, the less damage it will do to your paint.

I've also heard that quick detailing sprays and soft cloths are good for dealing with fresh bird crap.

the sooner you remove it, the less damage it will do to your paint

Since it's been there for at least a week, I think the paint might be damaged. I guess I won't know how bad it is, until after I clean it off.

I'll post here with my results from cleaning.

Originally posted by rupes001
Since it's been there for at least a week, I think the paint might be damaged. I guess I won't know how bad it is, until after I clean it off.

I'll post here with my results from cleaning.

You can rest assured that your clearcoat has been etched by the bird shit! Don't waste anymore time in removing it, as the guys have posted above....soap and water. I always carry a bottle of meg's QD with me and some Microfiber towels, for emergencies on the road. Once you've removed it and cleaned the area, chances are a stain will remain. it will look like an outline in the clearcoat. This will need to be tackled with a fine-cut compound and a Random Orbital Polisher. highly unlikely that you'll be able to deal with that by hand.

Shit!
Ok, I guess I'll have to hope for the best when I wash it.

Originally posted by rupes001
Shit!
Ok, I guess I'll have to hope for the best when I wash it.

No pun intended? :dunno

lol...I meant the pun.

Bird shit sucks!!!! :mad:

You might have to give it a gentle polish and a quick spot wax to protect it after the polish...

Ok, so last night, I washed the car with soap and mitt. I really scrubbed the part with the bird stain. Lots of elbow grease. I was able to remove about 20 percent. I then bought a product called Turtle Wax Rubbing Compund. I applied it to the dried bird droppings, left it there for a few minutes, rubbed it off, and waxed that area. About 90% is gone. I'm going to do the whole process this weekend, and try to use scratch remover on the area. Hopefully that will get rid of it for good.

On a side note, this morning when I left for work, I found some fresh bird shit on my car in more than one location! Stupid birds.

The best thing to do is to avoid any abrasive compounds. Here is how I handle the shits...

1)wash with warm water and dawn. ( If you have a dark colored car DON't wash in a circular motion. SWIRL creater)

2)Clay the Car with lube. This will remove all surface junk

After step #2 your car will be so slick that you should be able lightly toss a towel on the hood and it will slide off like greased lighting

3)Wash again this time with PS21 body wash or Miguires Gold ( Same here no circular motions) Removes and residue

4)Polish - I use Miguires #7 Polish applied in straight lines or a Porter Cable DA This is what will removes those swirls

The surface is now probally in the best shape that it has ever been and the application of the Polish and wax will be easier than ever.

5) Once your happy with the finish....Wax it. I use Meguires Gold. Does great on black cars......


If done right you should have a sweet finish...



theDogger

Dogger, Meg's #7 isn't a polish in the true sense, it's actually a glaze. #7 has fillers and oils up the yingyang, and is actually filling in swirls and scratches, though not as well as an SMR will. Once the bird shit is removed, it WILL have etched the clear coat. Clay will do nothing to remove this etching. The ONLY way to remove such things is to break down the clearcoat a bit, and for that you need to use a machine polish, or a fine-cut compound.

#7 is good to use AFTER a polish, and prior to wax application. It's intended to prep the surface to accept the wax. it does a fine job of that!

Originally posted by theDogger
1)wash with warm water and dawn. ( If you have a dark colored car DON't wash in a circular motion. SWIRL creater)

Actually, if you use the right techniques and equipment you won't create swirls and/or microscratches when you wash. If you're using the wrong techniques and equipment and doing straight lines, you're still going to be putting microscratches and swirls in the surface, only they'll be in a straight line as opposed to circular. Both show up when paint is inspected, so both are worth avoiding.

Use the right equipment and you shouldn't have any problems.

Thanks for all the great info. Cleaining a black car like mine is beginning to sounds like an art. What are clay bars generally used for?

Clay bars remove bonded surface contaminants. That is, they will take everything off of your clearcoat (or paint, if you don't have clearcoat -- don't worry Rupes, you have clearcoat).

If you wash your car and then wax it, you're running the risk of creating swirls by rubbing small particles around on your paint. These are particles that you just cannot get off by washing alone. Clay "absorbs" ("picks up" is a better way to say it) those particles and lifts them off of your paint. Now when you wax, there aren't going to be any small particles that you might rub into the paint and create swirls...

It's the best, best, best way to remove "bonded contaminants" (those little particles) from your paint.

That explains a lot. Thanks Ben!