Honda Car Forum

Hi,

I have an '03 accord. Owing to my negligence, I left some bird dropping sit on my car for a few days. Went to get the car
washed and detailed today, and the guy tells me that a few of the spots have damaged the clear coat on the paint.

I was just doing a little reading on the web, and realized (excuse my ignorance) that bird droppings are the worst problem
for car paint. People recommended everything from polishing the spots to putting a little seltzer water on it. I don't know
who to believe.

Can anyone suggest how I should deal with this? I would really appreciate this.

Regards,

hiren
hdt@ece.gatech.edu

Hiren Thacker wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I have an '03 accord. Owing to my negligence, I left some bird dropping sit on my car for a few days. Went to get the car
> washed and detailed today, and the guy tells me that a few of the spots have damaged the clear coat on the paint.
>
> I was just doing a little reading on the web, and realized (excuse my ignorance) that bird droppings are the worst problem
> for car paint. People recommended everything from polishing the spots to putting a little seltzer water on it. I don't know
> who to believe.
>
> Can anyone suggest how I should deal with this? I would really appreciate this.
>
> Regards,
>
> hiren
> hdt@ece.gatech.edu

get a bottle of "quick detailer", or anything that you are supposed to
spray on your car to make it shiny. Spray the bird doo and wait a while
for it to soften. Then gently wipe it off

I had that happen with my 2000 Civic back when it was new. I left some bird
droppings on for a week and when I washed it off, the clearcoat had become
cloudy from the acids in the droppings. I used a scratch remover polish
(such as Maguiar's Scratch X or GT-88) to buff out the damaged clear coat.
After using that and applying a nice coat of wax she was good as new.

Ever since then I've been religious about cleaning off bird droppings. I,
like you, ended up learning the hard way. Also, for future reference, when
you go to clean the droppings off the car, use a hose and lightly and
gradually spray it off. DO NOT EVER wipe it off no matter what. Most birds
eat sand and small rocks and stones to held them digest their food. Any
wiping action on your part to clean it off will scratch the hell out of your
paint.

Sean

"Hiren Thacker" <gt0318c@prism.gatech.edu> wrote in message
news:c7hbbp$4ro$1@news-int2.gatech.edu...
> Hi,
>
> I have an '03 accord. Owing to my negligence, I left some bird dropping
sit on my car for a few days. Went to get the car
> washed and detailed today, and the guy tells me that a few of the spots
have damaged the clear coat on the paint.
>
> I was just doing a little reading on the web, and realized (excuse my
ignorance) that bird droppings are the worst problem
> for car paint. People recommended everything from polishing the spots to
putting a little seltzer water on it. I don't know
> who to believe.
>
> Can anyone suggest how I should deal with this? I would really appreciate
this.
>
> Regards,
>
> hiren
> hdt@ece.gatech.edu

> Can anyone suggest how I should deal with this? I would really appreciate
this.

if the clear coat is damaged, seltzer water wont bring it back. you could
always carry a damp rag in a ziplok baggy.

> gradually spray it off. DO NOT EVER wipe it off no matter what. Most
birds
> eat sand and small rocks and stones to held them digest their food. Any
> wiping action on your part to clean it off will scratch the hell out of
your
> paint.

only if youre scrubbing your whole hood with a doodoo covered rag. wiping it
off when noticed with a wet rag or using spray detailer is better than
waiting until you can get to a hose.

In article <c7hbbp$4ro$1@news-int2.gatech.edu>,
Hiren Thacker <gt0318c@prism.gatech.edu> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I have an '03 accord. Owing to my negligence, I left some bird dropping sit
> on my car for a few days. Went to get the car
> washed and detailed today, and the guy tells me that a few of the spots have
> damaged the clear coat on the paint.
>
> I was just doing a little reading on the web, and realized (excuse my
> ignorance) that bird droppings are the worst problem
> for car paint. People recommended everything from polishing the spots to
> putting a little seltzer water on it. I don't know
> who to believe.
>
> Can anyone suggest how I should deal with this? I would really appreciate
> this.
>
> Regards,
>
> hiren
> hdt@ece.gatech.edu

It could be a problem with chemical absorption, not damage. Try
saturating a clean sponge with distilled water and setting it on the
cloudy area overnight.

"mike" <mikein562athotmail@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<CxZmc.49943$kh4.2809471@attbi_s52>...
> > Can anyone suggest how I should deal with this? I would really appreciate
> this.
>
> if the clear coat is damaged, seltzer water wont bring it back. you could
> always carry a damp rag in a ziplok baggy.

Good idea in theory, but keep in mind it'll start to stink after
awhile. Maybe better to carry a small bottle of water and paper
towels or a rag.

"alan" <no-longer-valid@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c7hjat$pga$1@news.Stanford.EDU...
> Hiren Thacker wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > I have an '03 accord. Owing to my negligence, I left some bird dropping
sit on my car for a few days. Went to get the car
> > washed and detailed today, and the guy tells me that a few of the spots
have damaged the clear coat on the paint.
> >
> > I was just doing a little reading on the web, and realized (excuse my
ignorance) that bird droppings are the worst problem
> > for car paint. People recommended everything from polishing the spots to
putting a little seltzer water on it. I don't know
> > who to believe.
> >
> > Can anyone suggest how I should deal with this? I would really
appreciate this.
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > hiren
> > hdt@ece.gatech.edu
>
> get a bottle of "quick detailer", or anything that you are supposed to
> spray on your car to make it shiny. Spray the bird doo and wait a while
> for it to soften. Then gently wipe it off

I kind of stumbled on a trick that works pretty good for the semi hard to
baked on varieties, heh. I take a saturated paper towel in water and
sometimes halve it or quarter it and let it stick to poop spot for a good
couple of minutes but before it dries off of course and usually the poop
sticks to the paper towel like MAGIC, then you gently wipe off whatever is
left

Kevin McMurtrie wrote in message ...
>In article <c7hbbp$4ro$1@news-int2.gatech.edu>,
> Hiren Thacker <gt0318c@prism.gatech.edu> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I have an '03 accord. Owing to my negligence, I left some bird dropping
sit
>> on my car for a few days. Went to get the car
>> washed and detailed today, and the guy tells me that a few of the spots
have
>> damaged the clear coat on the paint.
>>
>> I was just doing a little reading on the web, and realized (excuse my
>> ignorance) that bird droppings are the worst problem
>> for car paint. People recommended everything from polishing the spots to
>> putting a little seltzer water on it. I don't know
>> who to believe.
>>
>> Can anyone suggest how I should deal with this? I would really appreciate
>> this.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> hiren
>> hdt@ece.gatech.edu
>
>It could be a problem with chemical absorption, not damage. Try
>saturating a clean sponge with distilled water and setting it on the
>cloudy area overnight.

Another good idea is putting a car cover everytime you park your car.

In chemistry ( I work with process inks at work in flexographic
equipment) a pH value less than 7 is ACIDIC [ you stated it was BASIC ].
A pH value greater than 7 is BASIC (or alkaline if you prefer).pH value
of 7 (water) having a neutral value in either acidity or alkalinity.In
either case though you could be right on the effects of bird
droppings,because either pH extreme can damage a paint finish.