Bird droppings and damaged paint

Bird droppings may seem like fairly harmless, innocuous things, however they can be potentially disastrous to your vehicle if you leave them and do not remove them as soon as they are spotted. The reason for this is that bird droppings are surprisingly acidic, and they dry out very quickly even in more humid climates. This ensures that any bird droppings on your car can be dried out within half an hour or so, and when dry they turn into a powder that can actually penetrate the pores of leather and fabrics, and even work its way into steel and carbon fibre.

When it penetrates it is there to stay; there is essentially nothing you can do to remove it. And you are left with tiny acidic grains of bird mess, slowly wearing away at your vehicle. This is why the result of bird droppings being left untreated can often be chipped and flaked paint, not something you want to discover on your brand new vehicle!

So how do you tackle this? Well obviously the best form of treatment is, in this case, prevention. A good car cover from the team at http://www.just-carcovers.co.uk will work wonders in the prevention of bird dropping related damage. We recommend the lightweight breathable car cover for maximum protection for your whole vehicle, it really is better to be safe than to be sorry. Obviously the heavy duty waterproof car cover will do a similar job if you are so inclined.

Despite this there will be times when bird droppings hit your car when it isn't covered. How do you remove them? Well if it is still wet them remove it with a damp chamois, cloth, or piece of kitchen roll. If your car is properly cleaned and waxed then you will have nothing to fear. If, however, when you spot it it has dried or has began to dry out then more drastic steps are needed.

http://www.just-carwax.co.uk should be your first port of call. Not only should you buy a high quality wax to protect your vehicle after you have removed the bird droppings, but you should also buy a car cleaning liquid or shampoo that will help you remove it. Start by wetting the bird droppings, this will make the removal process easier. When it has soaked then follow up with careful application of some vehicle shampoo and remove in one wipe. If you have to scrub or rub at the bird droppings then it is not moist enough; continue wetting and shampooing until it removes easily.

By rubbing or scrubbing you are removing all of the protective layers from your vehicles finish, and you may even alter the colour in a subtle way if you are not careful. When you have finished removing the bird droppings then be sure to give your car a proper wash and wax all over with good carnauba wax; this will ensure that future bird droppings that land on your vehicle do not penetrate very deeply and you will be able to remove them much more easily.