Bird Poop 101: Protecting Your Vehicle's Paint

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Every single time you drive your vehicle, such as a Chevrolet Silverado, out of the garage and down the street, you are exposing the paint to all sorts of hazards, including insects and road debris. One gross paint hazard a lot of drivers do not really give a lot of thought to is bird poop.

Why is Bird Poop a Problem, Anyway?

Naturally, you are probably wondering why exactly bird poop is considered a hazard. Other than it being gross, do you really need to be concerned? Unfortunately, you do. Did you know bird poop is acidic? It has a pH level of between 3.5 and 4.5. This means it contains enough acid to burn through a delicate surface if it is allowed to sit. If your vehicle has a clear coat finish, it will not take long for the bird poop to leave a permanent mark behind.

Large bird droppings that are allowed to settle on the surface of your vehicle can cause damage that is two milliliters deep. A quality clear coat of paint is usually between 4 and 6 milliliters deep. This means the bird poop can eat through anywhere from a half to a third of the clear coat finish. Fortunately, bird poop is a problem that is easy to resolve.

Resolving the Bird Poop Issue

Polishing the paint is the only way to repair damage done by bird droppings. It is best to utilize a dual-action car polish to do the job. The only thing you have to worry about when polishing the surface of the vehicle where the bird droppings were being that you run the risk of making the paint thinner over time. It is important to make sure you do not polish the surface so much you polish away the clear coating. Polishing through the clear coating will actually leave a more noticeable mark than the bird droppings would have.

Unfortunately, it is not like you can just put a sign on your vehicle asking birds not to poop on it. The only option you have is taking steps to limit the amount of damage bird poop causes to your vehicle. The most obvious and best form of protection is a car cover. Putting the cover on top of the vehicle when you are not using it will force the birds to poop on your car cover instead of your car. If you are driving or parked without a car cover on your vehicle and a bird poops on it, do not waste any time removing the bird poop. The longer the poop is allowed to sit on your vehicle the more damage it is going to cause.


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