Bird poo does not destroy your car's paint... at least not by itself

il y a 13 années, 6 mois - 7 Mai 2011

Every summer we're stuck with the same dilemma. We can park the car out in the sun, which will inevitably will lead to scorching hot interior temperatures. The alternative is to park under a shady tree, where birds will undoubtedly poop all over our freshly washed ride. We usually opt for the sun out of auto vanity, but at least we don't have to worry about bird poop messing with the paint.

We've heard that acid from the bird droppings is the reason for the doo-doo perforations, but a study by UK car care experts Autoglym reveals that the excrement is only part of the problem. The real culprit is the sun, which expands and warms the paint on your vehicle. When the sun hits that bird poop, the poo hardens at the same time the paint expands. When the sun sets and the vehicle cools, the paint then contracts and forms itself around the hardened crap.

If a bird does his or her business on your vehicle, the best thing to do is remove it, and fast. A moist cloth will do the trick in most instances, or if you're not into close encounters of the rectal kind, you could also hit the car wash. We would go into more detail, but we're thinking that's enough excrement talk for one day.

Autoglym's has outlined some tips for minimising the risk of damage from bird droppings:

Remove the deposit at the earliest opportunity
Motorists should use a moist cloth – Autoglym's Bird Dropping Wipes are ideal – to gently lift the deposit from the surface
If the deposit is dry or doesn't lift easily, place a moist cloth over it for ten minutes to soften the deposit
Dispose of any cloth or wipe used to remove bird droppings immediately and carefully wash your hands, as bird lime can harbour diseases