The daily poop

W

WelshDog

Time is fleeting.
As in bird. My wife has a 2010 Prius with dark gray paint. The parking area she is allowed to use appears to be a boot camp for kamikaze pooping birds. Almost every day she comes home with some sort of runny bird blast on her car. Often there are many deposits. She can't park anywhere else, so this problem is not going to go away. Add to that the dramatically inferior paint on the Prius and we have a problem.

My plan is to get a bundle of microfiber towels from Costco and every day check and clean her car of little birdy acid drops. I have some Bug Squash and S&G and that has worked for now, but I don't think those are the best choices for this task. I'm thinking S&W and QD+ maybe? The car is all Poorboys using Polish with Carnauba and EX for the final finish.

You recommendations appreciated. Doesn't have to be Pooboys either.
 
Since you already have spray and wipe, and good quality microfiber towels. The safe and proper way that I use to remove bird droppings is to lightly mist the bird dropping with S&W, fold your microfiber 2 times and place on the affected area. Let sit for 2 minutes and put light pressure and wipe gently.
 
Thanks - I'll try that method with S&W.

I guess one other question I have is regarding my finish products. Is there any consensus on what sealant/wax would be the most resistant to bird droppings? I was a little surprised how quickly the poop burned through the EX sealant.
 
Nothing is going to be 100%. Think of it this way, if your clearcoat can't stand up to the bird poop, how is an unmeasurably thin layer of LSP going to?

Some people believe that carnaubas stand up better to poop than sealants, and I'd tend to agree with that, but whatever you have on there, you want it as fresh as possible.

But the key IMO is to get the poop off as soon as possible. Another tip is that sometimes the harder-to-see poop is the worst...if the car is dirty the poop doesn't stand out as well for quick removal.

This situation seems like an ideal one for one of the new waterless washes like Ultima Waterless Wash Plus or the Optimum Opti-Clean to do every day after work. Also might try asking the boss if something can be done about the birds...sometimes these problems also create unsightly messes on the sides of buildings, and some screening can prevent nesting in those areas.
 
WelshDog said:
Thanks - I'll try that method with S&W.

I guess one other question I have is regarding my finish products. Is there any consensus on what sealant/wax would be the most resistant to bird droppings? I was a little surprised how quickly the poop burned through the EX sealant.
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I'd use that permanent paint sealant from Optium. When it's dried it's as hard as a diamond, no bird dropping is going to penetrate through that stuff
 
Sure, as long as a covered car in a lot doesn't attract unwanted attention. Can be a hassle and forget about it on rainy days. There's a person who must work at a local supermarket who has his/her *truck* covered *every* day. I see it when I drive by and I smile. I really salute that person. Wonder if there's a bird issue there too.

In the summertime, the poo can really etch the paint fast, so it might be a good idea for you wife to have some MFs and some QD/waterless wash of choice in a small spray bottle right there in the car, so as soon as she return to the car she remove at least some of the poo. You guys know I never leave home without mine. :)
 
I've found Opti Seal to be fairly bird-resistant. The ultimate would probably be Opti Coat though.

On a poop-related note, I did an AIO on a soft Honda clear today with bird etching. A spot fix with PFW/M105 brought the color back but didn't put a dent in the etching. I told the client a spot multiple step wetsand would probably be the only remedy. He had small dents from one end of the horizontal surfaces to the other from acorns as he parks under an oak tree at home. :wall An AIO kinda customer isn't going to go for any wet sanding and I expect I'll see more dents and etching next time I see it. :bonk:

TL
 
I doubt she'll go for the cover. Besides who wants to handle and then stow inside your car a poop covered cover?

I like the idea of MFs and spray in the car. I'll run that up the flagpole.

Thanks for all the info.
 
Bill D said:
There's a person who must work at a local supermarket who has his/her *truck* covered *every* day. I see it when I drive by and I smile. I really salute that person. Wonder if there's a bird issue there too.
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Seagulls seem to love those dirty supermarket parking lots...even if you're dozens of miles from the ocean.

WelshDog said:
I doubt she'll go for the cover. Besides who wants to handle and then stow inside your car a poop covered cover?
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You fold the cover in and roll it, so the outside is always on the inside...really not bad once you've done it a few times, and you don't really have to touch the pooey side. One of those thin ones that you can machine wash at home would be the right choice, prolly.
 
The cover is probably the ideal solution, but as long as there isn't a risk of theft, ignoring the interesting looks-minus the smiles and thumbs ups from any Autopians that may pass by that parking lot.
 
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