Scratched the clear coat cleaning the bird poo...

[Marconelly]

This was quite possibly the most hardcore bird poo I've seen in my life. It just wouldn't get wiped away no matter how much wet paper I tried using on it. I think I got a bit overzealous trying to clean it, and the result is a pretty ugly looking swirly marks on the hood with clear coat scratched pretty badly. Heck, it even penetrated through the paint a bit in a place or two :\

To think the poo itself was so hard that it caused these scratches :\ Is there an easy fix for something like this? It's been sitting like that on a car for about a week now or more, and it looks like the magical scratchshield coat is powerless against it.

[jamesstock]

Could you post a picture of the scratch? When you put your fingers along the scratch, do you feel the 'lines' / 'swirls'? I accidentally walked too close to my EX one day and my belt buckle slightly glided on the rear driver's door panel and left a light line there. The vehicle was washed the following day (hand wash) and than hand wax-ed. After the wax was buffed out the scratch was gone. You might also want to clay down first, then polish the vehicle prior to waxing it. I am not a car detail guy so I'm sure there are others here who knows alot more on how to properly cleanse and wax (and polish) the car the right way.

[txgcoupe]

Use the proper tools to clean a car and you won't have the scratches you caused.

Get some cleaner and follow it up with a wax and it will be like new.

John

[AWGD8]

Wax and buff will work.

Moral of the story, never let that poop stay there for a long time. It builds acid and hard to be removed.

I have a 3M clear mask cover on the front hood and noticed a bird poop sitting on top. I waited for 48 hours to clean it and it was nasty! It left a yellow mark on the 3M clear cover, as if the acid penetrated the plastic cover. I cleaned it with eyeglass cleaner from walmart and then sealed it with Zaino wax. The yellowing stayed there for a while and now I don`t see it anymore.

[Marconelly]

This only stayed on the car for as long as I was at work, I didn't even have a chance to remove it sooner. I'll try some wax on it first chance I get.

[Sea Doom]

This was quite possibly the most hardcore bird poo I've seen in my life. It just wouldn't get wiped away no matter how much wet paper I tried using on it. I think I got a bit overzealous trying to clean it, and the result is a pretty ugly looking swirly marks on the hood with clear coat scratched pretty badly.

Sorry for your loss. Moral of this adventure is to be more patient with the hydration procedure. Also - adding a little bit of rubbing alcohol to the soaking rag (4X4 medical gauze works well) can help with hydration if water + time doesn't lead to eventual softening. You may have to cover the softening rag/gauze with "Saran Wrap" to maintain hydration. Working in the shade is best. Treat bird droppings with care - they often contain grit/sand/dirt particles can wreak havoc on a car's finish. Best to wait until the dropping is softened to the point where it can be removed by a stream of water (high pressure sometimes required). The little bit of rubbing alcohol will not harm your clearcoat and paint, but will remove wax, so the area in question should be re-protected after dropping removal. And yes, I am a chemist, amateur ornithologist, and OCD afflicted car finish wack-O.

[pwlorraine]

Bird poop is often full of sand or gravel - part of their digestive process in the gizzard. Get it wet, hose it off or blot with a wet sponge. You don't want to push or scrape it off. Your clear coat can be fixed - buffed out if nothing else.

When I wash my car, I mix the car wash (like zaino) in a bucket of hot water - makes getting the insects and bird poop off much easier. Hose it down to knock off loose dirt and soften the crap, wash it, and hose it off to rinse again - dry with a water blade and again with white cotton towels.

Peter

[NJ_EX35]

I learned the hard way as well... bird got me once but never again! I carry bug and tar remover, and a bottle with water and Meguire's car soap in the car with a microfiber towel at all times. It might sound nuts but I walk around the car at least once a day to see if a bird hit the car. Never again will a bird get the EX!