On the beautiful, sunny days of spring, bird poop will suddenly appear on all your patio, railings, and outdoor furniture. Online, there are all kinds of suggestions for what you can use to remove the icky white stain once you’ve scraped away the solid part, but it’s not clear which ones work and which are just conventional wisdom passed down from grandparents to bloggers. I tested three often-recommended methods to clear the stain (plus plain water, to see if it mattered), and here’s what I found.
Cleaning bird droppings with seltzer water
Using bubbly water was the first item on my list because it was highly recommended as a bird poop stain remover online. I did as Angi had instructed, letting it sit on the stain for a few minutes before using a scrubber to remove it. (I chose to use a melamine sponge instead of a brush, but an old toothbrush would also be very effective in this situation.) ).
The seltzer bubbles instantly frothed up on my wooden surface, resembling the effect of applying hydrogen peroxide to a cut. I gave it a minute before wiping it off, and with just a little prodding with my melamine sponge, there was absolutely no stain left.
In conclusion, this method functions well, although it still requires some cleaning after the seltzer is poured.
Cleaning bird droppings with white vinegar
I applied vinegar to one stain while leaving the seltzer on the other. Unlike the seltzer, the vinegar had already dissolved the stain, so wiping it away didn’t require any effort at all. The only drawback is that it smells, but that only lasts while it’s hot. In fact, it smells even worse.
Conclusion: This is the best option, hands down. Almost no scrubbing needed.
I’m keeping the windows open to let fresh air in, but I can still see bird droppings on some of the shelves. First, is it safe to live in a place where there is such ammonia exposure? Secondly, how best can I get rid of the ammonia smell?
(For those wondering why I would rent it in the first place: There aren’t many reasonably priced housing options in this area, and the smell was really bad when I visited. However, they’ve since used an oil-based primer to reduce the smell from a 9 to a 3, which makes renting justified, but it’s still bothersome. ).
I recently moved into an apartment where the previous tenants’ bird poop was left all over the place for a long time, and as a result, the place smells like amonia.
FAQ
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