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.
Simply complete a test section using a 3% hw mix with a spray bottle. Although I haven’t had any problems with darker paint, make sure to look for organic paint. The poop, in my experience, cleans up fairly well; naturally, I also use warm water. I guess too how long it’s been on there. I’ve experimented a little bit with sodium percarbonate; it’s not nearly as good as SH, but it’s definitely milder if you’re concerned about a darker color reacting. If it passes the 3% HW test or falls below the expected threshold, it shouldn’t injure it.
It appears that the previous posts have essentially stated that there will be stains on the pooped areas and that using dark blue paint with the house mix can be problematic. This is one of my customer’s barn. The paint itself is in good condition. I must inquire as to the duration of the poop spots. If I could soft wash it, is there a way I could make it better and safely get the poop off the painted wood? I guess the dark blue paint scares me a little, but I can temper her expectations and tell her that there will be stains but at least there won’t be further damage and I imagine it will look better. Would you guys still advise against using the house mix and soft washing it? She seems to know exactly which paint was used, so I can look it up if the organic pigment is the cause of SH reacting to it. Is it just the paint with organic pigments or are there other factors with dark colors? A bird’s droppings can damage paint because their acidity levels can range from a pH of 3 to 4, according to a car detailer’s website. 5 to 4. 5. The acid begins to burn and etch the paint’s surface. ” Scary stuff.
I would just use my elemonator. Nothing elaborate, just a safe substance that will soften the bird droppings for painting. After giving it a good scrub with your household detergent, try wiping it off with your wand. If it still doesn’t come off, give it another go with more soap and brush. Try something fancy if that doesn’t work, but take caution when applying anything fancy to their siding.
With a typical dwell time of HW mix, some poop comes off easily, while some don’t I had to use a light degreaser, scrub, dwell, and reapply before the hw mix finally decided to come off because it wasn’t working for me. This was behind a birds nest.
FAQ
How do you remove dried bird poop?
Does vinegar dissolve bird poop?
How do you get bird poop off a wood deck?