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**Murr1525** · May 17, 2013, 09:53 PM

Re: bird poop stain

What products have you tried?

Bird droppings can contain a lot of acids, that will etch into the paint.

Wax alone is basically just rubbing oils around... you wouldn't expect oils to remove a scratch/defect.. you need some sort of abrasives to level the surrounding paint.

The paint you are working on will determine what product you need... working by hand, I would almost pick Ultimate Compound as the product for defect removal.

**ichef** · May 18, 2013, 07:01 AM

Re: bird poop stain

Originally posted by Murr1525 View Post

What products have you tried?

Bird droppings can contain a lot of acids, that will etch into the paint.

Wax alone is basically just rubbing oils around... you wouldn't expect oils to remove a scratch/defect.. you need some sort of abrasives to level the surrounding paint.

The paint you are working on will determine what product you need... working by hand, I would almost pick Ultimate Compound as the product for defect removal.

Hello there, can you recommend which wax or abrasive is suitable for my subaru legacy that cant harm the paint? cheers

**Detailing by M** · May 18, 2013, 07:21 AM

Re: bird poop stain

you have to sand these. they are eatched into your paint.
You might get away with using 105 or the like but in my experiance I have to sand them.

**Murr1525** · May 18, 2013, 12:01 PM

Re: bird poop stain

Ultimate Compound applied with a foam applicator would be a place to start.

**Meticulous-Detail** · May 18, 2013, 12:10 PM

Subies are known for very soft paint, so be careful. Start with least aggressive method first. Clay the area, then a try a polish like UP or 205, then UC or 105. Also depends upon if you are working by hand or machine and what kind of pads you have. If you are working by hand use a MF applicator or aggressive foam applicator.

Last resort is a wet sand, but you are going to need the above mentioned products to remove and refine the sanding marks anyway.

**Detailing by M** · May 18, 2013, 05:05 PM

A polish won't remove etching. Your have to be aggressive with these.
105 will knock the etching down to a level surface. I do these by hand because they are small.
But I always sand, buff, polish then wax.
Maybe finish with a machine and a polish to blend the surrounding paint

**Meticulous-Detail** · May 18, 2013, 05:52 PM

Originally posted by Please Wash Me Detailing View Post

A polish won't remove etching. Your have to be aggressive with these.
105 will knock the etching down to a level surface. I do these by hand because they are small.
But I always sand, buff, polish then wax.
Maybe finish with a machine and a polish to blend the surrounding paint

OP did state whether it was a light or heavy topical stain (type 1 bird dropping) or a fractured wrinkled etching ( type 2 bird dropping).

A light stain can be removed with polish or even paint cleaners. I have done this many times. Being that this is Subie paint I suggested least to most aggressive method to the OP. Always a good idea to tackle any paint defect with least to aggressive method.

**Michael Stoops** · May 20, 2013, 07:59 AM

Re: bird poop stain

Well, if we've got someone coming here asking how to remove bird dropping etchings because wax won't get rid of it, we certainly don't want that person to jump into wet sanding. Comments like this lead us to believe that the original poster is a novice to this game and wet sanding is a pretty advanced process - we certainly don't want to make the situation worse for him!!

ichef, your best bet would be to start with Ultimate Compound and apply it with a foam wax applicator pad as Mat pointed out. One thing you NEVER want to do, however, is scrub in a tiny area in order to remove a defect. You can rub right through your clear coat using a terry cloth towel and plain water if you do this, as it concentrates all your energy into a very small area. So, even though the etch mark from the bird dropping may only be a few centimeters across, you still want to work the product into an area at least 15 to 20 cm around the spot. Don't be afraid to put some muscle into it, but start easy and only increase the pressure if you're not making any progress. Depending on how deep the etched area is it may require a fair bit of time to correct, but you are far better off (and so is your paint) if you take your time doing this rather than just trying to beat it into submission. There is also the possibility that, if the damage is severe enough, you won't be able to fully remove the defect and will have to settle for a dramatic reduction in appearance.

By the way, the reason waxing alone did nothing is because most waxes don't have any real abrasive properties to them, and the only way to remove a below surface defect like this is to level the surrounding paint. And the only way you do that is with some sort of an abrasive product. The trick is to use an abrasive product that won't scour the paint or force you to use a secondary step to remove any hazing. Ultimate Compound is just such a product and you should be able to make excellent progress against this defect without creating any additional problems. But it's how you use it that makes the real difference.

**Mallorcaadam** · May 24, 2013, 11:10 AM

Re: bird poop stain

I have bird poop stains too! many of them look like the pic below and some are much worse!!! Im not afraid of wet sanding as this car is old and Im happy to experiment on it... any suggestions would be welcome.

**Mallorcaadam** · May 24, 2013, 11:22 AM

Re: bird poop stain

here is another pic of another legacy left by a feathered friend. Look at the paintwork around it too if you like.... Im sure you will tell me to clay bar, polish for all Im worth etc.... like I said - suggestions welcome!

**ichef** · May 28, 2013, 03:52 AM

Re: bird poop stain

HI, I gave up on bird stain, now my problem is acid rain on my windshield, I tried alot of things to remove but still thesame.. i need some advice...cheers

**Mallorcaadam** · May 28, 2013, 06:09 AM

Re: bird poop stain

try 0000 steel wool. It works!!!

**Mallorcaadam** · May 28, 2013, 06:09 AM

Re: bird poop stain

its the super fine grade.... it wont scratch your glass!

**angelada** · Mar 17, 2017, 04:28 PM

Re: bird poop stain

I have read through all the posts concerning removing etching but am not comfortable tackling this without some more guidance. I have a black car. Within an hour of the birds pooping on it i had washed it off but it still stained the paint in three spots. I used Scratch X with several repeats--worked about an hour or so on this. In the light I was working in it looked like it took care of the problem so I then applied a coat of wax. Later, in afternoon sun, the spots showed up again--ugh!
I think I am going to have to go to the next level to remove. It looks like the clay bar might be the first step to try. I am scared to do this! I have never done anything more than regular detailing on a car and I am afraid to ruin the paint, leave scratches or rub through the clear coat. What are the exact steps that I should follow.
Thanks in advance.