12 Ways to Stop Birds Pooping On Your Car

One of the most frustrating things about owning a vehicle is having birds poop on your car. Whether it’s from pigeons, crows, or sparrows, bird poop is a nuisance that will not go away.

In this blog post, we will show you how to keep birds from pooping on your car with 12 simple steps.

If one or two can help, then it’s worth a shot, and will make you feel less resentful towards these feathered friends.

How To Keep Birds From Pooping on Your Car: 12 Ways

Here are 12 ways to keep birds from pooping on your car. Some are very easy, while others require a bit of time or effort to accomplish.

1. Park in a Garage

Sorry to be Captain Obvious but parking in a garage is the easiest way to stop bird poop from hitting your car.

If you have the luxury of parking in a garage, then do so every time you can. A carport, covered porch, or other overhead structure will also help.

2. Don’t Park Under Trees

This is the number one cause of bird droppings on your car. Birds like to hang out in trees, so it’s no surprise they poop in them as well.

Keep away from large shady areas where birds may be lurking above you and pooping at will.

If possible, park far away from any tree or branch that might provide shelter for a pooping bird.

3. Use A Car Cover

Car covers will keep birds from going to the bathroom on your car while it is not in use.

You can find affordable ones online like the Mornray cover pictured above or at any local department store, but make sure to get one that’s made of a durable material like nylon or vinyl and has a UV protective coating.

When you aren’t using your vehicle, be sure to place the car cover over it to keep pesky birds away.

This may take more time than you would like, but it will save you the time that would otherwise be spent on finding bird poop and removing it.

Car covers can be purchased online and at your local auto shop. Try to choose a color other than red, because other colors are better at deterring birds. A beige, blue, or black cover will work best.

4. Get a Plastic Predator Bird

These predator birds are usually found in pet stores and often look like owls, falcons, or other common bird predators.

They will help prevent birds from doing the deed on your car by scaring them away so they don’t return again.

This is a good fix if you can put the plastic predator bird like the owl above somewhere near where it’s visible to where birds might land or birds roost.

With some time and patience, the birds realize that the decoy is there and avoid your car. You should see a decrease in the number of bird droppings on your car overall.

5. Place Old CDs, Foil, or Mirrors Around Your Car

Birds are primarily deterred by shiny objects, so placing old CDs or mirrors around your car will be enough to scare them off.

You can also try using aluminum foil as an easy and cheap way of keeping birds from pooping on your car.

They won’t like the sound it makes when they land on it and will quickly leave for another spot.

6. Place Pinwheels in Your Windshield

These are another good way to scare off birds from pooping on your car.

The sound they make when spinning will be enough to keep any bird away, as will the reflective material. So, this is a simple solution for scaring them without using anything too dangerous or toxic.

Simply attach them to your windshield by placing them under the wiper blades. You can also place them on the side of your car.

Pinwheels come in all sizes and shapes, so feel free to find one that’s unique or fits with whatever style you have for your vehicle.

In the summertime, you can find them at the dollar store or any store that sells gardening items.

7. Remove Bird Baths and Bird Feeders From the Front Lawn

If you have a front lawn, then it’s important to keep your car clean and free of bird poop.

If the area is particularly prone to birds roosting or pooping on cars in your neighborhood, be sure to remove any birdbaths or feeders from this location.

Having these items near traffic will attract more birds than usual and increase the number of droppings on your car.

If you don’t want to remove them, then at least keep birdbaths and feeders as far away from your street as possible so they aren’t easy targets for birds that may be flying by or perching in a tree nearby.

8. Install a Motion-Activated Sprinkler

This is a more expensive solution, but if you have a problem with birds pooping on your car regularly, then it may be worth the investment.

Motion-activated sprinklers are designed to go off when they detect movement in an area, so they’re perfect for keeping pesky animals like birds away.

You can find these sprinklers at home improvement stores, but make sure it’s the ones that are motion-activated.

You should also look for one with adjustable sensitivity so you don’t get too many false alarms from wind or other factors outside your house. This is especially important if you have neighbors close by who could be affected by this device.

Once you have it installed, be sure to test it out and make any necessary adjustments. The last thing you want is for the sprinkler to go off when there isn’t a bird in sight!

9. Place a Rubber Snake on the Car

This is a more old-fashioned way of keeping birds from pooping on your car, but it still works!

A rubber snake like the ones pictured above is a perfect solution if you don’t want to spend a lot of money or use anything that could potentially be harmful to the birds.

Place the snake in visible areas on your car such as the trunk, hood, or bumper.

If you have a convertible car without a hardtop, this is an especially good option, since the snake will be more visible to birds flying overhead.

It’s also easy to move around if you switch cars often but still want to keep that one free of bird poop!

Rubber snakes can also go underneath your car so they stick out a little bit. You can also try placing them on the ground near where birds are pooping most to scare them off even more easily.

10. Don’t Park Under Electric Wires and Posts

If you can help it, don’t park your car under any electric wires or posts. This is a common spot for birds to roost and perch, and they will often poop on cars that are parked in this area.

You may need to park a little further from your home than you would like, but it’s worth it to keep your car clean.

11. Cover and Protect Your Side Mirrors

If you have a car with side mirrors, then it’s important to cover and protect these areas. This is because birds may see their reflection and think it’s another bird, so they poop on the mirror as a result.

You can either buy covers made specifically for this purpose or try using an old t-shirt to deter birds and protect your car mirrors from getting covered in bird poop.

This is especially helpful when you’re in a rush to get somewhere and don’t have time to clean off any bird poop before leaving.

12. Install a bird scaring kite

This is a slightly more involved solution but it can definitely work.

I took the below video when I saw these bird scarer kites soaring above a farm and thought they would totally work to stop birds doing their business on your car.

If you have the space, bird scaring kites could be the perfect solution.

Why It’s Damaging When Birds Poop On Your Car

Bird droppings on your car are unsightly and will make it difficult for you to get rid of them. If you can’t remove the stains or smell, then they may stay there until the material starts to deteriorate.

Bird poop is made up mostly of uric acid which has a high pH level that can damage the paint on your car.

The uric acid may also eat away at any other surface that it lands on, including metal and rubber parts as well as plastic or leather surfaces.

This is a problem for both cars with exterior paint jobs and those without them since the highly acidic bird droppings will eventually wear down the material from underneath.

If you cannot get rid of the smell, then bird droppings may also attract other pests like ants or rodents. So they can cause more problems than just making your car look dirty and unsightly.

How to Remove Bird Poop From Your Car

Here are 5 methods that you can use to remove bird poop from your car:

Clean Your Car With Soapy Water

Use a hose and bucket of soapy water to spray the poop off your car. This is the easiest way to get rid of the majority of bird droppings, but it may not be as effective if the droppings have been there for a while.

You can also purchase a brush that is designed to clean bird droppings off your car without damaging the car’s paint or finish.

If you have a pressure washer, then this is the easiest way to add additional pressure when washing your car.

You can either purchase a special fan tip/nozzel attachment for your pressure washer or use one of the many cleaning solutions that are designed specifically for removing bird poop.

Clean Your Car With Vinegar and Water

If you don’t have any soap, then vinegar is a good idea as well, since it’s also an acid that can help break down the uric acid in bird poop.

Mix equal parts of vinegar and water together to create a cleaning solution that you can spray on the area.

Let it sit for a few minutes and wipe it off.

Use Car Wipes

Car wipes are another alternative to getting rid of bird poop if you don’t have any soap or vinegar.

These can be used on both painted and unpainted surfaces.

You can find specific auto wipes that remove bird droppings at most home and hardware stores.

Amazon stocks the highly rated Autoglym Bird Dropping Wipes which are cost-effective and practical.

Use WD-40

If your car is painted, you can try using a product like WD-40 to break down the uric acid in the bird poop so that it’s easier to get off of your car.

Apply it with a clean cloth, let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, and then wipe it off.

Soften the Stool with Baking Soda

If you have a large number of bird droppings to remove from your car, then try using baking soda as well.

Apply the material directly onto the poop mixed with a small amount of water and let it sit for at least an hour before scrubbing it off with a brush or wet sponge.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are many different ways to stop birds from pooping on your vehicle without harming them or yourself.

All it takes is time and effort; if one of these techniques works, that will save you many headaches.

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• Why Do Birds Poop on Cars?
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