Blasting Bird Bombs at the Coin-Op Car Wash!

[Mike Phillips]

Blasting Bird Bombs at the Coin-Op Car Wash! (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-expert-featuring-mike-phillips/76554-blasting-bird-bombs-coin-op-car-wash.html)


Last Wednesday, a huge flock of birds made a stop over in our neighborhood. I think they were Purple Martins, which are native to Florida but I'm not a Ornithologist so don't quote me on this.

On Tuesday, I used the new Coating Detailer to wipe our car clean and then applied the coating booster to freshen the glassy look.

Now fast forward to Thursday and when I walk out to my wife's car I find it's been bird bombed!



This is disgusting....

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_001.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_002.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_003.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_004.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_005.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_006.jpg




This once liquid puddle of dissolved bird droppings is now just a dried film of bird droppings...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_007.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_008.jpg




Fresh coat of Black Label Coating Booster

Had to run some errands so I figured since I had maintained the finish on this car with nothing but the Black Label Diamond Surface Coating since we did the show car makeover (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/pictures-autogeek-s-car-week/72151-2006-mercedes-benz-slk-350-show-car-makeover-pictures.html) on it a few moths ago and because I had just two days ago did a mist & wipe with the Black Label Diamond Coating Booster, I was hoping a strong spray of water would simply b-l-a-s-t the fresh but dried bird bombs off the paint and then I wouldn't have to "touch" the bird bombs or the paint with a wash mitt.

So I drove down to the nearest coin-operated do-it-yourself car wash and for a buck fifty, I used two settings, the SOAP and RINSE buttons and successfully blasted off all traces of the bird bombs.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_009.jpg



Protect your health

The benefit to going to the local Coin-Op Car Wash is their sprayers offer powerful water pressure to blast things like dried bird droppings off you car.

This keeps you from having to come into physical contact with the bird excrement which can be a health hazard and health risk.


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_010.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_011.jpg



Here's the paint after rinsing...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_012.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_013.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_014.jpg



Driving down the road, in a few seconds I'm going to do a U-turn onto an empty highway and take her up to speed to blast most of the water off...

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_015.jpg



Pulled into the nearest parking lot and proceeded to wiper any remaining water off the car using a single Gold Plush Microfiber Towel (http://www.autogeek.net/microfiber-buffing-towel.html), the 16" by 24" version.

No trace of the bird bombs and more important... no trace of any bird bomb etchings!

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_016.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_017.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_018.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_019.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2282/800_Bird_Droppings_on_SLK_350_Coated_020.jpg




No way of knowing if it was the Black Label Diamond Surface Coating or the Black Label Diamond Coating Booster that protected the paint from the corrosive bird droppings that sat and dried on the paint but one thing for sure, there's no etching and the bird bombs themselves blasted easily and completely off the paint for a $1.50.




On Autogeek.net

Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Surface Coating (http://www.autogeek.net/diamond-surface-coating.html)

Black Label Diamond Coating Booster (http://www.autogeek.net/coating-booster-extender.html)

Black Label Diamond Coating Detailer (http://www.autogeek.net/coating-detail-spray.html)




:)

[Evan.J]

:wow: Talk about a bombing!

Nice that you were able to get those off in a timely manner.

As for the PBL Coating very impressive along with the booster. :dblthumb2:

[tuscarora dave]

Nice!! That's why I like having a coating on my car.

[Dr_Pain]

You have to love the "driving your car dry" after a fresh coating or after boosting :)

[Skimmer0220]

hmmm...gonna have to try this microfiber for drying, I'm not happy with my cobra guzler waffle weave its not plush enough for me

[FUNX650]

Good to see that the Pinnacle Black Label Coating-product(s) "worked" at keeping the bird-bombs from causing any damages.

Not good, however, to see the bird-bombs, or read of their descriptions (TO WIT: liquid puddle; dried film)...right before Lunch.

Hopefully a Coating of Pepto-Bismol will "work" at easing some of the damages I've just been bombed with!

:D

Bob

[DaVinciAutoSpa]

What the heck were those birds eating? Something didn't agree with their bird stomachs.

[trekkeruss]

Driving down the road, in a few seconds I'm going to do a U-turn onto an empty highway and take her up to speed to blast most of the water off...


Not wanting to debate with the master, but...I always thought that was a bad idea. Wouldn't driving down the highway kick up road dust/dirt which would stick to the freshly washed surfaces, and that could scratch the paint when you dry it with a towel?

[Mike Phillips]

Not wanting to debate with the master, but...I always thought that was a bad idea.

Wouldn't driving down the highway kick up road dust/dirt which would stick to the freshly washed surfaces, and that could scratch the paint when you dry it with a towel?




Depends on where you live I guess....

I lived in the Mojave Desert, I know what it's like to live in a dusty environment.


This was early in the morning, I drove less than a 1/2 mile, basically from one 4-way intersection to the next and then turned into a Wal-Mart to borrow their parking lot. I wiped starting at the very top and only wiped the paint directly behind the wheels for the very last wipes.

Keep in mind this car is normally kept spotlessly clean, even the bottoms of the body panels. So it's not like they're grungy to start with, they are smooth, clean and coated. The write-up for this project is here,

2006 Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 Show Car Makeover Pictures (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/pictures-autogeek-s-car-week/72151-2006-mercedes-benz-slk-350-show-car-makeover-pictures.html)

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_031.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_045.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_076.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/2111/2006_SLK_350_097.jpg



So for me, driving a little ways down the road to let the wind blast off the majority of the water and especially the wheels, it was the least of my worries.


Good question...


:xyxthumbs:

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

That happened on your day off!? What a way to start the day, cleaning bird bombs off Stacy's car!

Once again the car looks great Mike!

[master detailer]

we get lots of love bugs in sw fl and you need to get them off in 48 hrs or will go wright in to the clear coat .The yelo stuff is the real bad stuff.If you ever have this on your car and cant get to a power washer use wd40 and a dryer sheat. Then wash with some water.

[Mike Phillips]

we get lots of love bugs in sw fl and you need to get them off in 48 hrs or will go wright in to the clear coat .

The yelo stuff is the real bad stuff.If you ever have this on your car and cant get to a power washer use wd40 and a dryer sheat. Then wash with some water.




Here's another option....


Tips & Tricks: How to remove dried bug spatter or bug guts (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/tricks-tips-techniques/52910-tips-tricks-how-remove-dried-bug-spatter-bug-guts.html)



Bug Spatter can actually eat through and remove paint if left on too long...
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/719/BugBGoneTest003.jpg



Tip: Water soften the dried bug guts and splatter with water first.

Trick: Use a towel to hold water in place on a vertical panel.

Here's a tip I posted in 2005, the idea being to use the towel to hold the moisture onto the paint and thus the bug splatter where it can go to work softening and loosening the splatter. A large beach towel works well for this...

This was my Honda Pilot in our garage where I would also wash the garage because it's pretty hard to wash a car in the desert without the dry heat or the wind drying water before you can dry your car.

Take a wash rag and saturate it with water or your car wash solution.

http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2WetWashRag.jpg


Place the wet wash rag on top of the dried bug splatter and allow it to sit for a few minutes. A variation of this would be to use warm/hot water.

http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2WetWashRag2.jpg


To speed up the process, apply some gentle pressure while drinking a cold soft drink and if need be, hum or whistle a little diddy.

http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2WetWashRag3.jpg



A variation of the above but for a larger area would be to use a larger cloth such as a bath towel. Saturate a clean, soft 100% cotton towel with water and place it over the affected area.

http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2WetTowel1.jpg

Another variation for headlights and fenders...
http://archive.meguiarsonline.com/gallery/data/500/2WetTowel2.jpg


Big Picture
The idea being to use some type of bath towel or microfiber towel or even wash cloth or wet chamois to trap and hold water onto the dried bug splatter in order to soften and re-liquefy it so you can more easily remove it without causing damage to the delicate, scratch-sensitive clear coat finish.


:)