Remove bird droppings and pollen: Tips for cleaning your car in summer

Created: 05/13/2022, 07:41

By: Sebastian Oppenheimer

In summer, motorists have a problem: pollen, bird droppings and insect remains end up on the vehicle.

There are a few things to keep in mind when removing.

Munich – Pollen, bird droppings and insect remains are to summer what salt is to car paint in winter.

If you want to keep your car looking fresh, you should take timely and strategic action against contamination, even in the warm season.

In addition to regular washing, proper care is also important to avoid long-term damage to the paintwork.

Because the legacies of flora and fauna are not only sticky, they can even work their way into the surface of the paintwork and even cause cracks.

That's going to be a lot of work: A car is covered in bird droppings.

(Iconic image) © Rolf Poss/Imago

Remove insect remains and pollen: tips for car cleaning in summer

A typical dirt problem in spring and summer is insect residue.

Larger quantities of these collect in the front area and on the exterior mirror caps, especially after long cross-country journeys.

Before the remains of insects "burn" into the paint surface under the influence of the summer heat, it should be removed manually as soon as possible.

If the bio-contamination stays on the paint for longer, it hardens.

If you react quickly, you have less work to do with cleaning.

Most recently, many cars were covered in Sahara dust – the ADAC has special tips for removing it.

Remove insect remains from the car: Wet newspaper can help

A simple and inexpensive method is to cover affected surfaces with damp kitchen towels or wet newspaper.

After a few minutes of exposure, most of the softened insect remains can be wiped away.

If the success of this method is only moderate, you should use special cleaners from the accessories trade that thoroughly soften insect remains.

However, those who use these should definitely pay attention to the exposure times specified by the manufacturer.

If the agents remain on the paint for too long, there is a risk of unsightly stains.

Remove insect remains from the windshield: Special sponges are suitable for glass

Regular removal of insect remains is also important for a good view through the windshield.

Special insect sponges are particularly suitable for this purpose, but they are only suitable for glass and not for painted surfaces.

They can cause scratches on the paintwork.

The parts of insects on the glass can easily be removed mechanically with a sponge and water, usually leaving no residue.

Incidentally, caution is also required when washing the underbody – according to an expert, this can even damage the car.

Pollen and bird droppings on the paintwork: It's best to go straight to the car wash

While the insect problem only occurs when cars are moving, pollen and excrement from trees and birds often occur when the car is parked.

This pollution can be avoided preventively by avoiding parking spaces under trees if possible.

However, if the car is under trees for several days, pollen and other residues can be easily removed with a classic car wash.

This can be done quickly and inexpensively by visiting a high-pressure cleaning system.

A visit to a car wash is usually a little more thorough and convenient.

However, even here, bird droppings and insect remains are not always completely removed.

Immediately after exiting the car wash, it can therefore make sense to wipe the affected areas again with a damp cloth,

You should never polish the vehicle in the blazing sun - the polishing paste can bleach the paintwork.

(Iconic image) © Panthermedia/Imago

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Be careful when polishing: the paint can be damaged in the blazing sun

In order to bring the paintwork back to its high gloss after a wash, it is helpful to polish it after washing the outside.

Important here: If possible, polishes are not carried out in the blazing sun, but in the cooler shade.

Otherwise, the polishing paste dries out too quickly and can also attack the paintwork, causing it to fade.

In addition, rubbing it off later and actually polishing it out are much easier as long as the lotion is still wet.

It is therefore advisable to always work on one sub-area after the other.

Be careful when polishing: avoid plastic parts

It is also important that only the paint is treated on the car.

Plastic parts such as exterior mirrors, unpainted bumpers, door and sunroof seals should be protected, otherwise an ugly light gray haze will form on them.

A car wax can be used as a finish.

This seals the shiny polish and the car only has to be hosed down the next time it gets dirty.