Bird Poop Stain!

[LarryASilva]

For me, Windex has worked for bird $hit. My logic was since poop is acidic and Windex is basic pH= 11 ish, it would work and it has so far.

Mech engg, not a chemist, but it’s been working so far. I do not let it sit and wipe it asap. Bar Keeper’s is harsher and I try to avoid it.

There are days, I’d want to see the bird on a frying pan with some ginger, garlic and soya sause.

Problem is ... once the bird shit sits awhile ... it does a micro etching on the SS of the CT. That micro etching can only be removed via an abrasive process like Bar Keepers Friend ... or the Tesla approved chemical called Citrisurf 77. Like Bar Keeper's Friend, Citrisurf also removes the age petina of our stainless steel .... so a whole panel or even whole side application may be necessary for your eye to see things right.

Again ...I look forward to hearing from one of us someday ... that we have discovered a magical ceramic coating for our stainless steel ... that is impervious to all species of birds $hit micro etching. !

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[countryboy]

People are so religious about cleaning CT wow. Use BKF. Skip the windex. 1) Wash the truck normally and leave it wet 2) put a big glob of BKF on wash mitt, using circular motion, hit the bird stain area, followed by all panel(s) in that plane. 3) Blast everything off quick before BKF runoff stains plastic. Adds about 2 mins to normal wash, not much careful required!

 

[nocyber]

I had a similar deal and the ammonia free glass cleaner took it all off eventually. It just took a while to go at it. I also used a flat plastic scraper. Definitely want to avoid this BKF stuff since my eyes will certainly be annoyed with variances in the color of my panels.

 

[JES1964]

I’m hearing over and

 

[TruckGenio]

This + windex is the way

 

[AZCYBER]

For me, Windex has worked for bird $hit. My logic was since poop is acidic and Windex is basic pH= 11 ish, it would work and it has so far.

Mech engg, not a chemist, but it’s been working so far. I do not let it sit and wipe it asap. Bar Keeper’s is harsher and I try to avoid it.

There are days, I’d want to see the bird on a frying pan with some ginger, garlic and soya sause.

That's pretty good for an ME!! I'm a ChE and worked for SC Johnson. Windex regular with ammonia is pH 10.7. Bird poop is 3 to 4.5 pH (uric acid). So, good acid-base reaction. BKF contains oxalic acid, so that won't neutralize the bird poop. Another option is a water + sodium bicarbonate paste. The key is to act fast. Clean it up quickly.

 

[Jim Waller]

After cleaning it you might consider applying something like UndrDog Pro coating, has this will prevent the etching from bird poop and bonding of the steel particles people call rail dust.

 

[Sarge23060]

Tesla recommends CitriSurf 77 and I can confirm it works well and is not nearly as abrasive as BKF.

 

[rmurchek]

Anyone got suggestions for what to use to get this off? Used glass cleaner, stainless steel cleaner, soap and water. This was what was left after a bird took a huge shit on my truck. Looks worse in person.

I had a tar speckled on my CB that would not come off. I used kerosene to clean the tar off and then washed the entire truck with a mild soap. Cleaned the tar stains great and did not damage the SS.

 

[CyberGus]

Tesla recommends CitriSurf 77 and I can confirm it works well and is not nearly as abrasive as BKF.

I've used both for different purposes.

 

[HaulingAss]

I am hoping that in the future, we will find a stainless steel ceramic coating that can REALLY withstand a bad dose of BIG seagull $hit ... and that such a ceramic coating will not allow a penetration to the SS surface. If anybody knows of a ceramic coating that is guaranteed to work on bird $hit micro etching stains ..... PLEASE POST !

Putting any kind of thin coating on the stainless steel ruins the advantage of having uncoated metal. Namely, that the Cybertruck doesn't have any coatings that can be damaged or fail. And all coatings, including paint, eventually fail due to UV rays, contaminates and mechanical weathering.

The only way to avoid coating failure is to use a material that doesn't need a coating. And that is exactly what the stainless steel used on the Cybertruck achieves. It's the easiest vehicle to care for that I have ever owned.

As to the OP's stain, yes, a quick sprayof foamy BKF will take it right off, and the area treated can be feathered into the surrounding area if you are not ready to do the entire plane that panel is on. That's how I take care of any stains that won't come off with soap and water or Sprayway Glass Cleaner.

Blending should be self-explanatory, but maybe not everyone understands. You spray the Foamy BKF directly onto the soiled spot, wait a few seconds, rub it into a slightly bigger area around the stain, wait a little bit, spray a little more on the stain, wait a few seconds, spread it into a bigger area around the stain, and so forth. Then I rinse the entire area with water or soap and water.

I generally do this as I'm washing my Cybertruck and I find a stain the soap and water or Sprayway won't remove. The end result looks beautiful, and with very little time or effort.

If you use the paste version of BKF, it will be harder to blend the treated area with the surrounding area because it polishes the metal slightly. Over time your Cybertruck will become shinier, particularly where you have treated the same area multiple times. The spray Foam BKF doesn't contain abrasives, which will preserve the factory sanding pattern better.

 

[HaulingAss]

Problem is ... once the bird shit sits awhile ... it does a micro etching on the SS of the CT. That micro etching can only be removed via an abrasive process like Bar Keepers Friend ... or the Tesla approved chemical called Citrisurf 77.

I've never noticed that etching is problem on stainless steel like it is on painted vehicles. The stainless is much more resistant to chemical etching than paint/clearcoat.

 

[CyberGus]

Thanks everyone! Going to get some BKF and report back

I found it in kitchenwares, not automotive

weird, rite?

 

[Black306]

I found it in kitchenwares, not automotive

weird, rite?

AutoZone should start carrying BKF. ?

 

[picaresque]

Anyone got suggestions for what to use to get this off? Used glass cleaner, stainless steel cleaner, soap and water. This was what was left after a bird took a huge shit on my truck. Looks worse in person.

Two words: Barkeeper's Friend. I use it all the time to scrub cooked on stuff on my stainless steel pans. It should do wonders for your stainless steel truck.

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