Bird Poop Stain!

[DarickHemphill]

If none of the above work a magic eraser has saved me a few times...

Darick

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[LarryASilva]

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.

I am glad that bird poop etching is not a problem for you. In my coastal area ... occasional very large and very liquid white seagull poop splat dollar-bill sized areas that quickly micro-etched my frunk. Even by the coast ... this direct hit is rare, but when it does happen ... the etching can happen within a few hours. I know this because it has happened to me. One product that is mentioned in the Tesla CT Service Manual, Citrisurf 77, worked like a charm. I cleaned the top of the frunk and put on a very thin coat...then let set for 3 minutes. The whole top of the frunk looked new ... and it required no elbow grease as Bar Keeper's Friend requires. Also, there is no chance of micro scratching or swirl marks as no rubbing or abrasives are involved.

 

[Crissa]

This + windex is the way

Skip the windex. Just rinse well.

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.

Yes, that was the right solvent for tar! Be careful using any of them that are flammable, of course, and don't breathe the fumes. Alcohol would also work, though not as well.

Such is the advantage of stainless, you can use anything to clean it off, as long as you rinse off the solvent.

-Crissa

 

[HaulingAss]

I am glad that bird poop etching is not a problem for you. In my coastal area ... occasional very large and very liquid white seagull poop splat dollar-bill sized areas that quickly micro-etched my frunk. Even by the coast ... this direct hit is rare, but when it does happen ... the etching can happen within a few hours. I know this because it has happened to me. One product that is mentioned in the Tesla CT Service Manual, Citrisurf 77, worked like a charm. I cleaned the top of the frunk and put on a very thin coat...then let set for 3 minutes. The whole top of the frunk looked new ... and it required no elbow grease as Bar Keeper's Friend requires. Also, there is no chance of micro scratching or swirl marks as no rubbing or abrasives are involved.

Bird poop can etch clearcoat in a matter of hours too, it all depends upon its pH, how chemically reactive it is. I live in a coastal area with plenty of seagulls. The difference is that the clearcoat of a painted truck is only microns thick, while the stainless steel is over 2mm thick!

I've never noticed that Barkeeper's Friend (the foamy kind, not the kind with fine abrasives in it) requires anymore elbow grease than Citrisurf. Both of them work on the principle of dwell time, and both need to be well-rinsed after treatment. They both work because they are acidic. Don't put either product on a painted vehicle, it will eat through the thin clearcoat pronto! Painted vehicles cannot handle even moderately strong acids for very long without needing a repainting.

 

[CyberGus]

Bird poop can etch clearcoat in a matter of hours

 

[ABILISK]

In the Cybertruck manual, a product avail via Amazon called CITISURF 77 is recommended for removing stains from our CTs. It works via mild chemical reaction rather than with abrasives. I used it on my frunk top on seagull $hit stains ... and it works easily and quickly. Only downside ... you MAY have to apply a very light coat to the whole panel surface you are treating because ....

The Cirtisurf 77 will not only remove the bird $hit etching ... but will also remove the petina our whole SS panel has gotten over the months. If the stain is on one of the panels on one side of the vehicle ... your eye may well cause you to do the whole side of the CT to make sure everything looks right.

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 !


An before you bring it up ... no ...I do not want to do Protectaclear. I have the stuff ... and there are videos on Youtube that show how difficult it can be for professionals to apply the stuff defect free. Even a rep from the company had to take her word off and apply again. Protectacoat is NOT a ceramic coating ... it is a clear, plastic like coat for bare metal. Here is the Amazon link to CitriSurf 77. Look it up in our CT Service Manual.
https://www.amazon.com/Citrisurf-77-Stainless-Steel-Cleaner/dp/B01CIRIK7C/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3B2KGKT0JSXW0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.LhMXOLJ0S52Fc1SnDxy5kZ74m5DF4ZYT9wmHDPO_24T5KT1hsodPcWqW2GQ8Khinh7vUumwzUKCiLAA9wzeha-AAWTJyW9idmKxIIFSxmJU.1mcdJ97UZh0REfYo2Epn_Ugje-mfgX5CRGZ4u59Bg7Q&dib_tag=se&keywords=Citrisurf+77&qid=1731119749&s=hpc&sprefix=citrisurf+77,hpc,507&sr=1-2

I had XPEL FUSION PLUS on my Model 3 and it was fantastic. Considering getting it on the CT.

 

[CyberPanther]

An update:
Failed:
Soap and water
Stainless steel spray
Window cleaner spray
Windex
Lots of “elbow grease”

Might work:
Citrisurf 77. Applied for 5 minutes. Did remove some. Will apply again and update!

thanks for all the support!!

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