CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Since Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered Illinoisans to shelter-in-place six weeks ago, some motorists have vehicles covered in bird droppings because they left them parked for extended periods of time.
A vehicle paint chemist said it can cause damage to your vehicle.
“It’s kind of a funny story but we’ve actually studied the composition of bird poop, insect droppings, and we chemically make up a synthetic version,” Tim Weingartz said.
Weingartz, a global paint engineer at Ford Motor Company, told WBBM that the synthetic droppings are put into a control cabinet and tested under different scenarios.
“We can change the sun load, the heat, the humidity and drive the attack on the coating as far as the chemical attack and the physical attack on the environment,” he continued.
He said your paint can soften and expand under intense sunlight and when the paint cools it also contracts and any grime – including droppings, attaches itself to the surface. If left on the vehicle, it can leave a permanent impression that requires special treatment to remove.
The advice if you own a car that is doused by birds: Regularly wash your vehicle with a sponge and lukewarm water containing neutral pH soap.