Easily Banish Unsightly Bird Poop Stains With This Kitchen Ingredient
Attracting birds to your yard comes with its benefits. Birds add life and color to your yard, facilitate pollination, and help you control unwanted pests like spiders, aphids, beetles, and mosquitoes. However, avians in your garden (invited or not) also come with their fair share of cons, like the droppings they leave on your favorite outdoor furniture. Luckily, you can use a common kitchen ingredient to easily banish unsightly bird poop stains: white distilled vinegar.
Removing bird poop stains from your furniture isn't just necessary to protect its aesthetic appeal but also because the droppings can be a health hazard. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exposure to the bird droppings of infected avians can cause psittacosis, which can trigger respiratory issues, fever, and muscle aches. Bacteria in the droppings can also cause histoplasmosis and cryptococcosis. So it's essential to handle and remove bird poop stains the right way.
Steps to take before removing poop stains
Since inhaling bird droppings or being exposed to them can cause diseases in adults, it's best to cover your hands and mouth before tackling them. Don a face mask and wear a pair of gloves (washable or disposable) before you handle the stains. If the stains are relatively fresh and haven't adhered to the pooped-on surface, you can spray water directly onto the stains to get rid of them, preferably with a pressure washer or a hose with a pressurized nozzle.
However, if the droppings aren't fresh and have solidified completely, arm yourself with a plastic scraper and use it gently to remove as much of the stain as possible. In case you don't have a scraper handy, a putty (or dull) knife, the other end of a spoon, or a plastic card would work in a pinch. After you've brushed away the scraped-off poop, concoct a vinegar and water solution to tackle the stains it's left behind.
Concoct a vinegar and water solution
If a bird poops on fabric outside, it's best to soak it in detergent. If it soils on a plastic chair, you can use a bleach solution or defer to WD-40. This solution, though — a 1:1 mix of distilled white vinegar and water — works best for wooden furniture and surfaces. Combine your water and vinegar, and pour the solution into a spray bottle. Spritz the cleaning solution directly onto the stains and leave it undisturbed for a few minutes to let the vinegar loosen the stain.
Remember, give it just enough time for the vinegar to dissolve the stains, but don't leave it unattended for long, as the solution might seep into your wood furniture and cause it to warp. Once the time is up, use a wet cloth to wipe off the cleaning solution and banish the loosened poop stain. However, be advised that this nontoxic method will make your furniture stink for some time before it's gone. But the good news is that birds hate the smell of vinegar and will stay away from your precious furniture as long as the smell persists.
You can also use vinegar to get poop stains off your outdoor cushions. Just mix 4 cups of warm water with ¼ cup of distilled white vinegar and apply it to the stains. Let the solution work its magic for about 15 minutes before scrubbing off the stain and cleaning the area with water.