Remove Stubborn Bird Poop Stains From Pavers With A Simple Cleaning Trick

With its distinctive white splatter mark, bird poop is a common sight on outdoor surfaces, be that a bench, your car, or your property's pavers. In addition to being unsightly and unsanitary, bird poop can be difficult to remove from porous surfaces like patio stones, as it can penetrate the crevices and leave an ugly stain behind. While there are professional services offering bird poop stain removal, these may come at a premium and (at a minimum) require you to coordinate a time to fit it into your busy life. Instead, a simple cleaning trick will help you get rid of bird poop stains with little effort and will cost you a few dollars.

If you're tired of bird poop stains blighting your patio, all you need to do is grab a bottle of liquid dish soap and some water, as well as a brush, and get to work. You'll need to combine one part dish soap with three parts water and stir the cleaning solution until fully mixed. Then, take the scrubbing brush and dip it in your solution, scrubbing the stains until it they're washed away. Since it's so simple, this trick is definitely one of the best methods for removing bird poop stains. As a final step, use a hose to wash away any soapy residue, then stand back and admire your poop-free pavers.

While this cleaning hack is pretty foolproof, whenever you're dealing with animal droppings you do need to exercise appropriate caution. Bird poop can pose a health risk to humans who come into contact with it. In fact, even old bird poop that has dried can spread diseases, like cryptococcosis, which can be fatal (via the Illinois Department of Public Health). As you arm yourself with ingredients to combat your stained pavers, it's important to also protect yourself from any bacteria you may come into contact with. Wear disposable gloves to protect your hands and avoid holding your face too close to the surface you're cleaning to avoid the risk of splashing debris into your face.

Given how gross and dangerous bird droppings can be, it's also a good idea to use only disposable items when going about this cleaning trick. Choose a throw-away plastic container or solo cup to mix your cleaning solution and use an old toothbrush (or buy one from the Dollar Store) for scrubbing the stain so you can toss it when you're done. Using a toothbrush to scrub the paver will also give you a few extra inches of space between you and the bacteria hiding within the stain. Finally, though you can use any dish soap to clean your dirty pavers, it might be worth experimenting with something like Dawn, which is known for its strength against tough stains.