Buzz
During the lovely, sunny days of spring, bird droppings seem to magically appear on your deck, railings, and outdoor furniture. The internet is filled with various suggestions for removing those stubborn white stains after scraping off the solid residue, but it’s unclear which methods actually work and which are just old wives’ tales shared by bloggers. I put three commonly recommended solutions to the test (along with plain water as a control), and here are the results.
Using seltzer water to clean bird droppings
Sparkling water is widely recommended online for removing bird poop stains, so it was the first method I tried. I followed Angi’s advice, letting it sit on the stain for a few minutes before scrubbing it off. (I chose to use a reliable melamine sponge instead of a brush, though an old toothbrush would also work well for this task.)
The seltzer's bubbles immediately fizzed up on my wooden surface, resembling the reaction of hydrogen peroxide on a wound. After letting it sit for a minute, I wiped it away—and with just a gentle scrub using my melamine sponge, the stain vanished completely.
Conclusion: This method is effective, though some light scrubbing is still required after applying the seltzer.
Using white vinegar to clean bird droppings
While the seltzer was working on one stain, I applied vinegar to another. The vinegar effortlessly dissolved the stain, requiring no scrubbing at all, unlike the seltzer. The only drawback was the strong odor, which intensified in the hot sun but eventually dissipated.
Conclusion: This is undoubtedly the best solution, requiring minimal effort and almost no scrubbing.
Using dish soap to clean bird droppings
Dish soap is highly recommended by sources ranging from window companies to The Kitchn and even the University of Illinois’ renowned stain-removal guide. However, I’m here to tell you that I don’t recommend it.
This method was disappointing, especially for cleaning a wooden railing. The soapy water failed to dissolve the stain, requiring vigorous scrubbing afterward. To make matters worse, the white residue turned blue from the soap, which seeped into the railing’s cracks and was far harder to remove compared to vinegar or seltzer. Unlike the other methods, this one demanded extensive rinsing to eliminate the soap, doubling the time and effort. See the soapy, blue-tinted mess I had to deal with below.
Conclusion: Not recommended.
Using plain water to clean bird droppings
Water served as the control in my experiment and had no effect on the stains. While it slightly loosened them, making scrubbing possible, it was far less effective compared to seltzer or vinegar.
Conclusion: Water alone isn’t sufficient. Even adding dish soap will yield better results than using just water.
