We almost feel like we are tackling something a little taboo here. The thing that happens (a lot) but goes unspoken. Well, the team here at Lazy Susan aren’t afraid to address the elephant in the room and we think it needs to be discussed.
Yes, we are talking about poo and, specifically, bird poo. From Larus argentatus to Turdus merula (which is a rather apt scientific name for the common Blackbird), we love our feathered friends, however, there’s no doubt that when they go potty on your garden furniture, you'll definitely not want to use it until cleaned off.
All joking aside though, the nitrogen (in the form of uric acid) in bird poo (or bird lime as it is often called), is corrosive. The protective painted finish on our garden furniture is tough and designed for outdoor use, and whilst we have not heard of any issues with our furniture, it pays to be proactive.
Why do you need to remove bird poo safely from your garden furniture?
The pH level of bird droppings generally ranges from around 3.5 to 4.5, which can certainly burn the clear coat applied to your car for example. In fact, many modern cars are painted with water-based paint too (which is then clear coated), and if you leave bird poo on there, it can damage the finish to the extent that it could require a respray.
Our furniture is powder-coated, which gives you a much more durable finish. To be on the safe side though, if you see it on your outdoor furniture, then best to clean it off. And whilst our metal furniture is well protected, we do know that bird poo can easily stain and damage other popular garden furniture materials such as wood.
If you catch it just dropped, then, of course, you can simply wipe it off with say a baby wipe or a soft cloth and little warm soapy water. In the summer though, the hot sun beating down, and things can get a little more complicated.
But fear not, just like our tree sap article, we have some great tips and hacks to safely remove bird droppings from all types of furniture and your outdoor fabrics too.
How to clean bird poo off metal garden furniture
It happens to all of us, you store your metal garden furniture under a cover to keep it clean, nice sunny day, off comes the cover, and before you get a chance to sit down with your morning coffee, a bird drops its mess all over the table and chairs.
If your patio is surrounded by trees or close to a spot they can perch, then you could find this is a pretty regular occurrence too. Garden furniture covers are often washable (and that’s their job) but nobody wants to sit on the stuff.
The key is to remove it safely, and whilst this is easy when soft, things get a little more tricky when it is dried on.
Never be tempted to pick it off, scrub too aggressively or use any tools (such as a pressure washer or scouring pad) that are wrong for the job as you could easily damage the paintwork/finish.
If it has been there for a while or in direct sun, then you must ensure the droppings are soft before you try to wipe them off, and one of the easiest ways to do this is with a damp microfibre cloth.
Soak it in warm soapy water, pop it on the poo for a couple of minutes, and then gently wipe it away. Most of the time this method will do the trick.
However, with some birds, it can be a little harder. Lazy Susan is close to the sea, and Seagulls in particular can be difficult to remove with just soap and water.
If the above method doesn’t work, then we have 3 great hacks that will definitely remove that bird poo off your metal garden furniture by “neutralising” it:
- Remove bird poop off your metal garden furniture with WD-40
Visit the WD-40 website and you’ll see that it has literally 100s of uses but one of them is removing stubborn dirt such as tree sap and bird droppings off your metal garden furniture. Simply, spray it directly onto the mess, leave it for about 1 minute and then wipe away with a clean damp microfibre cloth. - Remove bird poop off your metal garden furniture with baking soda
If you don’t have a can of WD-40 to hand then head to the kitchen cupboard. Mix up a solution of 1 tablespoon of baking powder to 100ml of warm water in a spray bottle. Give it a gentle shake and spray the fizzy liquid directly onto your garden furniture. Leave it for a couple of minutes to fizz away and then wipe it off with a clean damp microfibre cloth. - Remove bird poop off your metal garden furniture with car wipes
If you want to use a proprietary product then there are a number of bird poo sprays and wipes sold for cars such as Autoglym’s Bird Dropping Car Wipes that work great on metal garden furniture. Made from biodegradable, ultra-soft bamboo, they come pre-soaked in a natural cleaning solution that will soften and neutralise the uric acid in bird droppings. Uric acid doesn't easily dissolve in just water alone, hence why the rain or a damp cloth will often not shift it.
If you don’t have our metal garden furniture and/or you’re concerned about any of the solutions above, then our advice is always to test them first in an inconspicuous area such as the underside of a chair.
How to clean bird poo off wood garden furniture
Removing bird droppings from wood is a little more complicated as you can easily damage it or strip the finish. However, leave droppings on too long and they can stain/discolour, so it is best removed quickly and carefully.
As with metal, if fresh it is easy to wipe off with a damp cloth. Dried on and you definitely to be more careful, so again, always test any methods or products in an inconspicuous area before tackling somewhere visible.
If the wood on your furniture is oiled or stained, then again, you especially need to carefully soften it first to avoid removing that finish.
We have seen a few articles suggesting the use of a bleach solution and a plastic scraper. By all means, test/try them. However, in our experience, they’re a little too risky and best avoided. If you plan to sand and re-stain the furniture anyway, then they would be a quick and efficient way to prep it prior to sanding though.
Our advice is if you just want to clean it off in summer without damaging the finish, then try one of the following first:
- Remove bird poop off your wood garden furniture with baking soda
We wouldn’t advise WD-40 for this job as it could stain too but the baking soda solution and car wipes should do the job without any damage. - Remove bird poop off your wood garden furniture with white vinegar
Another simple home solution that we’ve had success with on wooden garden benches is a little diluted white vinegar. It neutralises the pH levels and will soften them. Mix up equal parts white vinegar to water in a spray bottle. Apply it directly and leave it to work for a couple of minutes then carefully wipe it away with a soft damp cloth. - Remove bird poop off your wood garden furniture with sparkling water
If you test or feel the above are a little too harsh for your wood furniture, then a little sparkling water can also do the trick. Just pour it on, leave it to fizz for about 1 minute then wipe it with a damp cloth.
The big difference between wood and metal furniture is that you don’t want to leave any liquids sitting on the surface of the timber for too long.
With painted metal, it doesn’t really matter but the above solutions if left could also stain or split the wood. Our advice is to apply, leave it for no more than a minute, wipe it off with a damp cloth, and repeat if need be.
How to clean bird poo off rattan garden furniture
Natural rattans are not suited to full outdoor use so avoid getting bird droppings on them as they can really do some damage and are extremely difficult to remove/repair.
The modern synthetic poly-rattans that are most common in our industry are much better suited to outdoor use.
That said, removing bird poo is often complicated by those woven poly-rattan strands. If it is a flatter style of rattan then sometimes you can get away with just wiping it off but you tend to find it gets stuck in between. The tighter round/grass-style poly wicker pieces it can be a nightmare.
A sponge and a bucket of warm soapy water is the best place to start and give it a good soak. Again, avoid anything too harsh such as a brush, scouring pad or pressure washer as you can split the resin strands.
If the poo is sun-baked and needs softening first, then the following hacks have worked for us
- Remove bird poop off your rattan wicker garden furniture with baking soda
We haven’t tried WD-40 on synthetic rattans but it could work. Our advice would be to try the baking soda method first and make sure you spray it in all the nooks and crannies. - Remove bird poop off your rattan wicker garden furniture with white vinegar
Diluted white vinegar will also safely do the job and as with wood just mix up equal parts vinegar to water in a spray bottle. Apply it directly and leave it to work for a couple of minutes then carefully wipe it away with a soft damp cloth. If you’re struggling to remove it from in-between the weave, then gently brushing it with an old toothbrush is one safe way we’ve tackled this job. Just be careful not to lift and twist them. - Remove bird poop off your rattan wicker garden furniture with car wipes
If you wanted to use a proprietary product then Autoglym’s Bird Dropping Car Wipes are a good place to start or you could try a spray such as Poorboys if you needed to tackle some bigger pieces of furniture. You just spray it on, leave it for a minute or two then wipe it off with a damp microfibre cloth or sponge.
How to clean bird poo off outdoor cushions
Many of the outdoor cushions sold in the UK are treated to make them waterproof and UV fade resistant, so caution is needed when cleaning.
The cleaning of our cushions is something we covered in our recent can garden furniture cushions be left outside post. It is important you follow the manufacturer's instructions, and in that article, we break down our care label and how best to wash them.
Fortunately, our cushion covers can easily be removed from the seat pad and washed if they do get bird droppings on them. You can just apply a little stain remover, pop them in the washing machine on a 30-degree cycle and dry them flat.
If the bird poo is fresh, then it can often just be gently wiped off with a damp cloth and left to dry in the sun. Always avoid scrubbing as this can create a “shiny” spot where you’ve damaged the fibres.
Alternatively, if you want to give it a quick wipe-off but it is being a little stubborn, then the following hack works a treat on most outdoor fabrics:
- Remove bird poo from outdoor cushions with carpet stain remover
If you don’t want (or can’t) remove the covers and pop them in the washer, then the best solution we’ve found is to use the foam-style carpet stain removers such as Vanish Gold Carpet Stain Remover Foam or 1001 Mousse Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner. If it is dried on, carefully brush off as much as you can with a soft bristle brush. Apply the foam directly onto the poop, dab it with a damp cloth, leave it to dry and then hoover it up.
Again, as with furniture, it is best to test all products on an inconspicuous area such as an inside seam before applying.
How to clean bird poo off parasols and awnings
Parasols and awnings, whilst protecting you and your guests, are often the main target of our feathered friends but again with a little caution, they can be easily cleaned.
It is also best not to leave any droppings on too long as they can discolour/stain the fabric.
Much like outdoor cushions the fabrics are often specially treated to make them water-resistant and prevent them from fading in the sun. Our parasols are made from an easy-care fabric but unlike our cushions are best cleaned on the frame so they keep their shape.
Generally speaking, warm water and a little laundry detergent or washing-up liquid should be enough to keep them clean. Avoid scrubbing. Although, you can use the garden hose on a light spray to rinse the larger surface area. And always try to blot/dab any bird poo off the fabric but if you do want to use a brush make sure it has soft bristles and exercise caution.
As with furniture, before you tackle this job with any new products or methods, test first to make sure it won’t damage the fibres or remove any colour.
If you can’t just wipe it off with warm soapy water, then these hacks should do the trick on most parasols and awnings:
- Remove bird poo from parasols and awnings with carpet stain remover
As with our cushions, you can apply a foaming carpet cleaner such as Vanish or 1001. If it is dried onto the parasol or owning, open it up fully, and carefully brush off as much as you can with a soft bristle brush. Apply the foam directly onto the fabric, dab it with a damp cloth, leave it to dry and then hoover. - Remove bird poo from parasols and awnings with a specialist cleaner
Poop-Off Bird Poop Remover is designed for use inside the home for those who have pet birds. It is designed for most surfaces but always test it first. It is non-toxic and solvent-free so is safe to use. You just spray it on the fabric, leave it for a few minutes and it will safely soften and dissolve the bird droppings. Then wash with warm soapy water, rinse and leave it to dry in the sun.
If you have any photos of our Garden Furniture minus the bird poo, then we would love to see a few for our Do Some Good charity campaign. You can tag us @LazySusanFurniture on Instagram or Facebook or email them to us at [email protected].