Motorcycle & Automobile Q & A Forum

Q: Are bird droppings bad for my car’s paint/finish?

A: Yes – some more so than others. Bid droppings are acetic. They can eat all the way through the paint and that allows the metal to start rusting — if left on the paint long enough. You don’t have to clean it off immediately, but you should not allow it to sit on the paint for very long. Three days would be too long. To remove the bird droppings, just a water flush is all that’s needed – enough to ensure the droppings are rinsed off. The longer the droppings sit, the harder it is to remove them. If it sits too long, you should use soap and water to get that discoloring residue off. If it’s been long enough, then wax may be called for

Q: Why do I have to keep applying and rinsing spray-on/rinse-off cleaners over and over before my motorcycle gets clean?

A: It’s simply because of the way these types of cleaners work. Think of each molecule of cleaner as a drop of water. One side of that drop of cleaner sticks very tightly to a molecule or so of the TOP LAYER of grease and grime. Now, the other side of that drop of cleaner sticks to water. So, you spray the cleaner on, it orients itself properly, sticks to some grime, and then the water flushes it away. But if the grime is more than one layer thick, you’ll have to spray again – and again – and again – until you’re down to the finish of the vehicle.

IMPORTANT TIP: Spray-on/rinse-off cleaners are really great for some things, but not generally for completely washing a vehicle. Try washing the vehicle first, and then spot washing with the spray-on/rinse-off cleaners. They’re great for getting into tight places, and why waste that costly cleaner removing the loose outer layers of grime.

What can I use to make my car’s tires black and shiny?

If you visit your auto parts store, you’ll find several products available for that purpose, such as Eagle One Tire Shine (eagleone.com). Some people just prefer to spray on Armor-All, or a similar product. There are also products that specifically make the tires blacker. These are usually applied with a small brush, and require longer drying and setting times. NOTE: products that make tires shiny usually make the tires more slippery, and are thus not suggested for use on motorcycle tires. Be sure to check the label before using any tire shine or blackening product on your motorcycle tires.

Do spray-on and rinse off cleaners really get the vehicle clean?

It would depend on a couple of factors. How dirty the vehicle is; what kind of dirt; how long the dirt has been on there; how many times you go through the spray-on/rinse-off process, and so forth. Basically, if you have a filthy vehicle and try to get it clean with spray-on/rinse-off cleaners – you’ll be there a very long time, and need gallons of cleaner. Cleaners basically work by attaching themselves to grease and oil (not things like soot or dust), and refusing to attach to water. Hence, you spray the product onto the grime and some of it sticks to the cleaner. You rinse it off, and the stuck grime rinses away. But the cleaner will not burrow down into the grime to get all the layers. And x amount of cleaner will only allow x amount of grime to stick to it. Of course, the agitation created by the stream of water will help some. If your vehicle is really dirty, mix up a generous batch of car wash detergent – lots of water. Lavish it on with sponges, or better yet, soft car washing brushes (horsehair is excellent) on the painted areas, and tougher brushes on the harder or non-visible areas. Use lots of the soapy water and agitation. Wash everywhere twice.