A: Bird droppings can actually eat all the way through your paint – down to the bare metal. This is a common problem with farming equipment, which is stored for months at a time in areas where pigeons roost. The most important thing is to remove the droppings as soon as possible – which can be done by flooding the area with water, and using a sponge and/or a mild soap if necessary. Once the paint is affected, you will likely need to use a very fine rubbing compound to get the affected area to look right again. Get some extra fine cut rubbing compound at your local auto parts store – you won’t need very much, so get a small container. Follow the directions on the can and the mark should quickly disappear. If it doesn’t, then you’ll likely need to proceed with some form of touch-up painting, followed by rubbing compound to properly blend the spot into the rest of the finish.

A: If the vinyl decals are on the OUTSIDE of the window, it is relatively easy to remove. To remove them, first try heating them with a hair dryer and peeling them off. This will often work, and is the fastest, cleanest method to remove vinyl decals. If this fails, then use a single-edge razor blade to carefully lift a part of the outer edge of the vinyl decal. Now again try to peel it (slowly but steadily) away. As a last resort, use the razor blade to completely remove the vinyl decal and then use Goo-Gone to remove the remnant adhesives. Finish with a good window cleaning using white vinegar and water (1:4 parts). NOTE: If the vinyl decals are on the INSIDE of the window, and you have defroster wires on the window – then you should take your vehicle to a window tint installer and have the vinyl decals removed.

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

A: Mix one part of ordinary white vinegar with four parts of water. Wash the windows with the solution. Then wipe it off. It is great for cleaning just plain dirty glass and all windows, also. And – it’s very cheap! NOTE: If you use newspaper to polish the glass while removing the solution, the glass will ‘shine.’

A: This usually happens when the rubber gets very dirty, sticky and/or dried out. It starts to stick to itself, and then the insulation gradually pulls away from either the car door or the car door jam as the door is used. First, you’ll need to thoroughly clean the rubber insulation strips on both the door, and the car door jam. This can be done with any good cleaning solution. Be sure to use plenty of water to rinse the area when you’re finished. After washing and thoroughly rinsing, pat the rubber dry with a towel and then allow it to air dry completely. Leave the door open during these operations. When the rubber is completely dry, treat it with some Armor All. I’d suggest using two Armor All treatments – the second after the first dries. The rubber should appear ‘wet’ when the treatments are completed.

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.

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.

Salt is corrosive, and should be removed from the carpet as soon as possible. If the salt is left on the carpet for too long, it will fade the color and cleaning will still leave discolorations. Start by flushing the carpet with water. This can be done easily with a handheld spray bottle of water and a wet dry vacuum. Soak the salt areas and then vacuum up the water. Repeat as necessary to remove the bulk of the salt and other minerals. Allow the carpet to dry and then use any of the better spray-on carpet cleaners available at the store. NOTE: if you don’t have a wet vacuum you can use a couple of towels to remove the flushing water.

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.

There is really nothing you can do to properly repair a burn hole in clothe car upholstery. You will have to take the car to an automotive upholstery shop to really get it repaired properly. If you do not care about the appearance, and you simply wish to cover the hole and prevent it from getting larger – maybe until repair is more feasible, then there is something you can do. Go to a discount store or a sewing store and purchase an appropriately colored and sized package of iron-on repair patches. Look for something that is slightly lighter than you seats. Then, following the instructions on the package, use the patches to cover and seal the hole. It will be visible, but it will securely cover the hole and prevent it from getting any worse.