How To Clean Bird Poop Off Concrete (Quickly & Easily!)

A bird’s chirping can be a relaxing way to wake up in the morning, but they can be a menace when it comes to droppings. If trees surround your home, you’re probably left with having to clean bird poop off concrete driveways and patios.

To remove bird poop from concrete, scrape the area with a putty knife or a similar scraping tool to remove the bulky top layer. Sweep the area to dispose of the scraped-off poop, then spray the affected area with a vinegar and water solution. Let it sit for 10-30 minutes and rinse the area with club soda.

In this article, we’ll provide step-by-step instructions on how to successfully remove bird poop from concrete and the tools you’ll need to achieve this task.

The first step is to scrape off enough dried bird droppings to allow for easier cleaning of the spots adhered to the concrete. Use a plastic putty knife (2” to 4” depending on the size of the area you are cleaning) or a similar scraping tool.

Scrape off the top layer of the bird droppings or as much as you’re able to with the putty knife. Ideally, the area would be smooth after scraping. Though the stains will be visible after scraping, this is crucial to ensure steps two through five aren’t necessary to complete multiple times.

Fill an empty spray bottle half with vinegar and half with water. Swirl the bottle around to ensure that they are adequately mixed.

Pro Tip: Using a plastic funnel to fill the empty bottle is the best way to ensure vinegar doesn’t leak to your countertop or workspace. This way, you’ll avoid your space smelling like vinegar for days.

Spray the affected area with the diluted vinegar and let the area sit for ten to thirty minutes. You will notice the stained areas turning the clear mixture into a white or green opaque liquid, depending on the dropping color.

If the liquid appears to be running off and there is clean, unaffected concrete underneath, it is okay to rinse. However, if the stain hasn’t begun to run, wait the entire thirty minutes.

The acidic qualities of bird poop tend to break down with carbonation. That being said, you don’t want to pour any type of soda onto your concrete surface. Pouring soda on concrete can cause the concrete to erode if you do it repeatedly.

Seltzer water will react to any of the bird droppings left on the concrete, bubble for a minute, and eventually runoff. If you are treating a larger area, you may want to dilute the club soda with water, again 50/50, and rinse with that.

You may also choose to rinse with just water, though the remaining stain left behind won’t wash off with just water. If not, repeat the steps.

If you have a larger area affected by bird poop, one of the best commercial cleaners on the market is Krud Kutter. Krud Kutter can be used on concrete, brick, masonry, and asphalt and can cut through the toughest stains.

Krud Kutter comes in a dilutable form that can be sprayed on the area. You can also buy a pressure washer concentrate if you choose to use a pressure washer for this job. Krud Kutter can be found at Lowes, Home Depot, or online at Amazon.

Simple Green Oxy Solve Concrete Cleaner is another option and one of the best commercial concrete cleaners. A one-gallon container of Simple Green Oxy Solve can make 21 gallons of cleaner and clean up to 6,300 square feet.

If you have a large surface to clean, this cleaner can lift the toughest stains. It is EPA-approved and doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals.

Simple Green Oxy Solve Concrete Cleaner is available at Lowes, Walmart, and even online at Amazon. It can be diluted to use as a spray or used with a pressure washer.

Bird poop can also often land on brick and masonry, making it look very unappealing. Luckily, you can clean it similarly with just a few simple exceptions.

If your brick or masonry is older or in disrepair, consider not using a commercial-grade concrete cleaner. It is preferable to not use these products on uneven or broken surfaces.

Be aware of the material in the grout space between your bricks and the condition of the material. If there are large divots or missing mortar between bricks or masonry, you should repair it before using a commercial cleaner.

When not washed off thoroughly, commercial cleaners can begin to erode or break down the mortar between bricks. If you notice commercial cleaner pooling in these areas after rinsing, simply dry with a cloth.

Though vinegar won’t affect the roots of most plants, it can potentially harm leaves and other areas above ground. Commercial chemicals can harm plants even more so.

It is a best practice to ensure that the run-off of your cleaned area is away from plants and shrubbery. Covering bushes and larger shrubbery with plastic can shield them from the spray of a vinegar solution or concrete cleaning chemical.

Many commercial concrete cleaners are “eco-friendly” and will not hurt any grass or plants if they are in the run-off’s path. Look for cleaners with “eco-friendly” on the label.

Related Questions

Will dishwashing detergent clean bird poop from concrete?

Squirting liquid dishwashing detergent on a bird poop stain on concrete and letting it set will clean the stain. You will need to scrub the stain with a stiff bristle brush to remove it, then rinse the area with water.

How can I get the soap and water off of the concrete without hosing it all into the grass?

Sprinkling sawdust over the dish soap or water/vinegar mixture is a good way to absorb the solutions. Sawdust absorbs moisture from the concrete and is a much more eco-friendly way of disposing of dish soap and other solutions.