The Ziplock Bag Car Hack Californians Love But Don’t Talk About

$#!t happens.

Especially bird $#it. Few states know the frustration of a bird dropping a load on a freshly washed car as well as California. Unlike Idaho or Utah, states with four robust seasons, every season is bird season in the Golden State. In fact, California winters experience more bird traffic than most states do in a year.

Millions of birds migrate through the Golden State each year along the Pacific Flyway, which stretches from Alaska to the tip of South America. -The New York Times

Herons, bald eagles, warblers, egrets, swallows, tanagers, and flycatchers are just a few of the 250,000 species of birds that find refuge during California's colder months. With up about 500,000 ducks and 250,000 geese fleeing to the state to avoid cold weather in their native regions, it makes sense that a surplus volume of bird poop would be an issue for locals year-round.

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Bird poop is perennial problem on car mirrors in California. 

In case you didn't know, Chirp says it's a fact that birds are attracted to their own reflection.

...have you ever wondered why birds choose to poop on your car right after you wash it? What seems like Murphy’s Law has a more scientific explanation. A clean car shows the bird their reflection, which they see as a threat, and poop out of stress or to mark their territory. -Chirp

Because bird poop is highly acidic. It can actually erode your car's paint and shiny finishes in as little as 10 minutes in extreme conditions. To protect the finish on their car's side mirrors, some Californians are fighting back with Ziplock bags on their car side mirrors. Sounds crazy, doesn't it?

Well, according to a friend of ours who recently moved from California to Idaho, it's an idea that's just crazy enough to work. They lived through the Grover Beach bird dropping calamity of 2022 😳

Californians are putting Ziplock bags on their side mirrors.

According to Snopes and J.D. Power, both sources say Californians are on to something with this quirky hack. Surprisingly, putting a Ziplock bag on your side mirror will deter birds from pooping on your mirrors.

Birds are attracted to reflective surfaces such as car side mirrors and may fly towards them, pecking and damaging the mirror or even injuring themselves. To prevent this from happening, some car owners put plastic bags over their side mirrors to create a barrier that birds can't see through. -J.D. Power

The Ziplock bag can also be substituted with grocery shopping bags to save money. As long as it blurs a bird's reflection, you're good to go!

Why aren't more people talking about this?

With a hack as cool as this one is, we're left to wonder why Californians are gate-keeping it? Why not share it people?!

Is the Number #2 nature of the tip that keeps them from talking about it? If it is, we're happy to shout it from the rooftops. We're parents, y'all. It takes a lot more than a little poop to keep us quiet...especially if it's about a tip that can make our lives and our friends' lives a little less $#!tty 😉

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