If you’re the kind of person who loves bringing your car to adventures, keeping it spotless can be challenging. After all, you’re bound to encounter everything from the elements to local wildlife on the road. That said, this doesn’t mean that you have to live with your vehicle turning into an eyesore, especially when an assortment of yellow spots are on display. Sometimes, yellow spots can appear after a road trip due to rain exposure, being near a railway, or even just slamming into insects at high speed. On the other hand, they can also show up after just a single afternoon of being parked outdoors, if you park along a path with trees or where local wildlife pass through. 

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While some spots can be harmless for short periods, others can spell trouble, especially if the cause has corrosive qualities. Because of this, it’s best to get rid of them as soon as you spot them to avoid any permanent damage that can be even more expensive to fix. Before we proceed, it’s important to note that nearly every product recommended on this list will require the use of a microfiber towel. If you don’t have one already, you can buy Amazon Basics microfiber cleaning cloths in a 24-pack for only $10.48, which is less than half a dollar each. Now that you’ve added them to your cart, here are some of the possible reasons why those yellow spots have appeared and what you can do to get rid of them.

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One of the most common types of yellow spots you can find on your vehicle comes from something as simple as water. Whether it’s from rain, drips from gutters, or puddles, it’s pretty standard to get water spots on everything from your car’s wheels and body to the windshield. For some soft water spots, you can easily clean them with a spray that is a combination of vinegar and water. However, spots from hard water can cause permanent damage to your car’s exterior. Because it can be difficult to differentiate them, it’s always in your best interest to remove water spots right away. Unfortunately, hard water does have some properties that can make it more troublesome to remove, such as alkaline mineral deposits. For this reason, you may need to invest in more heavy-duty removers, like the Chemical Guys heavy duty water spot remover. 

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Because it is designed to address water spots on vehicles, like cars and motorcycles, you can rest easy that this water spot remover won’t further damage the exterior with harsh chemicals. The gel formula comes in a screw cap bottle and is made to be safely used on different surfaces from paint to glass and stainless steel. It has an average rating of 4.2 stars from over 10,000 reviewers on Amazon, and you can get one 16-ounce can for $19.97 or a pair for $37.99.

In 2007, an LA Times investigation — in partnership with the South Coast Air Quality Management District — revealed that yellow spots on cars can also be due to bee poop. With the help of the UC Davis bee laboratory, they discovered that your car is more likely to experience this if you’re parked outdoors in an area that intersects with their flight patterns. Due to its acidic nature, the damage expected from bee poop is similar to that from acid rain. Not to mention, if you’ve come home from a long, summer road trip and found some yellow stains on your car, it could also be the remnants of dead bugs from the highway. 

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To clean this without further damaging your car, you’ll want something like 3D bug remover. It’s an all-around solution for insect residue on your car, and is safe for use on surfaces like glass, metal, and chrome. Plus, if you’re worried about it damaging your car’s body, 3D mentions that it’s made to work well on paint, wax, and even clear coats. On Amazon, you can get a 16-ounce spray bottle for $16.99 or a 128-ounce jerry can for $31.99. The 3D Bug Remover has an average rating of 4.5 stars from over 5,000 reviewers. Plus, some reviewers have mentioned that its fresh scent makes it pleasant to use overall. You can also use it on RVs and boats.

For people who live in neighborhoods with a lot of birds, it’s not uncommon to see the gooey stains that come from their droppings. Unfortunately, bird poop can lead to a lot of issues, including chipping your car’s paint. While some cultures find bird poop to be good luck, you’ll still want to wipe it right away with something like Goo Gone automotive cleaner to avoid permanent damage. 

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Using citric oils, Goo Gone automotive cleaner works on different types of bio residue — like bird droppings — as well as other things like spray paint. Some reviewers have also mentioned using it to remove residue from Gorilla Tape and emblem adhesive. This makes it also a great way to cleanly remove that temporary Christmas-themed decal. With an average rating of 4.2 stars from over 3,600 Amazon reviewers, Goo Gone automotive cleaner is a great multi-use cleaner for a variety of sticky residues. If this is what you need, you can get a 24-ounce spray bottle for $15.69.

Alternatively, if you have a convertible and like to keep the top down, you might need to get those yellow bird poop stains out of the upholstery as well. For this, you can get Poop-Off bird poop remover spray for $18.95 on Amazon. Apart from car seats, this also works on clothing and other fabric. As of this writing, it has an average rating of 4.4 stars from more than 2,700 people with some people using it to clean bird cages, walls, and decking.

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If you’re lucky enough to live in a neighborhood with a lot of greenery, you might already know that it comes with a price, like the occasional tree sap bomb. For many people, this is a small price to pay for the benefits of being surrounded by trees. To keep your car sap-free, you can get Nanoskin tree sap remover to help remove it permanently. The 32-ounce container sells for $16.56 and has an average rating of 4.0 stars on Amazon from over 600 people. It’s made for outdoor vehicles like trucks, boats, and RVs and works on a variety of surfaces from metal to plastic without damaging marine or car coatings. While it works primarily to remove cured or uncured tree sap, it also acts as a multi-purpose cleaner and can be used to wipe away other things like wax and silicone.

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Unlike other options on this list, this doesn’t come in a spray bottle, so you’ll have to apply a few drops on a microfiber towel instead. For stubborn stains, you might need to leave it on a little bit longer; one reviewer mentioned that it was able to get rid of stains that had been on their car for a year. Another reviewer added that it leaves behind an oily film, which you might need degreasing wipes to manage. Also take note: Nanoskin cautions against leaving it to dry on surfaces.

If the yellow spot is bordering on orange or brown, it’s possible that it is actually a rust spot in the making. In some cases, yellow spots form when the tiny metal bits interact with moisture in the air. Rust spots can form anywhere iron is present from your brakes and car’s frame to railroad tracks. Adam’s Polishes iron remover is one of the highest-rated iron fallout removers you can buy on Amazon for your car. With its pH-neutral formula, it claims that it can work flawlessly on single-stage paint as well as clear coat. Although, while it is acid-free, Adam’s Polishes shares that it should not be used on multi-stage metallic painted surfaces or plastic.

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With an average rating of 4.5 stars from over 12,800 Amazon reviewers, you can rest assured that it can get the yellow stains off your vehicle in a quick and easy way. To start off, you can get a single 16-ounce spray bottle for $18.99 or a two-pack for $28.80. When you finish the bottle and need a refill, there’s also a 128-ounce (one gallon) bottle for $79.99 or a 640-ounce (5 gallon) jug for $279.99. If the rust has already started to get out of hand, we have a nice guide for repairing rust on project cars that you might be want to consider reading.