How to Clean Pigeon Feces From Wood Floors

Photo by G. Georgiev.

You've recently built yourself a wooden deck--but are dismayed when, just 1 week after completion, you find the wood covered in pigeon feces. Scrubbing furiously, you are doubly dismayed when the pigeon dropping stains don't seem to come out. You know, too, that pigeon feces can slowly corrode wood floors. Calm yourself--cleaning pigeon feces from wood floors is both doable and easy.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Wood stripper Wood brightener Scrubber Water
Wood stripper
Wood brightener
Scrubber
Water

Step 1

Purchase a gallon of wood stripper. Wood stripper comes in larger containers, too, which you may need depending on the size of your problem (1 gallon will generally cover between 100 and 150 square feet of floor surface). If your wood floors are outside, be sure to look for exterior wood stripper. Otherwise, purchase interior wood stripper. A gallon of wood stripper typically costs around $20.

Step 2

Purchase a gallon of wood brightener. You probably won't need any more than this, since a gallon of wood brightener can be used to make about 5 gallons of solution--enough to cover around a thousand square feet of floor. Again, be sure to purchase the appropriate type: exterior or interior, depending on your circumstances. Like wood stripper, wood brightener normally costs around $20 per gallon.

Step 3

Use a scrubber to scrub some wood stripper into the affected area of the wood floor. Wood stripper removes color stains, like the white or gray stains left by pigeons, all while applying a layer of varnish.

Step 4

Rinse the area with water.

Step 5

Apply the wood brightener to the recently scrubbed and rinsed area, again using a scrubber. The brightener will neutralize the affected area of the wood floor, bringing out its original color and completing the cleaning process.

Tips & Warnings

Though it may at first be tempting, don't attempt to bleach the stained area. This will only serve to permanently discolor the wood floor.

Article Written By William Jackson

William Jackson has written, reported and edited professionally for more than 10 years. His work has been published in newspapers, magazines, scholarly journals, high-level government reports, books and online. He holds a master's degree in humanities from Pennsylvania State University.

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