How do I clean pigeon feces out of my attic?
Cleaning up after a pigeon evacuation can be a daunting task and a bit of a health risk too. It is always best to take adequate precautions. First limit the exposure. Make sure that children, people with compromised immune systems and pets are far away from the attic before starting. This goes for any affected area, inside or out.
Pigeon guano is most dangerous if dry. The dry particles can contain fungi and bacteria that could cause disease in certain cases. But who wants to take a chance that they are the one in a million where it does happen?
So you will want to wear some protective clothing. Getting poop on your hands, under your nails or in your eye is not a good thing, ever. So wear rubber gloves, eye protection, long pants, a long sleeved shirt, as well as a surgical mask. Then wet the area. This can be done with a bleach solution: one part bleach to nine parts water. This can be misted or sprayed over the affected area wetting it thoroughly. There are also store bought products that will help with this. The bleach will kill the bacteria and fungus if there is any. If the pile of poop is deep, you might need to apply this repeatedly to get the whole pile wet. Wait around ten minutes for the bleach to soak in and do its work. This will also ease the poop up, making it a lot easier to remove.
Now once it’s possible to lift the poop up and remove it, get a shovel or some other implement and dispose of the poop in a double plastic bag—a bag in a bag. Seal them both off tightly. Then spray the affected area with your bleach or other store bought solution again. Let it sit and then rinse.
Now you should be able to use a normal detergent to clean away the last bits of guano that have gotten into the grain or the cracks. Make sure that you dispose of any cleaning materials that came in contact with the guano in a plastic bag, and remember to wash your hands using soap afterwards.
Once the area is clean then it is safe for children and pets to use it again. It is really rare that pigeon guano causes disease in humans, but it does happen. So better safe than sorry.