A neighbor gave me dozens of clear, vertical-grain fir 1x3s salvaged from a house, where they had been door & window trim. Most are around 7' long, with a clear finish; a few are painted white.

Unfortunately, the neighbor stored them in a pile outside under a tarp for nearly a year before he gave them to me, and some were contaminated with rat droppings. I laid out all the sticks on pallets and throroughly pressure-washed them, but some still have stains. No odor, though.

I'd like to give the sticks another cleaning before deciding how much will have to be cut out and discarded. My nephew has suggested using a deck cleaner solution; I was considering a dilute bleach spray followed by another pressure wash.

Any other thoughts on this, and on removing the finish/paint, would be most welcome. Thanks.

Don